Red Bull Owner Dietrich Mateschitz will be "digging in to his own pockets to fund the return of the Austrian Grand Prix," according to Kuntschik & Noble of AUTOSPORT. Red Bull reached an agreement with F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone for a seven-year deal that will "bring F1 back to the Spielberg track for the first time" since '03. Mateschitz said that the Austrian GP "will not generate a surplus for Red Bull, which owns the Spielberg track, but that he is happy to fund it himself because of the profits that F1 has delivered for his own team." Mateschitz, when asked if Ecclestone had given any special conditions, said, "No. But we can rely on the bonus that F1 always enjoyed in coming to Austria, and that we can offer a 'charming' GP that is a little different to others. Ticket revenues will probably cover the cost of staging the race, but not the promoter's fee. That's my expense." Mateschitz revealed that "efforts to secure the Austrian GP ramped up at the end of last year, even though he had targeted an F1 race" since the track reopened two years ago. Mateschitz: "By opening the Red Bull Ring, F1 became an ongoing subject in Austria. We had a couple of discussions, not regularly, but constantly." Mateschitz "expects a crowd of around 60,000 for next year's race, but will need permission for that number of spectators because current limits imposed by the local authorities allow a maximum of 40,000 at an event" (AUTOSPORT, 7/25).
