Circuit of The Americas has reached an agreement with Formula One Management ensuring the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix remains on the FIA Formula 1 World Championship race calendar for 2012. Red McCombs, chairman of McCombs Enterprises and founding partner of Circuit of The Americas said: “Mr. Ecclestone received his check today. We want to thank the fans supporting us, the local officials and businesses that have encouraged us, the State of Texas, Circuit of The Americas&rs...

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Well, that's a wrap. The last race of the season didn't go entirely to script (my version: Sebastian Vettel leading from start to finish to close the year in much the way he ran it), but in so doing served as the second consecutive reminder of how thin the margin of even Vettel's dominating performance was. He didn't repeat Abu Dhabi's DNF, but a gimpy gearbox detected on Lap 16 forced him from the lead on Lap 30 and left his point average over the last two events at 9. Project that over the cou...

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Photo: RichardsF1.com Circuit of The Americas, presumptive site of the 2012 United States Grand Prix, and Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone continue to talk past each other in attempting to resolve ongoing contractual disputes regarding the event. CoTA responded to Formula One Management’s contract requirements by agreeing to an immediate cash payment of the sanctioning fee for the 2012 USGP. Circuit of The Americas also offered to establish an advance payment schedu...

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The Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi was a good reminder as the 2011 season winds down of exactly how fine the line between champion and also-ran can be in Formula 1. Practice sessions saw the continued ascent of McLaren whose cars consistently ran better than Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton in particular had always been very fast at Abu Dhabi and this continued to be the case, with the assembled well-heeled masses given good reason to believe that Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull's stranglehold on ...

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Organizers of Circuit of The Americas responded to reported statements in the media by Bernie Ecclestone as follows: “We have been excited for and working towards a 2012 USGP race and now understand that Mr. Ecclestone is interested in moving the Austin race to 2013. We know the US market is important to the teams and their sponsors and 2013 certainly allows time for the Circuit of The Americas to be ready.” The Associated Press reported that the 2012 US Grand Prix would b...

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Organizers of Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Tex., are suspending further construction of the 3.4 mile course until a contract assuring the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix will be held there in 2012 is complete. The race contract between Formula One and Circuit of The Americas has not been conveyed to Circuit of The Americas per a previously agreed upon timetable. While construction at Circuit of The Americas has progressed as scheduled with over 300 workers at the construction si...

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The inaugural Grand Prix of India took place on the brand new Buddh circuit, which ended up being the second-fastset course of 2011, after Monza. The newly finished track, however, added extra menace to the high speeds. Large amounts of dust on the dirving circuit caused several offs during practice and qualifying and at least a handful during the race itself. But new, dusty course or no, one thing remained the same, Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) won the pole, his 13th, leaving ...

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And that's a championship again! RBR-Renault secured its second consecutive Formula 1 manufacturers' championship at the Korean Grand Prix in Yeongam, though not without at least a small fight. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) became the first non-Red Bull pole-sitter of the 2011 season in Korea. By Turn 4,  however, Sebatian Vettel had claimed P1 and his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber passed Jenson Button in the other McLaren to move into 3rd place. Vitaly...

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Photo: Getty Images for Red Bull Racing And that's a championship! Barring a racing scandal of the highest order, Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) will be crowned Formula One World Drivers' Champion following the 2011 season finale in Brazil, becoming the youngest two-time champion ever. Going into race weekend in Japan the only combination of events that could have kept Vettel from wrapping up the title were a Jenson Button (McLaren) win and Vettel finishing entirely out of the ponts. The first ...

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Monza and the Italian Grand Prix brought the European portion of the 2011 Formula One season to a close and brought Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) within striking distance of becoming the youngest back-to-back F1 champion ever. Singapore is the first of three consecutive races in the Far East, the only one on a street circuit, and the longest race of the year. It is also the only night race on the Formula One calendar.   Going into the weekend there were a number of possible outcom...

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