McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale believes the F1 community will “relish” returning to the United States in 2012.
Speaking at the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in he said:
I saw the headline and whilst I’m not aware of the details I think most of us in Formula 1 would relish the opportunity to go back to America. It’s a really important place to be for our market and our sponsors who want to operate there.
I think Formula 1 has to do something about the package and the way we present ourselves to one of the world’s largest markets.
Jonathan Neale
Asked how F1 can establish itself in America having struggled to find a long-term venue for a race Neale said:
There are smarter men than I trying to work out how this works in America. I think we should ask the Americans, we should look at what the TV networks want, we should look at the way in which sport is consumed in America and ask do we have an offering that’s going to work over a weekend when the American culture provides for family life and sport in a slightly different way.
We may have to look at the whole formula for working in America to serve that market. I’m no expert in that, there’s a FOTA commercial committee as well as CVC and FOM who I’m sure want to look at how to make that happen.
But if we are going back to the States then I think that’s great.
Jonathan Neale
matt90
26th May 2010, 11:50
I’m not surprised McLaren are keen, seeing as most Americans only knowledge of them is the F1 road car from 15 years ago. With a new road car on the way they need to show that despite having only one past road car, they still have pedigree and heritage.
Ned Flanders
26th May 2010, 12:01
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/is-formula-one-coming-to-austin-709355.html
A little bit off topic, but here’s a link to an Austin local newspaper. Interesting that they phrase the headline as a question. I kind of share their sceptism.
Think how many races have been announced over the years yet never materialise. Russia… South Africa… Mexico… Donington… There’s a long way to go yet
Scribe
26th May 2010, 13:01
Yeah, this project looks entirely shaky at the mo. Till we get more info can’t really say it’s going to happen. I mean they haven’t even aquired a site?
I hope it works out so much though.
DGR-F1
26th May 2010, 13:14
I imagine anyone in motorsports in the US must still be a little shaky about the rise and fall of USF1, so to suddenly be told of the whole F1 circus actually finding a permenant home must be very scary!
Is Austin a good site as far as the fans are concerned? Considering Bernies first choice of racing around the Empire State Building, he must have found a very good reason to decide on somewhere not even on the East Coast…..
Bartholomew
26th May 2010, 15:51
America is good for McLaren, to sell the new ROAD CARS. I think that also Ferrari wants to be seen in America, to support their brothers in Chrysler. There will be Ferrari technology in high-end Chryslers, and I anticipate Fast Fred retiring to the U.S. and racing for Chrysler there.
That would be a lot of fun for him.
So, Ron and Lou will be having a barbecue over there soon.
Hallard
26th May 2010, 16:17
What makes you think there will be Ferrari technology in Chryslers? FIAT has stated that Chrysler will be positioned as a sister brand to Lancia. Are there any significant pieces of Ferrari technology in Lancias these days?
judo chop
26th May 2010, 20:44
Funny you say that but I do vaguely remember a Lancia Thema with a Ferrari V8. THey might try and do a rehash.
Bartholomew
26th May 2010, 22:21
By the time Fast Fred has won a couple of WDC more at least and retires from F1, Chrysler will be a prestigious brand worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as Ferrari.
Lancia is crap
Bartholomew
26th May 2010, 22:24
Now going back to the point of discussion, McLaren will have a very succesful road car business, and the US will be a great market for them.
Those memories of the orange McLarens winning in the old Can-Am races are wonderful !
Hallard
27th May 2010, 14:48
Chrysler is a brand of middle-class, oversized, faux-luxury sedans and trucks, (with Plymouth and Dodge being the blue-collar cousins)and it has been so for DECADES. They have never made any notably good cars (especially racing cars), with the exception of a few muscle cars and the viper. No matter how many F1 championships FERRARI wins, it will not change the way Americans (or the world for that matter) think of Chrysler as a brand. In fact, Americans still think Fiat is a joke, even though Ferrari has won all those championships. And you yourself just stated that Lancia is crap, and it has the same relationship with Ferrari (not to mention its own racing pedigree) right now as Chrysler will have in the near future. I rest my case :)
By the way, Lancia has made more outstanding cars than Chrysler has or ever will, even if their current line-up is crap.
Dipak T
28th May 2010, 16:18
Lancia have won 10 WRC constructors championships, miles more than any other constuctor. Maybe by the end they wernt that good, but I dont think that they were ever crap. Certainly, in terms of racing heritage, Chrysler is nowhere.
