Would that force a circuit change?A season opener in the United States would make more sense for F1's annual calendar.
That is the belief of Norbert Haug, who argues that too many of the sport's core European viewers opt to stay in bed rather than tune-in to the
first couple of races in Australia and Malaysia.
If F1 opened its season in America or Brazil, Mercedes' competition chief told the news agency Sport-Informations-Dienst (sid), Europeans would enjoy a prime-time race rather than a television slot in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
"In Germany alone, we would have perhaps 15 million spectators watching instead of just three million, who have to wake up so early," the German said.
If a season-opener were to be held in the United States, the slightly above freezing temperatures of the Indianapolis area in March would hardly be suitable for a Formula One race.
Haug’s suggestion might lead to further arguments in favour of relocating the Indianapolis event to the warmer site of Las Vegas, situated in the southern desert region of the United States. Renault's Flavio Briatore voiced a positive opinion in this regard last year.
It would also mean that the F1 circus make two trips instead of the usual single passage on the North American continent, as the Canadian grand prix could not be held in early Spring because of the colder temperatures.
The event is held in June on the Gilles-
Jacques Villeneuve circuit next to Montreal and is the traditional event that brings the "official" beginning of summer. It also enjoys high television ratings in Europe due to the time-zone difference.
Source GMM
