Tony Stewart, McLaren, Watkins Glen, 2011

McLaren team principal and F1 teams’ association president Martin Whitmarsh says F1 has to “conquer” America.

Whitmarsh told the FOTA Fans Forum at the McLaren Technology Centre that F1 should look to having two races in the country – and its focus should be away from Texas, the destination for next year’s Grand Prix in Austin.

Whitmarsh pointed to the former F1 home of Long Beach in California and New York, where F1 previously raced at Watkins Glen, as ideal locations for Grands Prix.

He said: “I think it’s a big enough market and an important enough market that we should be over there.

“And I think – nothing against Texas, I hope that is a very successful race – the natural hinterland for us, in my view, are the east coast and west coast.

“Long Beach, around New York – those are where we’re going to really create the interest in Formula 1 and I think we’ve got to go there.”

Whitmarsh added F1 needs to work harder than before to market itself to new fans:

“We’re going to the USA but we’ve really got to go to the USA. That’s to say, going there, having the race and coming home isn’t good enough. And that’s what we’ve done in the States before.

“After football, the only other world sport is Formula 1. And we are not really in America. America doesn’t need us but I think we need to conquer it, we need to go there, maybe we need to be two races a year, we need to have a proper marketing programme, we’ve got to create the interest.

“We’ve demonstrated that, within Europe, people understand Formula 1, we’ve got a fan base, also in some parts of Asia, Japan and obviously South America. But I think what’s a worry is that we’re not doing enough. We talk about China, India, I think those are exciting markets, they’re markets [where] again, we can’t just have a race and come home. We’ve got to tyre harder.

“Formula 1 hasn’t had to sell itself in the past, the fans have come to us. We’ve got to recognise there’s lots of competition in the entertainment business, we’re just part of it. We’ve actually got to do a lot better.

“So I think we’ve got to conquer America, that’s a five-year programme, we’ve got to be on the east coast, the west coast, we’ve really got to make sure. There’s a great opportunity there. There’s obviously NASCAR in the south-east corner, but I think they could really get Formula 1 if we go there, explain, promote and market our sport.”

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Image © Image.net

Velociudad Argentina

Two countries formerly part of the Formula 1 calendar are evaluating plans which could see both become capable of holding F1 races again.

Argentina and Mexico last held F1 races in 1998 and 1992 respectively, and hosted 35 rounds of the world championship between them.

Argentina

Populous, the architects behind Silverstone’s revised track and new pits, have won a bid to develop an FIA Grade 1 circuit in Argentina, which would be capable of holding F1 and Moto GP races.

The Velociudad Argentina circuit will be built in Zarate, close to the capital city Buenos Aires:

Velociudad Argentina

A 5.5km track is planned. The image shown above is a concept layout and will not reflect the final design. Design and construction is expected to take two years.

The developers say they are keen to attract an F1 race but the main purpose of the track is to help develop Argentinian racing drivers and teams.

Velociudad Argentina

They say they will not make an approach about hosting an F1 race until the project is at a more advanced stage.

They plan to host local racing categories including TC2000. The circuit will be within a short drive of five car manufacturing factories belonging to Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Ford and GM.

This concept footage shows more of the planned development:

Mexico

Riccardo Patrese, Nigel Mansell, Williams, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, 1991

The presence of Sergio Perez, Mexico’s first F1 driver in 30 years, could do much to attract backers and help the country regain a spot on the F1 schedule.

FIA safety delegate Charlie Whiting recently visited and inspected the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City with a view to the circuit being prepared for FIA Grade 1 status.

The circuit’s owners were given details of the changes they would have to make in order for it to be able to host an F1 race.

It’s not known what changes they would have to make. But the final corner, Peraltada, a high-speed 180-degree right-hander with limited run-off, is a likely source of difficulty.

Bruno Junquiera, A1 Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, 2007

Single-seater categories which have visited the venue in recent years, such as the defunct A1 Grand Prix (see image) and Champ Car series, have used different configurations at this point on the track.

At one stage the course was diverted through a baseball field in the middle of the corner. Later, Champ Car used a very tight chicane before the corner. Both configurations can be distinguished by zooming in on the map below.

