FOTA looks for return to North America

The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) is pushing to host a race in the United States, as the sport continues its second year of having no American Grand Prix on the calendar. According to FOTA, racing in the USA is 'absolutely crucial' for any World Championship.

With Formula One having last been seen at Indianapolis in 2007, the loss of the Canadian Grand Prix after last year's event means that this year's World Championship will not be travelling to North America, a key player in the worldwide car industry. "It's absolutely crucial," FOTA chairman Luca di Montezemolo told the official Ferrari website. "North America presents, for us, part of our history with important historic victories for Ferrari at Sebring and Daytona (in sports car racing)."

Having returned to America in the millennium year, the race received a number of setbacks as the 2001 race was the first major sporting occasion to take place in the USA after the terrorist atrocities in September of that year and the 2005 episode featured just six cars as those on Michelin tires remained in the pit lane.

"Recently I remember some victories by Michael Schumacher at Indianapolis' Formula One track and that, I think, was fantastic," di Montezemolo continued. "So we want to go back because we love the United States; it has been our largest market for many, many years and so we will do our best to race there again with Formula One – we know we have a lot of fans over there."