Despite announcing the Valencia GP deal on Thursday, Bernie Ecclestone admitted to the attending media that the contract has actually not yet been signed.
The F1 supremo explained that the deal, bringing a street race to the Spanish port city next year – probably in August – depends on regional government chief Francisco Camps winning re-election later in May.
“I’m sorry to have to say this now, but I really didn’t have the courage to say to the president, when I met him this morning, that we are not going to sign this contract until (then),” Ecclestone is quoted as saying.
Valencia’s regional and local elections take place on May 27.
Bernie continued: “Everything is in place, we have the contract ready, the circuit is planned, the safety has been improved and everything is in perfect shape.”
He also had to defend against criticism that, after forcing Germany to annually alternate its two races from 2007, he has contradicted himself by adding a second Spanish event to the calendar.
“People keep asking me, ‘Why are we here … why two in Spain?’,” Ecclestone acknowledged.
“The reason is simple, it’s because we have here what you call an urban circuit — we call a street circuit.
“When you look at the circuit, as it’s laid out, it’s better than many of the permanent circuits that we have.”
