Formula 1 to Return to France in 2013

Mark Webber testing the Red Bull Racing car at Paul Ricard Circuit, 2007 (GEPA pictures/ Mathias Kniepeiss)

Early this week, Bernie Ecclestone announced a deal has been made to bring Formula 1 racing back to France’s Paul Ricard next year.  The deal will also include 4 other grands prix in 2015, ’17, ’19, and ’21, but no details have yet been released regarding how France’s slot on the schedule will be filled every other year when it is not hosting.  F1 has not held a grand prix in France since the 2008 race at the Magny Cours circuit in which Ferrari’s Felipe Massa claimed the top of the podium.

“The deal is done,” Eccelstone told French L’Equipe.  “We actually agreed on financial terms with the sports minister, David Douillet, in my office last Tuesday.”  Interestingly, the announcement comes not two weeks before France begins the second and final phase of the country’s presidential election, which could raise questions about whether the deal would stand if incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy is ousted by Socialist candidate Francois Hollande.  Ecclestone seems confident however that a deal will be finalized regardless of the result of the election, possibly even before the May 6 election date.

France is the second circuit to be added to the 2013 schedule that also is not on 2012.  Last October New Jersey was announced as a brand new addition to F1, however new doubts are surfacing over when (or if) the street circuit along the banks of the Hudson River will take place.  Only days after the France announcement, Eccelstone also stated “Maybe the [Grand Prix of America in New Jersey] will be 2013.  It’s a when – 2013 or 2014.”  The October announcement of adding the New Jersey race of course came with some controversy, with many speculating that it was going to replace Circuit of the Americas as the new site for the US Grand Prix.

Red Bull Emerges From Bahrain

// Race Recap

Amidst the complexities surrounding Sunday's race in Bahrain, Red Bull finally took their first win of the season and re-entered the push for the 2012 championship.  Sebastian Vettel took both pole position and the win in Sunday's race with his teamate Mark Webber finishing fourth position for the fourth time in a row (a record of sorts).

A good qualifying session on Saturday began a great weekend for the Red Bull team, starting first and third in the race and setup for a decisive win.  Sebastian had a good start from the grid and maintained his first position, while both Ferrari's jumped quickly into the top ten after a poor qualifying session from both drivers.

Lotus Renault GP's Roman Grosjean also made up some ground quickly, with a superb start for the newcomer, Grosjean jumped from sixth to fourth in the first turn and then finally into second position after passing Webber and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.

Battling for position to gain world championship points got interesting very early on as Kimi Raikonnen in the Lotus Renault fought with previous race winner Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso before moving into third position.  With nearly half the race complete, Kimi was just behind his teamate Grosjean, chasing Vettel's Red Bull and setting a very quick pace. Raikonnen passed Grosjean on lap 24 of 57 but despite the rumors, there were no "team orders" which forced Grosjean to step aside, Raikonnen's pace was solid and gaining on the leader quickly.

With Rosberg pushing hard to regain last weekend's pace and catch up the the top three, he battled closely with Hamilton, pushing him off track and into the run-off area with a wheel to wheel skirmish which almost cost Hamilton the race.  Action regarding the incident was to be taken following the race, but the FIA Stewards (regulation enforcers) took no action.  Speculation about their abrupt departure from enforcing the incident was cited as a need to leave the track before sundown to avoid entanglement with potentially threatening protests.

Shortly after his close call with Hamilton, Nico repeated the defensive maneuver while also battling with Fernando Alonso; again, no punishment was assigned to Nico for doing so in this situation.

As the counter moved to lap 36, Raikonnen gained on Vettel and was just half a second behind the Red Bull car.  Kimi set himself up to make the move on Vettel on the main straight with both DRS and KERS giving him the speed to do so.  As he made his move to pass on the inside leading up to turn one, Vettel defended with a strong maneuver, keeping Kimi behind for the duration of the race.

The final podium was Vettel, Raikonnen, and Grosjean; all Renault powered cars and the first podium for the Lotus Renault team with returning champion Kimi Raikonnen in 2nd and newcomer, Roman Grosjean in 3rd.

// Mugello Testing

Following Sunday's race, the teams head to Mugello, Italy for a three day test session before the Spanish GP on May 13th.  We'll be following the testing to see how the technical improvements will influence the remainder of the season.

Great Race, Great Friends, Great Watch Party

// Downtown Watch Party

Our eleventh watch party in downtown Austin was hosted by Lavaca Street Bar for the Chinese Grand Prix. As with all of our events, there's always a very strong mix of new visitors, averaging around thirty percent over our events this past year. Sunday's event was an exception, with nearly fifty percent of the 75+ attendance visiting the downtown watch party for the first time ever. 

