South Africa eyeing F1 return only if Motorsports forms strong base in the country – Formula 1 news
South Africa’s Chief Communications Officer Esther Henderson has said that his country will be looking for a Formula 1 return for the 2012 season or beyond provided Motorsports are developed across the country.
Recently, Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was reported to be looking into a possible African Grand Prix in South Africa.
Henderson replied to Ecclestone’s comment and added that the country will have to sort out the financial problems firstly for which the support can be gathered but national support will be vital.
Henderson added, “The annual license fee that we need to pay to Formula One amounts to $40-million. Infrastructure capital? [We] could be looking at $15-million. And then there is working capital. We have investors that are interested but it is a catch twenty-two
situation because in order to give our investors security that this is happening, we need our national government's support.”
On the other hand, the Motorsport South Africa (MSA) chairman George Nyabadza has stated that they will be looking into Formula 1 only if some local hero participates in the racing event.
George added that only if there is a local flag in the stadium, it is then that the support will be gathered from the local investors as well as from the government.
George added, “1 enjoys very little support in countries where there is no representation. Only when we can wave our rainbow flag will there be public interest and national unity.”
He further added that South Africa will also require some concrete basis of motorsports on grassroots level. The last Formula 1 race in South Africa was held in 1993.
Formula 1 will probably lose some circuits for the 2012 season for which Ecclestone is making sure that some new interesting parties must be brought into the game.
Turkey is one of the current Formula 1 circuits that might miss out on the 2012 season for financial reasons. Along with that, the Barcelona Grand Prix will be axed and the Valencia Grand Prix will be made the official Spanish Grand Prix.
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