New Jersey could make a fresh bid to be included on the Formula 1 calendar in the near future following fresh talks between Bernie Ecclestone and race organiser Leo Hindery Jr.
The event, title the Grand Prix of America, was scheduled to originally join the calendar in 2013, but was then delayed to 2014 due to funding and infrastructure delays.
The project then hit further financial hurdles, with Hindery unable to find the necessary backing required to get the streets of New Jersey ready to host an F1 race, effectively killing the idea.
This was despite Ecclestone himself loaning the organisers a substantial sum in order to kick-start the project, confirming the 84-year-old’s desire to see the event finally happen.
Happen it didn’t. But it might not be a complete loss. It’s been revealed that Ecclestone and Hindery met during the Canadian GP to discuss resurrecting the race for possibly 2017 or 2018.
It would be far too soon to complete the work and include it on the 2016 calendar as very little work was originally carried out, other than the construction of pit and paddock buildings which currently serve as a multi-storey car park.
Ecclestone is keen to see more races in America to make up for a dwindling number of European organisers willing to pay huge sums of money to host F1.
Under rules agreed between Ecclestone and the teams, half of all races must be held in Europe or America, therefore he must find more willing hosts in ‘the western world’ if he’s to add further Asian and Middle Eastern events.