Well, I believe the last real hurdle in the path of Formula 1 coming to Austin has finally been removed. As you may remember the main objection detractors of the track had was the use of tax money to help pave the way for the Formula 1 race. Austin would be required to pay $4 million for the first year and then every subsequent year would be based on performance. Just a few days ago the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) offered to pay Austin’s share for the entire 10 years. The event organizers have also offered to pay $13 million to install water/waste water lines in the City’s “desired development zone”. I believe this means that the track will be covering the cost of those lines to the surrounding neighborhoods as well, not just the track. It is also likely that the city will vote to allow COTA to pay $375,000 of an estimated $1.5 million to improve a stretch of FM 812, which will be the main entrance to the track. In other words, Austin is paying almost nothing but will be receiving a great deal.
My only real worry here is that the amount of money COTA is shelling out to pacify the City of Austin will affect ticket prices. Formula 1 has had a very sordid history here in America and this has prevented the fan base from growing as it has in other countries. I am positive that the fan base WILL grow but event organizers will want it to grow quickly and the best way to do that is to allow new and less serious fans to watch the race cheaply. Even the more serious fans are going to make sure they get the biggest bang for their buck and with a race scheduled in the heat of a Texas summer COTA will have to walk a very thin line with ticket prices. A general admission seating area with no grandstands would be a great idea and they should be offering dirt cheap tickets to local cities in the days before the race to get it to brimming and help generate interest.
They didn’t call it The Circuit of the Americas without reason. Event organizers are banking on the large market for F1 in Mexico to travel up to the race. There’s a huge fan base for F1 in Mexico and I don’t doubt we’ll see many of our Southern neighbors there on raceday but that’s not enough. In order for F1 to succeed in America there needs to be an American fan base. While there is already a small but intense fan base here it’s simply not big enough. New F1 fans need to be made and drawn out to every Grand Prix. Without new fans Formula 1 and COTA have only a short, but bright, future. Let's hope that everyone is in it for the long-haul.
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