Austin's Formula 1 crashes: If Tavo Hellmund is out, the U.S. Grand Prix might not run

Bernie Ecclestone, Susan Combs, and Tavo Hellmund

 

Last week I wrote about the rumors concerning the US Grand Prix scheduled for Austin in November 2012. Then, last weekend, Bernie Ecclestone told the teams at the Indian Grand Prix that there were “problems in Austin. I don't think they are struggling [with building the track] at all," he explained. "I think there has been a disagreement inside the company."

The company he was referring to is Full Throttle Productions (FTP) run by Tavo Hellmund, and the problem is the relationship FTP has with the owners and investors of Circuit of the Americas (COTA), led by Red McCombs and Bobby Epstein, and managed by CEO Steve Sexton.

 

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Comments

[Sportsman]

"For those of us who over the years have gotten to know how Ecclestone thinks and deals with his business relations, this is an ominous development."

These are the telling words in this article.Bernie will have this contract tied up so tightly that if Hellmund is eased out the race could well not go ahead.

This whole saga is way beyond my comprehension and for the life of me I cannot understand why COTA are acting in this fashio

[writing essay]

Thank you for the post. It was interesting to read it!