Austin, Texas — The US Formula One Grand Prix will take place in Austin on Oct. 23, Circuit of the Americas (COTA) chairman Bobby Epstein said Wednesday in an announcement that ended months of uncertainty about whether the race would happen.
Epstein also said that American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, a 10-time Grammy winner, would perform at the circuit after race qualifying on the Saturday in what should prove a significant boost for ticket sales.
"We are so happy to confirm F1's return to COTA as well as Taylor Swift's headline performance," Epstein said in a statement.
The race had been listed on the official calendar with an asterisk marking it as subject to agreement with commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone due to uncertainty over the extent of state funding.
‘US GP has a long-term future’
US Grand Prix organizers are hoping Swift will attract new fans and a sell-out crowd to their Formula One race in Austin, Texas.
Epstein told Reuters that the race, previously in doubt due to the threat of reduced state funding, now had a bright future.
"I think it's going to be here for a long time," he said in a telephone interview.
Epstein said the aim to bring in Swift was to reach people who would not otherwise come to a Formula One race, and encourage regular fans to make it a family outing.
"That's the real key. How do we expand our audience? That's what this headliner does," he said.
"In the past we have chosen headliners that are a great match with our existing demographic. But I don't need our existing demographic alone. We need the future.
"We think we'll sell every ticket that we've got and it's because of the combination of both Formula One and Taylor Swift," added Epstein.
The race has seen attendances fall since some 125,000 on race day in 2012, when there was a weekend crowd of more than 250,000, but Epstein said the circuit could manage far more.