This great balance of old and new fans is making a great conversational environment, allowing those of all knowledge levels to participate and feel welcome. Our more seasoned fans helped to welcome newcomers to the sport by offering advice and sharing their experiences with each other. Most conversations in the room, if not about the exciting race itself, usually focus on individuals sharing their first race experience or excitement for the future GP in Austin.

With a great crowd in attendance, the energy was right for the stunningly entertaining Chinese GP. We all helped congratulate Mercedes GP driver Nico Rosberg on his first win in the sport and Mercedes' first win in 57 years as a factory team. The race had all of the elements to make for great viewing, so good company to watch with on a Sunday afternoon make it all the more enjoyable.  

// Lavaca Street Bar

Our guests raved about the Chinese-themed food provided - fresh egg rolls, savory pots tickers, teriyaki flavored wings, ribs that rival the best local BBQ joints and a fresh noodle & veggie mix. It's no surprise everyone enjoyed the food; Lavaca Street's menu is being redeveloped by Casey Fannin, an amazing chef and close friend of Tyson Cole of Uchi and Uchiko restaurants. If you didn't know before enjoying the fare, it was evident after as the food was delicious!

At the end of the race we raffled off a copy of the SENNA movie DVD and a movie poster to continue to spread the word about this amazing film.  If you haven't seen it, check out the trailer here and rent it on Netflix or buy a copy here. Congratulations to Kärt Klein; enjoy the movie - again! (She has seen it before and is a big fan!)

A very special thanks goes out to DNA Events for their production expertise and support to help make this event possible.  In addition, a special thanks to Premiere Party Central for their donations of the chinese-themed table decor, and thanks to Paul Walhus of Spring.net for stepping up as our photographer at the last minute.

// What's Next?

We're already back in planning mode for our next watch party. We've decided to focus on a hand-picked number of watch parties this season in order to create truly engaging fan experiences. But you won't have to wait long to see your F1 friends and meet new Austinites!

Tomorrow, Thursday, April 19, we're hosting a joint happy hour with EuroCircle - "a free informal community for expats and Europeans or Europhiles." Come celebrate the diversity of Austin at this international networking event and learn about Formula 1™ coming to Austin. Join us back at Icenhauer's tomorrow night from 6:00PM - 10:00PM for networking and mingling over cocktails and light hors d'oeuvres. Icenhauer's is located on the famed Rainey Street and you will feel truly welcome in this renovated 1895 home with an expansive patio and cool drinks!

Icenhauer's - 83 Rainey StreetWhat: Happy Hour with EuroCircle and The Austin Grand Prix

When: Thursday, April 19, 6:00PM - 10:00PM

Where: Icenhauer's, 83 Rainey Street, Austin, TX 78701

Why: Let’s celebrate the diverse crowd that Austin welcomes and embraces as well as the fantastic arrival of F1™ in Austin!

Hosts: Kaisa Kokkonen (EuroCircle), Allison Berguin (France) and Kerri Olsen (The Austin Grand Prix)

Cost: Free

Parking: On surrounding streets and a pay lot where Rainey Street intersects with Driskill Street

Facebook Invite Here

Turn 1: Austin's Zenith

From the temporary observation platform at the top of turn number one, looking back at the whole project. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But the only word I can utter after yesterday's tour of Circuit of The Americas is: WOW.

Not having been inside the construction zone since April, I was semi-prepared for a different perspective. The last video we shot in Elroy was back in October, but it was outside the fence; we've been keeping up with the photos floating around in cyberspace like vultures circling their prey, but nothing could prepare me for this.

Paddock Building view on the way up to turn number one.From the open-aired comfort of our off-roading taxi, our Austin Commercial guide started pointing out the favorite features of his outdoor office. Bits and pieces started to look familiar: that's the tunnel, I recognize it from COTA's Facebook photo album; those are retaining walls, and there's Turn 1.

My whole perspective shifted when we were halfway up the incline of what's sure to be the United States GP's zenith: Turn 1.

The miniature city grew smaller and smaller on our steep ascent. Bulldozers and Tonka truck lookalikes whizzed by. This looked very different from our first trip up Turn 1 back in April; what was once large masses of dirt has taken shape. Turns are easily identifiable with large numbered flags and berms have been carved out which will one day seat many of us reading this. You finally get a grasp on the magnitude of this project from atop Turn 1 because you can see it all: the 300-400+ construction workers, the positioning of the future Grandstand and Paddock building, the downtown Austin skyline in the background, and my new favorite feature: The Grand Plaza.

To put it simply, the Grand Plaza is going to rock. In the past 3 days they have created a sunken ampitheater by digging a hole that is roughly the width of a football field, the length of two football fields, and 50 feet deep. At the east end of the ampitheater will be a round tower that will soon make its way to the top of Austin's destination list. A large observation deck, designed by the Austin architecture firm Miró Rivera Architects, will give viewers a panaromic perspective of the entire Circuit of The Americas dreamland set against Texas Hill Country. To the west you will have unparalleled views of our iconic Frost Tower and its neighboring buildings in downtown Austin. The tower and observation deck should be complete the first year with future plans to finish it out to include a banquet hall for 600 people, a club on the top floor, a museum and unrivaled suites on the first floor.