Hallard
26th May 2010, 16:19
I think I may have misread your comment as being serious…
I just noticed that you mentioned “Fernando Alonso”, “Racing” and “Chrysler” in the same sentence. Hilarious! :)
Bartholomew
26th May 2010, 16:56
You just wait and see ….
Cheers
Adam Tate
26th May 2010, 19:42
You haven’t heard, they are going to put “nando” in a stock car and let him chase down Montoya in an epic battle hahahahaha!
matt88
26th May 2010, 18:04
Ferrari want the US Grand Prix only to sell their own models, Chrysler is a completely different kind of brand in terms of customers.
Mike
27th May 2010, 0:08
Mclaren gets to sell more road cars, great for them, what about Torro Rosso? I can’t imagine every extra overseas trip would be improving the budget would it?
Bartholomew
27th May 2010, 12:52
Theres plenty of Red Bull drinks to be sold in
America
teeb123456789
26th May 2010, 16:43
Yes, its great to hear F1 may get a whole new facility in Austin, but, what about California? California may not be well known for motor racing(?)but does Russia? Korea? India? California has its own Speedway with varied infield sections:
http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/Seating-Charts/Track-Maps.aspx
This could be a more high profile event due to the movie stars being right on the doorstep. You see half of them at Monaco with Martin Brundle on the pit walk anyways. So, maybe the celebrities could be another selling point of the race, to make it glamorous.
Becuase the track is a speedway, tthe drivers would be able to go round part of the oval, which I think would be a great attraction in itself as it would be the only oval in F1. (As long as they get the correct tyre compounds etc.) It’s like giving an American theme to the race, as opposed to every other race where you couldn’t guess which country they are racing from because circuits are so similar.
Also, from a spectators point of view, you can see the whole track from the grandstand, so you don’t need to buy the kangaroo TVs, and you would be able to see a crash etc and know why a driver had not gone past you. The sound of the engines enclosed in that space would be absolutely awesome. (I went to the Daytona 500 qualifying- soooo noisy :D)
I’m sure it’s almost up to F1 standards but if not, it’ll be a damn sie cheaper than building a new $250M Tilke(boring)drome that doesn’t turn the Americans on.
Give them what they deserve. F1 will have to adapt to American taste, not vice versa.
beneboy
26th May 2010, 19:10
California may not be well known for motor racing(?)
Dude, what about Laguna Seca ?
You may be surprised to hear it but Laguna Seca is spoken about in hushed tones by many of us in Europe and is considered to be one of the worlds greatest circuits.
I’d much prefer to see F1 investing some money into the facilities and safety improvements needed to get Laguna Seca up to F1 standard than having an in-field track at an oval, it’d be worth a few hundred million dollars just to get The Corkscrew onto the calendar :-)
It’s sad that it would never be allowed to be used for F1, the ALMS and MotoGP races there are always great to watch.
To be honest though, I’m just glad to see F1 returning to the USA and hope they do a better job of it this time round !
beneboy
26th May 2010, 22:02
The last sentence on my post was a criticism of F1, not America (just to avoid any confusion).
Mike
27th May 2010, 0:10
Could a F1 car handle the corkscrew?
Adam Tate
26th May 2010, 19:45
F1 will likely never run on a “roval” course, even endurance racers rarely do than anymore aside from the 24 at Daytona. It’s not about America adapting to F1, it’s about F1 introducing more Americans to the best type of circuit and that is undoubtedly a purpose built roadcoarse. Let California have a rest for Pete’s sake, they get everything cool, you can’t have all the cake and eat every last morsel. Let another part of the country in on the fun.
Bartholomew
26th May 2010, 21:13
California should be the US GP West.
US should have two or three F1 races a year.
Calum
26th May 2010, 17:21
Didn’t the original Mclaren race in Can/Am or some other similar series? Mclaren are such a well known brand in the US along with Ferrari. There only happy because it’s such a big market commercially. Also they won the last race in that country, Hamilton’s 2nd race win!
AlonsoWDC
26th May 2010, 19:13
You have to wonder.
With BMW gone,
With Honda gone,
With Toyota gone.
Only Mercedes and Ferrari are left as manufacturers who desperately crave an American Grand Prix, as both claim the United States as its largest market.
I agree that at the moment this Austin GP story is shaky, but I want to know just how concerned Bernie and company are at coming back. And is this just another ploy to get some folks in Indianapolis to return a phone call?
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