The Problem With Indianapolis
In his talk with the press a few minutes ago here in Belgium, a journalist - Dan Knutson - asked Mario Theissen, the director of the BMW Sauber F1 team, how important having the U.S. Grand Prix was for BMW. Theissen responded that it was very important, still the biggest market for the company, so they wanted to get back. When another journalist then asked if the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the best venue for it, Theissen came up with an interesting and slightly surprising response by saying that BMW sells most of its cars on the east coast and on the west coast of the U.S. So therefore, he said, Indianapolis was not the best place. Some of us thought being in the middle was on the contrary a good compromise - but Theissen did not share that opinion. Interesting....
Comments
I am in agreement with Dr. Theissen regarding the best place to host the US Grand Prix in the future. There are many more interesting race tracks around the US, however, seating capacities may be limited. Indianapolis could have done more to make the track more interesting, like using less of the oval and introducing more turns. The biggest downfall with Indy is its flatness. It would be nice if there were at least two races in the US, one on each coast. This will eliminate the problem of the single race at Indy.
Watkins Glen? Road Atlanta? Sears Point? Far more interesting tracks than Indy. Watkins Glen has held F1 races in the past.
Yes, Road Altanta, Watkins Glen. I’d like that. Or something out west…. Bernie’s wanting Vegas, but….