Formula 1 confidential records released

AUSTIN (KXAN) - In an unexpected move, the City of Austin finally released an e-mail containing specific plans from Tavo Hellmund, the man behind bringing the F1 Grand Prix racing series to Central Texas. The document, obtained through a public information request by the "Austin Business Journal" and posted online, lists the anticipated track construction time as 24 months.

KXAN Austin News confirmed its release and contents with a Formula 1 spokesperson Monday. Previously, the developers said construction would take about 18 months, starting in December for a June 2012 opening date. On Monday, an F1 spokesperson said developers are sticking with that 18-month time period.

Because of copyright laws, the City initially told the media it could not copy the documents but instead allowed a 30-minute glance to take notes only.

The F1 spokesperson said the documents contained trade secrets developers did not want to share for business reasons.

The spokesperson, who alluded to the City’s possible “glitch” in releasing the documents, also said the mentioned 24-month timeframe probably included the months of planning before the December construction start date.

Hellmund’s May 18 e-mail came a week before the date's announcement, verifying the City knew - before the announcement - about the plan to bring Formula 1 to Austin at a later date. The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau said the City never made CVB staff aware of the Formula 1 possibility.

The State Comptroller's Office said the State and City found out about the move sometime in the week before the May 25 announcement.

Meanwhile, New York and Indianapolis had also tried to attract the series there.

The document also states the following possibilities for the Austin area:

• $300 million economic impact annually
• $600 million television viewers worldwide in 188 countries
• Global “star power” presence, second only to the Oscars
• 300,000 people attending the event over the weekend
• More than 1,500 construction jobs
• 1,200 temporary jobs associated with the Grand Prix event
• 350 temporary jobs with each additional racing event
• More than 400,000 annual attendance of other racing events, including MORO GP, NASCAR, ALMS, INDY CAR, Drag Racing & Vintage Car, Grand Am, AMA Superbike

Several other uses for the facility are mentioned in the document:

• Alternative Fuel Automobile Research and Development Center
• Motorsports Country Club Days
• High Performance Driving Experiences & Schools (Porsche & Bondurant)
• Professional Motorsports Team Testing
• Film Industry Opportunities
• DPS, Sheriffs, Swat & Local Police & Fire Department Training
• Music Concerts
• High End Auctions
• Auto Manufacturer Testing & Corporate Team Building

The F1 Grand Prix Series is set to race in Austin from 2012 through 2021. The 900-acre site selected is east of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport near FM 812 and Elroy Road .