12/07/2007
NEWS STORY
Formula One appears to have shot itself in the foot yet again with the news that there will not be a Formula One Grand Prix at Indianapolis next year.
Details are sketchy at present, however, a spokesman for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ron Green, today confirmed that there will not be an F1 race at the venue next year.
IMS boss Tony George had set today (July 12) as the deadline, and having failed to reach an agreement with Bernie Ecclestone, has clearly decided to stick to his guns.
F1 has enjoyed a strange love affair with the United States over the years, despite having provided two World Champions. At one time the United States regularly held two rounds of the World Championship, until a nine year break between 1991 and 2000, at which point Indianapolis took over as the host.
Sadly, the Speedway was never entirely suited to F1, and controversies such as the 'fixed result' of 2002 and the 6-car race of 2005 didn't help matters.
Then there was Ecclestone's own attitude, the Englishman commenting that F1 didn't need the USA, in the opinion of many the birthplace of the motor car.
It would appear that for once, someone has played Ecclestone at his own game.
Sadly, it is the race fans of America who are the losers.