In 2009 the circuit owners planned to use a trio of chicanes to slow the A1GP cars at the corner, but that event was cancelled.

Here is how the track looks at present:

Argentina and Mexico’s F1 history

• Formula 1’s lost nations: Argentina
• Buenos Aires, 1953-1973
• Buenos Aires, 1974-1981
• Buenos Aires, 1995-1998
• Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, 1963-1970
• Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, 1986-1992

Images © Velociudad Argentina (1-3), Williams/LAT, A1 Grand Prix

From little more half-a-dozen races in Europe the global F1 circus now visits almost every continent.

The 2011 F1 calendar will see a new record of 20 races, assuming the race in Bahrain this year goes ahead.

The charts below show how the sport has grown worldwide since 1950.

The growing F1 calendar, 1950-2011

This interactive map shows how many races were held in each country* during each year of the world championship.

Press play to see how the distribution of F1 races around the world has changed since the beginning of the championship in 1950:

View a larger version of this chart

• Click play to start the animation
• Use the scroll bar to select a year
• Zoom in and out and drag the map to look closer
• Click a country to see how many races it held in that year
• The more races a country held, the darker it appears

F1 races per continent, 1950-2011

The growth in the calendar has often been referred to as a decline in the championships traditional European races.

But as this chart shows the far more significant factor is the growth of Asia. This year there will be almost as many races there as in Europe:

F1 is set to return to the United States of America next year, increasing the number of races in North America to two. Another new race in Russia is planed for 2014.

*As principalities are not shown on this map the Monaco Grand Prix is attributed to France. Note that some Grands Prix were not held in the countries they were named after, including the 1981-2006 San Marino Grands Prix (Italy), 1982 Swiss Grand Prix (France) and 1997-8 Luxembourg Grands Prix (Germany). Map requires Adobe Flash Player.

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Red McCombs, owner of a car dealer group in Texas and previously named one of the 400 richest men in America, has invested in the project.

He has been involved in other sports previously, formerly owning the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets (both basketball teams) and the Minnesota Vikings (an American football team).

A site for the 2012 race has also been chosen which you can see below:

View Larger Map

Austin Grand Prix site map (click to enlarge)

According to the promoters:

The track will be located on a site of approximately 900 acres in southeast Austin along the SH 130 corridor near FM 812. The majority of land involved in the project is formerly known as the Wandering Creek property.

Tavo Hellmund, the man behind the project, said:

This project has been a tremendous. But for at least the next decade, Texas will host a global sporting event on an annual basis in a new world-class multipurpose facility. Knowing that our hard work is being rewarded and that my dream is becoming a reality is extremely gratifying.

It is a great honour to have Red McCombs and McCombs Partners as our primary investor and partner. Red’s success in business and the professional sports arena is legendary. Working together as a team and under Red’s direction, we will ensure that this project will make all Texans very proud and will benefit our great State.
Tavo Hellmund

McCombs added:

Bringing Formula 1 back to the United States represents the opportunity of a lifetime and one that any city in the world would want. The size and scope of an F1 event is comparable to hosting a Super Bowl and will bring substantial economic benefit to Austin, San Antonio and the entire State of Texas.

We know Tavo has a clear vision for developing Formula 1 into a major event with year-round opportunities. Over the past few years, he has built a solid business foundation and has assembled a great team – one we are proud to be part of. We are ready to roll-up our sleeves and work alongside Tavo to make this project a huge success.
Red McCombs

Read more: F1 to race in Texas, USA in 2012

Which venues should F1 keep going to?

Bernie Ecclestone has said F1 can “afford to lose” certain rounds to make way for races in New York and Russia – two venues he’s been trying to get on the F1 calendar for decades. He told Autocar:

We’re going to lose some races for sure, there are some races we can afford to lose without too much problem. I’ve spoken to the countries to see what we can come up with.
Bernie Ecclestone

I suspect fans may differ with him on which F1 races should get the chop – so let’s put it to a vote…

South Korea joins the championship as a 19th round this year and India could make a largest-ever calendar with 20 races in 2011. Rome is also in the queue and Ecclestone has been talking about races in New York and Russia once again, though there’s nothing new about that.

Which rounds would you drop from the world championship? Pick as many as you like from the poll below and have your say in the comments.

