Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone is seen in the paddock at Nuerburgring. (EPA)
DPA/Nuerburgring, Germany
Bernie Ecclestone has visions of expanding his ever-growing Formula One empire to even more countries. The Formula One supremo has plans for three races in the US — instead of just one — and then adding the Azerbaijani capital of Baku and Thailand to the season.
Asked by Die Welt newspaper what new races he was planning, the 82-year old said in an interview published Saturday: “In the US there will hopefully be two new races, in Long Beach and in front of the New York skyline.
“We have also planned a race in Thailand and if everything goes according to plan, in Baku,” he said.
The criteria used by Formula One to introduce new races, is mainly one of finances - whoever can pay can have a race, irrespective of the sustainability.
One Grand Prix that is in danger of being cut, is the German one on the Nuerburgring, which is held every second year and was only secured some six months ago when Ecclestone accepted a smaller fee from the organisers.
Whether the octogenarian is prepared to do that in the long run remains to be seen and on Friday he even suggested that he might look at buying the track himself. “The race on the Nuerburgring would be guaranteed for the future,” he said, adding that he would also maintain the status quo, which sees the course alternating with Hockenheim for the German Grand Prix.
It is not clear whether Ecclestone is really concerned when a European country has to throw in the towel as they can no longer afford the million - in double figures - that have to be paid to Formula One.
Austria, France, Turkey and the race in Imola have vanished from the race calendar in recent times and in 2013 just seven of the 19 season-races are being held in Europe - the last time so few were staged in Europe was in 1969.
In the long run other races in Europe, which was previously the core-market for Formula One, could be scrapped, even the ones in Britain, where most teams are based or Italy, were the all-powerful Ferrari is based. Even the Grand Prix in Germany, which brings in a lot of sponsorship money, is in jeopardy.
However, it is not just Europe that has races that are in the firing line. The South Korean race has been disappointing, in India the interest is waning and the Bahrain Grand Prix has been overshadowed by political unrest. Even the race in China has not really taken off in the nine years that it has been staged.
There are, however, also some races that will give Ecclestone plenty of joy. The night race in Singapore and the glitzy race in Abu Dhabi are hugely successful.
That is something that Ecclestoneis keen to bring to other places,whether they be in the US, in Thailand or in Azerbaijan.