F1 will not turn its back on the U.S. despite the uncertainty surrounding the country's grand prix venue, according to F1 team owner Gene Haas. The Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas, lost millions this year after inclement weather hampered the fourth running of the U.S. Grand Prix at the track. Haas told SBD Global that COTA is the "perfect race" at the moment, but he could see the race move to other venues in the future. "There are plenty of racing venues available," he said. "If COTA unfortunately wouldn’t be able to make it, I think that another one would pop up because I think it’s important for Formula 1 to be in the United States." Shortly after the race in October, it emerged that the Texas state government cut its funding of the event from $25M annually to $19.5M this year. COTA's tight financial situation has put next year's race in doubt. The 2016 U.S. Grand Prix is scheduled for Oct. 23, but an asterisk behind the date indicates the running is subject to an agreement with the promoter. COTA's troubles come at a time when the sport experiences growing interest in the U.S. NBC Sports Network averaged 418,000 viewers for its live coverage of 13 races this season -- the remaining six races aired on NBC or CNBC. NBCSN's viewership figures rank '15 as the best F1 season for a single cable network since '95. In addition, the U.S.-based Haas F1 Team will join the racing series next season.
ALTERNATIVE VENUES: Haas, who is also the co-owner of NASCAR team Stewart-Haas Racing, referenced New Jersey, Anaheim and Long Beach as potential alternatives for a U.S. grand prix. From '76-83, Long Beach hosted the U.S. Grand Prix West. The street circuit is still used by IndyCar and Formula E. "We want to have a U.S. race, and I think Bernie [Ecclestone] understands how important a U.S. race is," Haas said. He acknowledged, however, the steep price tag of putting on an F1 event makes it difficult for any promoter. With races in Mexico City and Montreal, in addition to Austin, the '16 F1 calendar currently features three North American races.