Read more

• Ecclestone still chasing New York dream
• Fresh rumours of a Russian Grand Prix
• 2012 Rome Grand Prix circuit revealed
• 2010 F1 calendar

Silverstone Arena circuit

The 2010 British Grand Prix will take place on Silverstone’s new ‘Arena’ circuit in 2010, the circuit has confirmed, after gaining approval from Formula One Management.

The race organisers say the new circuit, built at a cost of £5m, will provide a better experience for fans in 2010.

It cuts out the Abbey chicane and Bridge and Priory corners, replacing them with a new sequence of fast bends and a pair of tight corners which will be in view from the Becketts grandstand. The new configuration will have to be homologated by the FIA before this year’s F1 race.

Here’s how the new and old tracks compare:

With the lap length increasing expect the number of laps in this year’s F1 race to fall from 60 to 52.

The estimated lap time for the new circuit in an F1 car is 1’23.13. Last year’s pole position time by Sebastian Vettel was 1’19.509.

A new pit and paddock complex will be built in time for the 2011 race. It will include new garages, race control building, media centre, hospitality, VIP spectator areas and a primary paddock.

Managing director Richard Phillips said:

The new sections of circuit were initially brought in to comply with Moto GP safety regulations, but the “Arena Complex” was always designed with both two and four-wheeled racing in mind. We have been very careful, working closely with drivers and riders, to make sure we are improving and enhancing what Silverstone already has to offer – from a drivers, riders and spectators point of view.

Some will miss not seeing modern day F1 cars accelerating through Bridge, but we have to move with the times and continue looking at ways to improve the overall experience. The new layout will bring an extra dimension to Silverstone, a new challenge for the drivers, and will enable fans to get closer to the action. We have a very exciting year ahead of us, with F1, MotoGP and World Superbikes all coming to Silverstone, and I can’t wait to see how the drivers and riders tackle the new circuit.
Richard Phelps

Silverstone is one of two F1 circuits changes this year – Bahrain is also using a new loop for this year’s race.

Going to the British Grand Prix this year? Join the discussion here:

Silverstone Arena circuit

• Silverstone knocks down grandstands to build new Arena circuit (Pictures)
• Silverstone to use “more exciting” Moto GP track for 2010 F1 race (Pictures)
• 2010 British Grand Prix
• 2010 British Grand Prix discussion

Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport claims a deal is in place for F1 to race on the streets of Rome.

It reports race organiser Maurizio Flammini has done a deal with Bernie Ecclestone. Earlier this year it emerged the venue was seeking an F1 race for 2012.

A race deal for 2012 would be consistent with F1′s growth which has seen at least one new event added per year recently: Valencia and Singapore in 2008, Abu Dhabi in 2009, South Korea next year and India in 2011.

However the race’s official site has gone blank and there’s nothing from their Twitter feed either. See below for more details on the circuit plans.

2012 Rome Grand Prix

• Rome Grand Prix track video lap
• 2012 Rome Grand Prix circuit revealed

It'll be another sunset finale for F1 in Abu Dhabi in 2010

Abu Dhabi will host the F1 season finale for the second year in a row in 2010 after swapping its place on the calendar with the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The final 2010 F1 calendar revealed today by the FIA sees the last two races switched around and confirms F1 will have 19 races next year.

The Japanese and Korean Grands Prix – rounds 16 and 17 – each move back a week, meaning the Singapore and Japanese rounds are no longer back-to-back.

However the season will still end on the 14th of November, with the Brazilian and Abu Dhabi races on consecutive weekends despite the distance between the two.

Here’s the calendar in full:

What do you think: would you rather see the F1 season finish on the brilliant Interlagos track in front of Brazil’s feverish F1 fans, or at ultra-modern Abu Dhabi with its futuristic Yas Island circuit?

Read more: 2010 F1 calendar

Image (C) Red Bull/Getty Images

Abu Dhabi won't be F1's newest venue for long: South Korea and India are next

The confirmation of the British Grand Prix on the 2010 F1 calendar yesterday confirms next year’s schedule will be the joint-longest ever.

With the first Indian Grand Prix planned for 2011, F1 may soon see its first 20-race championship.

