The push to bring IndyCar driver Colton Herta to Formula One hit a wall that will likely keep the 22-year-old stateside for another season, raising questions about the sport’s accessibility to drivers who look to join from certain racing leagues.
Formula One has multiple inquiries from potential team owners who have taken a more behind-the-scenes approach than Michael Andretti, who has been “quite vocal” in his desire to expand the current grid, F1’s CEO said Wednesday.
Some drivers believe Formula One’s increasing visibility and popularity threaten American auto racing, stiffening competition for fans and nascent drivers who may gravitate toward a sexier, more global sport.
In the view of Mark Miles, president and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp., which owns the IndyCar series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, F1’s American expansion is a boon for all forms of motorsports.
The spotlight is on Colton Herta, a 21-year-old on the eve of a new IndyCar season who many think could be the next great American F1 driver.
IndyCar team owner Michael Andretti said “control issues at the 11th hour” derailed Indianapolis-based Andretti Autosport’s bid to buy the Alfa Romeo team from Sauber, but he has not given up on his attempt to acquire a Formula One team.
Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, drew a sellout crowd of 140,000 that reflected the growth of Formula One racing in a country that executives view as critical to the sport’s development.
Eight of the 33 starters in this year’s Indianapolis 500 had F1 experience. Drivers expect that number to grow in upcoming years.
Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso plans to race for McLaren at the Indianapolis 500, marking McLaren’s first Indy 500 appearance in 38 years.
Formerly based in Zionsville, Zak Brown is leaving his executive role with a global marketing firm. He admits only that he plans to be “heavily involved” in F1, but isn’t as coy about the likelihood of a series race in Indianapolis.
Formula One is getting a new owner, one based in the U.S., no less, and the change at the top should amount to new eyes giving a fresh look at the global reach of the most popular form of motorsports in the world.
The deaths of IndyCar’s Justin Wilson and Formula One's Jules Bianchi from head injuries have created discussions on how to protect open-wheel drivers.
The addition of Chilton means Indianapolis-based Chip Ganassi Racing will maintain a four-car lineup that includes defending series champion Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Charlie Kimball.
The track has scheduled yet another new event for 2014. The move is bound to draw criticism from traditionalists who think Speedway officials are diluting the venue’s heritage by bringing in so many extra races.
Mel Harder had been with the Speedway for 22 years, most recently overseeing operations and facilities management for the famed Brickyard.
Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone’s latest controversies involve bribery allegations and the possible takeover of F1 by News Corp.
Formula One cars are scheduled to race through the streets of New Jersey in 2013, F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone said. The last U.S. race was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2007.
Motorsports marketing guru Zak Brown believes selling about a fourth of his business to a London-based company will help fuel his phenomenal growth in the sponsorship business of Europe’s Formula One racing.
India-based JPSK Sports Private Ltd. hired JMI to provide strategic consulting for the venue that will host the inaugural
Formula One Indian Grand Prix in 2011.
Formula One, which hasn’t conducted a U.S. race since 2007 in Indianapolis, plans to return to the United States in 2012 with
an event at a new track in Austin, Texas.
