New information casts doubt upon whether organisers of the 2012 United States grand prix can prepare the Austin site in time for its inaugural race date.
Construction is set to begin in December, but an official document – obtained by the Austin Business Journal – shows that the expected build time for the bespoke circuit east of the Austin-Bergstrom international airport is 24 months.
According to the local KXAN Austin News, the news was confirmed by a spokesman for F1, who said the 24 month timeframe could include months of planning before the December start-date.
Earlier in 2010, Bernie Ecclestone warned that organiser Tavo Hellmund risked penalties if the inaugural race does not go ahead in 2012.