Official: New Jersey to Host Grand Prix Starting in 2013

It’s now official, by bringing Formula One to the banks of the Hudson River, Bernie Ecclestone has fulfilled a long-time personal dream, as well as that of many drivers and enthusiasts: « I have wanted this for years. You will be able to see Manhattan in the background on TV » assures the Briton.

Indeed, during a press conference held at the Imperial Port of Weehawken – which Bernie Ecclestone did not attend due to his commitments in India – Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, confirmed that his state would host the Formula One Grand Prix of America starting June 2013, and for ten years: “I am pleased that New Jersey is welcoming Formula One starting in 2013, bringing one of the most popular and exciting sports to our backyard. This is another example of what New Jersey can accomplish when we work together. I can assure Formula One that coming and organizing this event in New Jersey is one of the wisest decisions it has ever made.”

Chris Christie also anticipates enormous economic benefits and already estimates the number of visitors to be over 100,000, who will be able, according to the organization, to access the three days of competition for the sum of €260.

On his part, Felix Roque, mayor of West New York, considers this to be the second miracle of the Hudson, openly referring to the landing on the Hudson River of US Airways Flight 1549, in January 2009.

The great circus of F1 will therefore set up camp near New York in June 2013, for a race held on a temporary – and undulating – 5.14-kilometer circuit, designed by the unmissable Herman Tilke and winding around the Port Imperial, notably ensuring the connection with Manhattan Island.

Local authorities assure that taxpayers will not be asked to fund the organization of this Grand Prix, while Howard Augustine Wheeler, former president and general manager of Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, has already been appointed promoter of the Grand Prix.

Tavo Hellmund, promoter of the United States Grand Prix, which will take place from 2012 on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, expressed his support for the New Jersey project: « I am excited for the East Coast and I think today’s announcement is yet another acknowledgment of the viability, fan interest, economic benefits, and prestige that Formula One can bring. New Jersey and Texas, 2,000 kilometers apart, offer unique and very different experiences, aimed not only at enhancing the sport’s visibility in this country but also at increasing the United States’ attraction and support for such a world-class event. These two regions will be extraordinary stages for the most advanced form of motor racing competition in the world. »

A little earlier on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Texas state Treasury had assured that the organization of a second Grand Prix on American soil did not in any way call into question the subsidies provided by the state for the organization of the United States Grand Prix.