German Grand Prix Date Brought Forward, US Grand Prix Looking to Avoid College Game Clash

December 6, 2012

The FIA has announced that the date for next season’s German Grand Prix has been brought forward one week to July 7.

At a meeting of the governing body’s World Motor Sport Council in Istanbul on Wednesday, it was also decided to reserve the July 21 date for another European race.

It has been hoped that the French Grand Prix might rejoin the calendar but with both the Magny-Cours and Paul Ricard circuits unable as yet to agree deals, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has suggested that the Turkish Grand Prix might reappear after a two-year hiatus.

Meanwhile organisers of the U.S. Grand Prix want to change the date of next season’s race in order to avoid a clash with an American Football match.

The Austin race is scheduled for November 17, the same weekend that the University of Texas are hosting a college game against Oklahoma State.

With the Texas Longhorns drawing an average crowd of 100,000, there is concern that having the two sporting events on the same weekend will put too much pressure on the city’s transport infrastructure and leave hotel rooms hard to come by.

Last month’s inaugural race at the Circuit of The Americas drew a race-day crowd of 117,000.

Circuit chairman Bobby Epstein has been quoted as telling the Associated Press that he is confident that F1 officials will work to find a solution.