New additions

At least one new race is planned for the 2011 F1 calendar – last month we had our first look at India’s F1 track plans.

On top of that the Czech Republic is considering a bid to hold an F1 race in Prague, potentially as early as 2012.

Existing or recently-dropped events may provide further opportunities for expansion. Sadly the French bid to revive its race at a new circuit in Flins has been abandoned. But FIA president Jean Todt has indicated he is supportive of the French round returning to the calendar.

The chances of the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis being revived look remote as the circuit owners seem more preoccupied with developing the struggling Indy Car series.

But there may be a chance for F1 to return to having two rounds in Germany. This was the norm during the height of the Schumacher years. Hockenheim and the Nürburgring now share the race (and have an arrangement to do so until 2018) which means Germany has at least two F1-standard circuits.

There are potentially six German drivers on the grid next year. And Mercedes is returning as a full Grand Prix team for the first time since 1955. Notwithstanding the unfortunate loss of BMW, could Germany soon be ready for two F1 races again?

Races in doubt

All this assumes the current races will stay on the calendar, and most of them are contracted until at least 2011. But there are some notable exceptions.

Shanghai’s contract to hold the Chinese Grand Prix runs out after next year’s race. There have been rumours the event could remain on the calendar but move to a different location – such as Beijing – but nothing concrete has emerged yet.

In six years the race hasn’t attracted much of a crowd beyond those brought in to occupy a fraction of the circuit’s enormous capacity. The organisers have given up trying to sell seats around turn 13, which has been given over to a massive Expo 2010 advert for the past two seasons (which even appears in the official F1 video game).

Having a Chinese round was popular with car manufacturers because of the huge opportunity to sell cars in China. But with Honda, BMW and Toyota (and possibly Renault) all quitting the sport that demand may have lessened.

Another race suffering poor attendance is the Turkish Grand Prix, which has a contract for races in 2010 and 2011. There’s still time for both these events to get extensions on their contracts, but the fact they haven’t already speaks volumes.

To 20 races?

Circuits come and go from the calendar. Taking a long view the calendar has grown over the past decade, but quite slowly.

This incremental growth is beginning to come up against opposition from teams who feel their personnel can’t be stretched to covering many more races than they are already doing.

Perhaps one day teams could rotate multiple races crews in much the same way they used to have separate test and race teams, allowing them to cover more races. However that would require them to hire more staff, putting costs up again.

It’s one of F1′s trickier problems to solve. How would you tackle it? Or do you think the calendar doesn’t need to get any bigger?

Image (C) BMW ag

The latest version of the 2010 F1 calendar published by the FIA today shows the same 19 races declared previously, despite doubts over the Canadian and British rounds.

The Canadian event is listed as “Subject to the completion of contract negotiations with Formula One Management.” According to La Presse, a confirmation should be issued before elections in the area on November 1st.

Meanwhile the British Grand Prix is expected to take place subject to the caveat of “homologation of the circuit.” At the moment the chances of a completed F1 circuit at Donington Park being homologated look extremely remote.

The circuit owners have until Monday to prove they have the funds in case to prepare the circuit in time – and even if they clear that hurdle they then need to complete all the construction work. In short, it’s looking increasingly like Silverstone or bust for the British Grand Prix.

2010 F1 calendar

March 12-14th – Bahrain Grand Prix
March 26-28th – Australian Grand Prix
April 2nd-4th – Malaysian Grand Prix
April 16-18th – Chinese Grand Prix
May 7-9th – Spanish Grand Prix
May 13-16th – Monaco Grand Prix
May 28-30th – Turkish Grand Prix
June 11-13th – Canadian Grand Prix (contract pending)
June 25-27th – European Grand Prix (Valencia)
July 9-11th – British Grand Prix
July 23-25th – German Grand Prix
July 30th – August 1st – Hungarian Grand Prix
August 27-29th – Belgian Grand Prix
September 10-12th – Italian Grand Prix
September 24-26th – Singapore Grand Prix
October 1-3rd – Japanese Grand Prix
October 15-17th – Korean Grand Prix
October 29-31st – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
November 12-14th – Brazilian Grand Prix

Read more: 2010 F1 calendar