Circuit of the Americas stay on calendar despite cut in funding
Wednesday 9 March 2016 17:28, UK
The United States GP will take place as scheduled in 2016, circuit chiefs have confirmed.
The race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin was only provisionally listed on the calendar after the Texan state government cut its subsidy for the event after using a different formula to calculate the economy benefit of F1 to the region.
CoTA's race weekend revenues also took a hit after last October's race was dogged by treacherous weather, with Saturday's qualifying session moved to race-day morning and fans turned away from the track.
However, circuit boss Bobby Epstein has confirmed the 2016 race can take place as scheduled on October 23.
"All you have got to do is pay your bills and write your cheques," said Epstein. "We knew we wanted to go forward, and it was a matter of whether we felt like we could go forward in a very healthy way and create an experience that the fans deserve and helps F1 grow and helps us grow together.
"We had to make sure it was financially viable. That is largely what determines it and we have reason to have confidence that the state is going to be a good partner."
F1's first purpose-built circuit in the United States joined the calendar in 2012 - ending the sport's five-year absence from America - and will now celebrate its fifth anniversary later this year. To underline attempts to get the event back on track after 2015's troubles, US singer Taylor Swift will headline a concert following qualifying on the Saturday.
Epstein acknowledges the return of a race in nearby Mexico - which again runs back-to-back with Austin in 2016 - hurt attendance figures last year, but is confident they can recover from last year's problems.
"You worry for this year and what we can do to bring fans back and get new ones," he said. "To that extent we have made tremendous infrastructure improvements at the circuit, and from a transportation standpoint, too.
"We had 28 inches of rain in 8 days last year and if that happens again I am sure there will be a mess. But it won't be like 2015 and it did make for what people said was the most exciting race in over a decade."
The confirmation of Austin's place on the calendar means the 2016 season will run to 21 races - a record for F1.
The first race of the 2016 F1 season, the Australian GP, is exclusively live on Sky F1. The race in Melbourne starts at 5am on Sunday March 20.
