By Tony Jimenez
Dec 16 (Reuters) – Formula One will continue to be
viewed as a minority sport by Americans even though the United
States is due to host two grands prix a year from 2013, supremo
Bernie Ecclestone said on Friday.
The United States, absent from the Formula One calendar
since Indianapolis in 2007, returns to the schedule next year
with a new race at Austin, Texas.
The country will then have two races a season from 2013 when
a grand prix is also planned for New Jersey, on a street circuit
against a backdrop of New York’s Manhattan skyline.
Asked by television interviewer David Frost, in a programme
to be aired on Al Jazeera at 2000 GMT on Friday, if he expected
Formula One to be big in America in 10 years’ time, Ecclestone
said: “No.
“We’ve got a maximum of two races in America and when you
consider the country is as big as Europe and we’ve got several
races in Europe, it’s difficult (for the United States).
“If we had a lot more races there and a lot more television
it would be okay. It’s (also) a bit like the rest of America in
that they want to see a profit before they start something and
it’s not easy to do that.”
The Briton said he was disappointed Turkey was missing from
the 20-race calendar in 2012 and hinted strongly that South
Africa would host a grand prix in 2013.
“I was talking to someone this morning about Turkey,” said
the 81-year-old.
Continued…
