A night F1 race in NJ in the works (update)
With Malaysia dropping off the calendar and Singapore in doubt, alternative venues are a high priority for the sport’s new owners and a race in the vicinity of the Big Apple is high on their wishlist, with word out that the sport’s bosses Chase Carey, Ross Brawn and Sean Bratches are working on a plan to revive the race.
In 2012 Herman Tilke was tasked, by Port Imperial Racing Associates, to design the original street circuit in New Jersey along the Hudson river banks, with the New York skyline as a back drop.
The mandate was to build a 4.9 kilometer Grade 1 street circuit over 52 hectares including pit building, 33 pit bays, grandstands to seat 106,000 fans, a media center, a medical center, team buildings and commentary booths.
At the time Tilke said of the track, “It’s a very fast track. It looks to be very interesting, and it’s all on existing roads. The paddock will be where the ferry terminal is, so people can move easily from the hotels in Manhattan to the circuit."
“The track goes uphill and downhill – the height difference is almost 60 meters, which is a lot. And there are no houses inside the circuit, so it doesn’t create too many problems with the organisation," added Tilke.
More races in the United States has always been part of the Liberty Media big picture for Formula 1, with Carey adamant, “We would like to add a destination race in the U.S. in a location like New York, L.A., Miami, Las Vegas."
“We think we can create something that will be a really special event. Obviously the U.S. is all upsides for us. We haven’t invested in the way we need to build the U.S. market," added F1’s new chief. grandprix247
04/25/17 Back in 2012, Formula One planned to introduce a Grand Prix held on a street circuit outside New York City for the 2013 season. The organizers of the race got pretty far along in turning it into a reality, but for a number of reasons, it fell through. The New York Grand Prix isn't totally dead, however, because F1's new bosses are apparently planning on making it happen for 2019.
That's the word from German publication Auto Motor Und Sport, which reports that F1's Chase Carey, Ross Brawn, and Sean Bratches envision a night race with views of the Manhattan skyline. Negotiations between F1's governing body and race organizers are reportedly far along, so Auto Motor Und Sport seems pretty confident this race will be added for the 2019 season. Theoretically, the race could be held next year, but the 2018 schedule is already too fully booked.
Noted circuit designer Hermann Tilke already devised a layout for the circuit in Weehawken, New Jersey, which is just across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Back in 2012, the then-dominant Red Bull team brought one of its championship-winning cars along with drivers Sebastien Vettel and David Coulthard to promote the event.
While a Grand Prix in the New York City area would no doubt have many excited, we're going to maintain a healthy dose of skepticism until the race actually happens. That said, F1's new management seems generally more agreeable than former boss Bernie Ecclestone, so there's perhaps some hope for this race. Auto Motor Und Sport