Rumor: COTA might get two F1 races this year (3rd Update)

COTA chairman Bobby Epstein said he expects to learn in the next few days whether F1 will run two races at the venue in October.

COTA has a waiting list for several different ticket packages, so he feels many of those fans would be open to attending a second-weekend race.

(GMM) Indianapolis may have shown a thumbs-down to the speculation, but a second US grand prix at Austin appears to be a possibility for 2021.

As F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali struggles to maintain a full 23-race calendar amid the ongoing covid crisis, it emerged that more races in America could be part of a back-up plan in the event of more cancellations.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway boss Roger Penske, however, said the former US GP road course is not an option for F1 – at least this year.

“We’re not in any position at the moment” to do that, he told the Associated Press.

However, current US GP chief Bobby Epstein has now indicated that a second race in Austin cannot be ruled out.

Less than two weeks ago, he told the AP that it was just “paddock rumors”. But he has now told ESPN that a second grand prix this year at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas is indeed “possible”.

“As long as I put the word possible in front of it, then we’re good,” Epstein said. “‘A second race in Austin is possible’ – I read that and thought, ‘well, that’s true’.

“A second race in Austin is a done deal – that is not true,” he insisted.

“But it’s easy to flip it if they decide they want to, and they need to, and it’s the best decision for the sport, they can make that decision, and we’re there for that.”

(GMM) Formula 1 says it is weighing up “several options” to replace the newly-axed 2021 Singapore GP.

Singapore promoter Colin Syn said organizers had no choice but to cancel the popular October night race “in light of prevailing restrictions for live events” in the city-state.

As for F1’s “options” for a replacement, the speculation has already begun.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali seems determined to keep the race tally count at an unprecedented 23 this season, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“The most likely hypothesis is to double-up the race in Austin, with the second one a week earlier on October 17,” the authoritative Italian daily said.

“Another option is to try again for a race in Turkey, with a race in China the least likely scenario.”

There are also fears that other races are facing Singapore-style cancellations, including Japan, Mexico, Brazil and Australia.

One source told us that “basically everything after Monza” is looking shaky.

The Singapore GP F1 race was cancelled for 2021 today (see announcement).

Rumor has it that three venues are vying to replacement, one of them being the Circuit of the Americas.  Having sold out all its seats for the one race, word on the street is they would love to have a 2nd race.

If that happens, the first race would likely be on 15-17 October, the weekend before the US Grand Prix, which is on 22-24 October.

This would be an especially appealing option for F1’s owners, US group Liberty Media.

Another option being considered by F1 as a replacement is a race at Turkey’s Istanbul Park.

Turkey had been scheduled as a substitute for the Canadian Grand Prix this month but had to be cancelled two weeks after it was put on the calendar when a rise in coronavirus cases in the country led to it being put on the UK’s red list of restricted countries.

A revival of the Chinese Grand Prix, which was postponed from its early season date this year, is also possible.