Excavation for the grand plaza started this week...and the site is huuuge!
To the west of the tower and observation deck sits the ampitheater. I was immediately reminded of one of my favorite places in the world, Chicago's Millennium Park. COTA is working to have our newest Austin ampitheater ready this year and should accommodate 14,000 live performance viewers. Like many ampitheater settings, there will be floor or standing room tickets for 1,500 (sometimes also referred to the mosh pit), then directly behind that, 3,500 permanent seats, and then it opens up to about 9,000 lawn seats. Continue moving west and you'll hit the reflection pond which might tempt unwanted swimmers when we hit our famous 100'F+ heat streaks.

I'm a huge live music fan so it's no surprise that I'm drawn to the outdoor ampitheater. But I think COTA is doing something very smart by creating an expansive and multi-use space in their mini-city. How many visitors will come to see Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett perform and be intrigued by the racetrack? Or parents bring their kids to the observation deck and the kids get a different view of the world than from Austin Duck Tours? Huge potential to introduce non-oval style racing to an entirely new fanbase.

We covered a lot of ground out at the Circuit yesterday and this is just part of it. Over the next week we'll hit on the pit/paddock area and share our interview with COTA spokesperson Jeff Hahn as he goes into more detail about the progress. Until then, enjoy our photographs taken at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on January 12, 2012 - 311 days until our United States Grand Prix, in case you're counting (and we know you are).

The Comeback Kid: Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi in the 2012 Lotus GP race car (source Lotus GP)Rarely do successful athletes relive their glory days after taking a hiatus from their sport. Only a few of the best have accomplished this feat, with many quickly losing the edge on their game as age begins to take its toll. Michael Jordan is one of the few athletes to conquer this feat; he dabbled in baseball in 1994 after leaving his highly successful career in the NBA. With just a year of minor league baseball under his belt, Jordan ended up returning to basketball, making a great run for the playoffs but falling short of winning the title again.

Niki Lauda driving the McLaren MP4/2 in the 1984 Dallas Grand PrixIn the motorsports world, drivers don't often return to the hot seat; they either move on to another series or retire after competing in Formula 1.  The most recent reminder in the industry is seven time world champion Michael Schumacher who left the sport in 2006 and returned in 2010. Despite fighting hard for his position, Schumacher has not made it back into the championship spotlight and has struggled to keep his car in contention for points.

Former Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda made quite a comeback following a serious accident and retirement from the sport in 1979, and even went on to earn another championship in 1984 by just half a point over Alain Prost. However, since Schumacher's return to F1, he has yet to step foot on the podium and finish above fourth position. This is quite a disappointment in many respects, yet maybe not a surprise at all.

Before it sounds like I am joining the anti-Schumacher camp (I'm not, I promise), we need to turn the attention back on Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 Championship winner and a promising young driver who is making his comeback to Formula 1 this 2012 season.

Kimi had a successful early start in the sport and a great season in 2007, crowning him the world champ in his first year in the Ferrari car. Following a frustrating 2008 and 2009 season, he left the sport after failing to secure a contract with a team. From 2009 until 2011, Kimi had some short stints in other series, including a decent run in World Rally Championship (WRC) and races in both the NASCAR Truck and semi-pro NASCAR series.

Kimi Raikonnen with Lotus Renault GP team principal Eric Boullier Rumors began to run about of Kimi's return to Formula 1 last fall. Then, there was speculation that he would be joining the Williams team. However, on November 29 Lotus Renault GP announced they snatched him up for a two year contract beginning in 2012.

So, can we expect a modern day comeback to shake up the sport?  If Schumacher's sabbatical was an indication, any time spent out of an F1 car can feel like a lifetime.  Kimi, though ten years younger than Michael, must overcome additional obstacles. In addition to a two year hiatus from F1, the FIA rules have evolved (grumble grumble): back then we didn't have the same technical challenges that we have today, such as DRS. Luckily though, Kimi did get a chance to play around with the early KERS system in 2009 with Ferrari, though it was largely in it's infancy of development.

According to former Mclaren teamate David Coulthard and driver Jenson Button, Kimi's return will be stronger than ever before and a welcome sight for the sport. David says the following about Kimi while at the Race of Champions (ROC) this past December to Autosport:

"Kimi stopped too early in his career, there's no question about that," said Coulthard. "He's gone off and had some fun in rallying.

"I did an event with him earlier this year at the Red Bull Ring and he was just jumping on everything - whether it was motocross bikes or the different cars that were there, he just has a great feeling for pushing the limits. So I've got no doubt at all that he will be on the pace."

