Formula One's new owner plans US street race

The most famous street race in the world is, of course, the Monaco Grand Prix. File photo: Yoan Valat / EPA

The most famous street race in the world is, of course, the Monaco Grand Prix. File photo: Yoan Valat / EPA

Published Jan 25, 2017

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London, England – Formula One's new owner plans to add a street race in the United States in an attempt to improve a sport that it feels stagnated under Bernie Ecclestone's control.

Chase Carey, who ended Ecclestone's four-decade reign as F1's chief executive, said on Tuesday the sport would no longer be run as a "one-man show".

Carey, though, will be as dogged as the 86-year-old Ecclestone in negotiations with circuits, insisting that less-lucrative races in heartlands such as Britain would have to prove they can become more profitable rather than being allowed to renegotiate hosting fees.

F1 currently only makes one stop during the season in the United Sates — at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas — but adding a street race is high on Liberty's agenda.

"We would like to add a destination race in the US, in a location like New York, LA, Miami, Las Vegas," Carey said. "We think we can create something that will be a really special event.""

The sport has remained stuck in the past, according to Carey, making "events feel a little tired", while the modern media landscape was not grasped by Ecclestone.

"Bernie really ran a one-man show," Carey said. "I don't plan to run a one-man show."

Bigger and better

Although Ecclestone remains on board as honorary chairman and will be an F1 adviser, power clearly now rests with Carey, who is a veteran Fox executive.

"The last half dozen years I think the business has not reached its potential," Carey said. "With all the things you need to do to be competitive in an increasingly fragmented online world, you need an organisation doing many things at the same time."

Ecclestone was criticised for overlooking historic popular race venues to move into new, wealthier markets including Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Azerbaijan, which held its first race in 2016. The German Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2017 calendar because of Hockenheim's financial difficulties, while the British race at Silverstone is at risk because of hosting costs.

"Western Europe is important for us and to some degree we have to engage to make those races bigger and better than they are while respecting their heritage," Carey said, while ruling out cut-price deals to keep historic races.

"We are willing to invest in the sport but we are the new guys so everybody wants to come in and figure it's a chance to renegotiate. So I don't think that's the right mindset. We think these races (in places like Britain and Germany) should be bigger and more profitable and we are willing to work with promoters to figure out how to achieve that. That's our goal."

The takeover comes as the series is poised for a shakeup.

Changes such as wider tires, car design, louder engines, and more overtaking opportunities are set to make F1 more exciting in a bid to win back a large chunk of unhappy fans amid flagging attendances at some races.

"We can certainly do things to make the race day more engaging, more exciting - make the race itself more exciting," Carey said. "I have gone around and talked to lot of people and hear many of the same things about predictability, rules too complicated, engineers overtaking drivers, the engines could be faster, louder, cheaper.

"And so there are a number of things we can do to improve the race, the race day."

Such as tapping into the "excitement and buzz" found at the NFL's showpiece game and turning races into week-long festivals in host cities.

"What I would like to have is 21 Super Bowls," Carey said. "Priority one is to make the races bigger and better. We have some great races like Singapore, Mexico and Abu Dhabi but we have to make all the races have an energy and excitement that really makes them unique events."

AP

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