US lands penultimate 2012 GP

OFFICIALS at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin claim they have paid Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone the money owed to stage the United States Grand Prix next year, and have resumed work at the new purpose-built facility.

The race in Texas – set to be the first grand prix in the US since 2007 – was yesterday confirmed as the penultimate round on the 2012 F1 calendar by governing body the FIA.

Both the race in Austin and the Bahrain Grand Prix – scheduled for 22 April 22 – were doubts to make it on to the calendar, but were given the green light at yesterday’s meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council in New Delhi.

The announcement will also assuage fears over the future of the Korean Grand Prix, following reports that organisers were struggling to meet the cost of staging the race. A question mark remains over the Bahrain race, however, with its future dependent on the easing of the civil unrest that has gripped the country for several months.

Austin, meanwhile, appears to be on a much stronger footing after Red McCombs, a founding partner of the Circuit of the Americas, confirmed in a statement yesterday that Ecclestone had been paid the fee required to stage the race.

The statement added that construction would recommence at the site with immediate effect, three weeks after more than 300 workers were ordered to down tools over a contractual row.

“Mr Ecclestone received his cheque today,” McCombs said. “We want to thank the fans supporting us, the local officials and businesses that have encouraged us, the State of Texas, Circuit of the Americas’ staff and Bernie himself.”

The race in Austin is due to be the first of two new US grands prix, with the Grand Prix of America in New Jersey scheduled for 2013. The deal agreed between the Circuit of the Americas and Ecclestone runs from 2012 through 2021.

The FIA’s decision to give the go-ahead to both the US and Bahrain means the calendar remains unaltered from the initial version revealed in August. The 20-race 2012 calendar begins in Australia on 18 March and concludes in Brazil on 25 November.

Sky Sports, meanwhile, have confirmed Martin Brundle will head up their presenting team when F1 moves to the satellite broadcaster from the start of next season. Former grand prix driver Brundle switches from the BBC having worked as the corporation’s lead commentator last season, before which he spent two years as co-commentator to Jonathan Legard.

Brundle, who began commentating for ITV the year after his 158-race F1 career ended in 1996, leads a BBC exodus that also sees Radio 5 Live’s David Croft join Brundle in the commentary box, a move which will see Brundle relinquish lead-commentator duties. Former F1 driver Anthony Davidson, who worked as co-commentator alongside Croft at Five Live, also makes the move and will commentate on practice sessions. BBC TV pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz and Five Live equivalent Natalie Pinkham are also in the new Sky line-up.