Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone expressed doubts Saturday over whether the 2012 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas will go ahead as scheduled. F1 is due to return to the US after a five-year absence. Indianapolis last hosted a race in 2007. Before that, Phoenix hosted three GPs from 1989-91, while Watkins Glen in upstate New York hosted from 1961-80. Asked about the November race's prospects, Ecclestone said: “I don't know. We're trying. It's a bit of an uphill struggle there at the moment. “There are two parties, one is building a track, the other has the contract and they've forgotten to talk to each other.” Red McCombs, former owner of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and NFL's Minnesota Vikings and one of the chief financial backers of the race in Austin, said last month the US should be able to support two races after the five-year drought. Ecclestone said there were “no problems” with the Grand Prix scheduled in New Jersey in 2013. In other calendar issues, he said next year's Bahrain GP will definitely go ahead despite ongoing trouble in the country, and he would like to see the Turkish GP return to the schedule. The World Motor Sport Council endorsed a calendar that schedules the Bahrain race for April. But there remain concerns among some teams about safety after it was canceled this year due to anti-government protests. Flanked by Bahrain's crown prince, Ecclestone said he “looked forward to being back” in the Gulf state. “Everybody is content. No dramas,” he said. “We wouldn't have put it in the calendar otherwise. It was only because we knew we would be there.”
