14/09/2007
NEWS STORY
A couple of years back, Formula One stuck up the proverbial two fingers at American race fans when six cars contested the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis.
Since then, other than insulting Danica Patrick F1 has managed to further antagonise its remaining American fans by dropping the US from the calendar and informing them that F1 does not need America... even though it remains the holy grail for the car manufacturers.
Though Michael Schumacher can walk the streets of New York unrecognised, such is F1's attraction in the US, the sport has finally got the American media recognition it craves.
For many broadcasters and newspapers the Paris saga is big news. On Fox News, the story of McLaren's $100m fine was the third most important news item, after 'Bush to order 5,700 troops home by end of year'.
Indeed, reader Kai Radicke writes: "The Spy Scandal has managed to get F1 a small segment my local news here in the USA! Tonight on the 6PM news on NBC here in Philadelphia, there was a 30 second story about the F1 spy scandal and the "$100 million dollar fine"
As they say, all publicity is good publicity... way to go guys.