Kovalainen: F1 up against it in the US

Heikki Kovalainen 06:27 24/10/2015
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  • Gloomy outlook: F1 in USA.

    As we approach this weekend’s US Grand Prix, everyone – including Bernie Ecclestone – is again asking what F1 needs to do to make the race bigger in America.

    There are many potential solutions but perhaps the reality is it’s difficult to change the mindset of US motor sports fans.

    F1 is never going to be like Nascar or Indycar, but maybe it needs to adapt to help people understand the concepts of racing – like the technology, the competition with the manufacturers.

    There’s a bit of a clash between the heritage they have in the US and what F1 is representing. It’s a totally different concept and it’s a good question to discuss but difficult to find the right answer.

    F1 is an exciting sport that captures the imagination of millions worldwide. Away from the current schedule, I’d love to see a race in Finland or Scandinavia but I don’t know how realistic it is.

    In Finland, you could have almost 24 hours of daylight during the summer and it could be unique.

    Magnussen to Lotus?

    McLaren have always wanted the best drivers available and have retained the services of Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso for next season.

    Kevin Magnussen had been competing with them all season but couldn’t quite get a seat, and now he is being let go.

    One good option for Kevin would be Lotus but it might not be that straightforward because Lotus would require the money as they need a budget for the driver. There are not many options left so it will be interesting to see if he can find a seat in 2016.

    Mercedes still Team to beat

    I think Austin will be a similar story to Sochi with Mercedes set to dominate again. I think Rosberg would have been strong in Russia without his problems. I’m sure he’s just going for the maximum results and win the remaining races.

    Generally, Hamilton has had the upper hand in qualifying this year but it will be a close battle between the two guys and hopefully they won’t have any technical problems.

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