Even Jenson Button chimed in, offering his surprise about returning to the sport with Lotus Renault instead of Williams and the likely partying that will ensue:

"It was a shock to me that he's going to be racing for the team he is," said Button. "I was really surprised when they announced Kimi. I thought he had a chance at Williams."

"I think it's really good for the sport. As a driver, he's very, very competitive. If he really wants to race, he's going to be quick.

"From what I've heard from the engineers at McLaren, he knows what he's doing in terms of engineering and setting up the car.

"It's good to have him back and the races will be more fun and obviously the evenings after the races will be more fun..."

Kimi's return is likely to shake up the sport a bit, especially with the rise of the Lotus Renault team who has steadily climbed back into the spotlight this past year with a solid 5th position in the constructors championship, moving them into the 'top-tier' with the heavy hitters. Given the rough past couple of years at Williams, Kimi's decision to go with Lotus Renault may prove to be a great launching platform for him to return to the sport, get back into the groove of things, and pull off some great races this year. 

Finally, let's not forget that Kimi is likely to be a great personality for new and existing fans of the sport.  His stoic media contact has earned him the nickname of "Iceman," but off track, Kimi carries somewhat of a party animal reputation (just google "Kimi Raikkonen Boat Monaco"). Without a doubt, he's going to bring more excitement to the sport and cause quite a stir within the Formula 1 establishment. 2012 is going to be a great season.

// Lotus is doing a solid job of sharing info about Kimi's return via their site Lotus Renault GP, here's some Q&A's with Kimi.

The Year via the Rearview Mirror

As many of us look back on 2011, what stands out as your favorite memory?

From time to time I take a look at what we were writing about on this site at the same time last year. Imagine my surprise to discover it was the aerial photos of the racetrack site, before any construction had begun. From my window seat on a flight into Austin, I was surprised how many times I had flown over the land before and never really noticed it, but honestly, there wasn't too much to stare at in Elroy from an airplane window. However, just a day after our photo release, first signs of work appeared on site as a construction crew met with Tavo Hellmund for a photo-op and official ground-breaking of the site. It wasn't quite the gold shovel event we were hoping it would be, but naysayers and 'boondoggle' speculators were hushed as Tavo showed the world that construction was underway.

Since this announcment, looking back at 2011 has revealed a truth, it's been a fantastic year, both as fans of motorsports and as a team here at AGP, we have constantly been surprised with each of this year's exciting happenings. From early on in the year, the connection we made with Asif Kapadia facilitated the introduction of SENNA at the SXSW film festival, opening up the life of Ayrton Senna for fans and non-fans of motorsports. From my point of view, it truly changed my life, not only seeing the immense technical and competitive war within the sport, but personalities that extended far beyond the track. It opened up the sport to me in a way that even Kevin couldn't explain, and many we talked with as well, were also just so surprised with the way the movie effected them.

Following the SXSW festival, the formal announcment of Circuit of The Americas at the press conference in April came quicker than expected, with the added bonus of MotoGP and growing evidence of major site construction and heavy equipment at the track. The summer's city council meetings along with the MAKE IT HAPPEN campaign we started, helped drive the community to rally to support COTA and the City of Austin to move forward.

During the one month Formula 1 break, the SENNA movie returned to Austin as the hype for Formula 1 grew and getting a chance to speak with viewers of the film just following their experience at Violet Crown Cinema was a real treat. To add icing on the cake, Red Bull Racing and former F1 driver David Coulthard visited Austin for a commercial shoot which roared throught the streets of downtown and the county roads outside. This was a great chance for many to get their first glimpse at an F1 car in person. It was quite a treat and undoubtibly was a great sucess in opening the eyes (and ears) of many curious Austinites.

The final leg of the season segwayed into a downtown watch party location at SIX Lounge, and started a new venue for fans and non-fans to get together and watch, learn, and relax on a Sunday afternoon. Opening up an additional location was critical in our mind to help expand the reach of motorsport to new fans.

As the one year countdown to the innagural race approached, things began to shake up a bit between Bernie Ecclestone and the officals of COTA. Things finally were ironed out just a few weeks later, and on December 7th, the official placement of the Formula 1 race in Austin was secured, along with a revised contract with the officials of COTA and F1. It was an early holiday treat, but a very welcome one as the fate of Austin's race was surely going to effect the fans in the US.

So where are we today? Looking back at this past year and the magnificent things that have happened, it's hard to not be so anxious for 2012 to begin. Only a few hours away and we'll be counting down the days to the first race at COTA and the return of Formula 1 to the U.S. after several years. It should be no surprise that more and more attention will be paid to what's happening here, likely to cause some headaches, but nontheless, we are proud to welcome everything that will be happening in 2012. It's likely to get 300% more exciting, and we at AGP are ready for 2012! Are you?