Las Vegas to replace Singapore on the calendar?

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has stated that Singapore do not want to host a Grand Prix beyond 2017.

The current contract with Singapore, which has held a race on the Formula One calendar since 2008 is set to expire after next seasons race.

The night race around the streets of Marina Bay has proved popular down the years.

But organisers are not expected to renew the deal, showing a lack of gratitude according to Ecclestone.

Ecclestone made the comments, whilst also hypothetically discussing the notion that Mercedes could one day leave the sport.

?We have to expect the manufacturers to leave us anyway. Mercedes will retire on the day when it suits them and it?s something we had before ? look at Honda, BMW and Toyota. They go when Formula 1 has done the job for them. There is no gratitude.

?It is the same with the organisers. Look at what we have done for Singapore. Yes, the Grand Prix has cost Singapore a lot of money, but we?ve also given them a lot of money. Ecclestone told Auto Motor Und Sport as quoted by motorsport.com.

?Singapore was suddenly more than just an airport to fly to or from somewhere. Now they believe they have reached their goal and they do not want a grand prix anymore.?

The Formula One calendar has always been pretty fluid and as old long-standing tracks are left behind as Formula One attempts to build new markets in other countries, these races have to be expected to eventually come to their natural conclusion, possibly relatively quickly in comparison to the long association tracks in Europe have enjoyed.

Just look at Formula One at Indianapolis, or Turkey, Formula One moves on and finds hopefully other great venues like Austin or Abu Dhabi.

Could Singapore’s night race be replaced with a Grand Prix on the Las Vegas strip?

Formula One’s new owners Liberty Media would certainly like to think so.

CEO Greg Maffei has already steered Liberty Media into a shareholding position of 19.1% and will complete a full takeover over the next few months.

Maffei likes the idea of racing in Las Vegas; ‘I particularly like the idea of a night race in Las Vegas,’ he said, during the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecoms conference in Barcelona, as quoted by motorsport.com.

He also referenced the idea of having more than the current 21 Grand Prix per season.

He said: ‘Obviously there is a limit on how much you can do. Just getting the cars around the world, but I think we can expect to grow the amount of races to a mild degree.’

‘There is a general line of interest if you increase the number of races to a point. The FIA makes more money, the teams make more money, we make more money. But new entrants tend to pay more.’