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Asked how Formula One Management, the sport's commercial rights holder, in future intended filling the conspicuously large number of empty seats at Suzuka - where once race day tickets were oversubscribed by a factor of 10 - Ross Brawn, MD of FOM's sporting operations opined, "We need a local driver..."
While there is no denying that the presence of a local driver could aid a race promoter's cause, a home-grown hero is hardly a guarantee of sell-outs, as Germany proves during "even" years, when the country that invented the motor car (and every form of internal combustion engine currently in use) gets to stage its Grosser Preis at the legendary Hockenheimring.
Despite being situated a little over an hour's drive from both reigning champion's Mercedes-Benz HQ in Stuttgart and its AMG subsidiary in Affalterbach (and three hours from BMW's Munich base) and able to punt three German drivers, one of whom is a four-time champion - plus having a call on reigning world champion Nico Rosberg - the circuit battles to half-fill its stands, even on alternate years.
