Ecclestone sets US Grand Prix D-day

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is set to make a decision on the future of the United States Grand Prix by July 12, Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced on Saturday.

The race has been staged at Indy since 2000 but uncertainty about the event’s future on the Formula One calendar has surrounded the US Grand Prix since the controversial 2005 race when a boycott by teams using Michelin tyres over safety fears at the circuit left only six drivers running on Bridgestone tyres to start the race.

The circuit’s original deal to stage the race ended in 2006, when a one-year extension was secured for 2007 and Formula One Management CEO Ecclestone has discussed a new, long-term agreement to stage the race at Indy with IMS CEO Tony George this weekend.

In a statement issued on Saturday by IMS, the circuit’s president and chief operation officer Joie Chitwood said: “Tony has stressed to Bernie in these meetings that we want to continue the event, and we believe he feels the same.

“With eight years experience with the USGP, both Tony and Bernie know what the challenges are. They are exploring ways to get to a long-term agreement, and we expect to make an announcement no later than July 12.”

He added: “If we are going to have a USGP in 2008, we know that we need to make the announcement and start working on the event by the second week of July.”

Earlier this week, Ecclestone warned that the USA could lose its Grand Prix altogether, telling the Daily Express: “It is not vital to Formula One to be in the United States.

“There are bigger markets for us to be in other parts of the world. We don’t have a lot of sponsors from the US, no American teams and only one driver.

“I get along with Tony George and I hope we can strike a deal, but we have offers from other places in the US too.”

Irish former F1 and IndyCar driver Derek Daly, who now lives in Indianapolis and works as a motorsport commentator for US cable channel Speed TV, questioned Ecclestone’s newspaper claims.

“It’s Bernie posturing as only Bernie can,” Daly said. “I admire Bernie as much as anyone in motor sport for what he as achieved, what he has built for Formula One around the world.

“But Bernie is wrong. It’s an attitude that doesn’t know the American market. He should ask Mercedes Benz how many cars they sell here, or ask Ferrari how many they sell in the US.

“It would be a shame to walk away because of a short-sighted decision. It would destabilise the progress that has been made and waste eight years of foundation building if F1 walked away from America.”

In the IMS statement, however, Chitwood said he was optimistic about the future of the event at Indy.

“With the Indianapolis 500, we annually present the world’s largest sporting event and also play host to the largest-attended NASCAR race with the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard,” he said.

“We just need to continue to work with the Formula One community and find the right business model to make this event successful for all involved. That is our goal.”