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Circuit of the Americas CEO Bobby Epstein speaks during a press conference about how this year’s events will be the biggest that Austin has ever seen. He also mentioned that the event will be an economic booth. RICARDO B. BRAZZIELL/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Bobby Epstein, chairman of Circuit of the Americas, has made a prominent 2016 list of Formula One’s most influential people.
Paddock, motorsports’ business and lifestyle magazine, named Epstein the 67th most powerful figure in the sport in its sixth annual rankings.
Innovative marketer Katja Heim, whom the American-Statesman has learned will become the Chief Operating Officer at COTA, also is among the top 100 movers and shakers at No. 87.
The experts at Paddock offered this comment on Epstein:
“Bobby was the key player in bringing F1 back to the US following the Indianapolis race which had its problems. Despite financial worries, F1 needs to be in the US, so we hope Bobby can persuade Bernie of this!”
Epstein’s world-class track in Southeast Austin, which has a capacity of 120,000, will host its fifth U.S. Grand Prix on Oct. 23.
He took the honor in stride.
“I can be off the list and irrelevant just a fast as I got on it,” Epstein quipped to the American-Statesman.
“My inclusion reflects the relevance of the U.S. to the future of F1. Coming into our fifth Grand Prix, we hope our team’s experience and input proves valuable to the sport.”
Heim, a 56-year-old German native, is CEO and founder of KHP, an integrated marketing communications agency that specializes in Formula One and motorsports. KHP has pioneered strategies that have helped in how people experience sports like F1.
“Katja is our soon-to-be-named COO and has been consulting in an increasingly more active role for COTA since its inception,” Epstein told the American-Statesman. “She has organized and helped launch more grand prix races than anyone else and is intimately familiar with the business of F1 and the challenges faced by a race promoter.”
Heim was No. 80 on the Paddock magazine’s 2015 rankings.
Eighty-five-year-old F1 mogul Bernie Ecclestone, to absolutely no one’s surprise, is No. 1 on the 2016 Paddock list. He is followed by Donald Mackenzie, co-chairman of CVC Capital Partners, and Jean Todt, the FIA president.
Mexico’s Carlos Slim Helu, CEO of Telmex, is No. 15. Previously identified as the world’s richest man, Slim and his son Carlos Junior was highly influential in luring a Formula One race to Mexico City.
Claire Williams, deputy team principal at Williams F1, is the top-ranked woman at No. 20.
Gene Haas, a NASCAR owner now making his presence felt in Formula One, made the list for the first time at No. 30.
Three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is the top-rated driver at No. 37.
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