Ecclestone warns Interlagos it needs to improve, or else
The Brazilian Grand Prix track at Interlagos has come under attack from Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone. On Tuesday Ecclestone didn’t hold back his opinion when he told Brazilian newspaper Estrada de São Paulo it was the “worst circuit” in the Formula One schedule.
“Long ago, in 1972, I believed in Brazil and brought Formula 1 here, but I can no longer be questioned by the teams about the worst circuit in the championship. The future depends on significant improvements.”
Ecclestone’s criticism of the tracks current state is directly related to the fact that Brazil will host the FIFA World cup in 2014, and Rio de Janeiro is hosting the 2016 Olympics. The amount of money that is coming into the country for these prestigious sporting events is immense, and Ecclestone believes that the racing circuit at São Paulo should also receive improvements.
“Brazil will organize the next World Cup and the Olympics, so it makes sense,” he said.
The first Formula One race hosted at Interlagos was in 1973, and the Brazilian Grand Prix has been hosted there every year since 1990 after moving back there from Jacarepaguá, a town near Rio de Janeiro.
In the past two years Brazil has been a pivotal track in deciding the Driver’s Championship winner. In 2008 McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton sealed his lead in the points standings after he took fifth place on the track, and later won the title; and in 2009 Brawn GP driver and current McLaren number one Jenson Button started in 14th place but made it to fifth place also securing his lead in the 2009 Driver’s Championship which he would go on to win.
The current deal for Interlagos was signed two years ago and states the Brazilian Grand Prix will be held there until 2025 but Ecclestone wouldn’t hesitate to cancel the contract if assurances of upgrades don’t materialize.
The Brazilian track isn’t the first to come under threat from Ecclestone. In recent years the Formula One Management and Administration CEO and president threatened to close the British Grand Prix track if the British Racing Driver’s Club didn’t modernize Silverstone Circuit.
Despite releasing the plans for a £25million development deal for the track in 2007, Ecclestone announced in 2008 that a 17-year deal starting in 2010 would see rival track Donington Park hosting the British Grand Prix.
Due to financial uncertainty the Donington Park deal was unable to go through, which meant Silverstone could sign another deal with Formula One. The redesign of the track began in 2009 though Ecclestone continued to threaten that the race would go to Donington if Silverstone wasn’t ready in time. By the end of 2009 the construction was well on its way, and Silverstone was awarded the rights to the British Grand Prix for another 17 years.
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