[DOF_power]

Snip

Ecclestone : We don't need a British GP

...
Hill is now calling for a long-term deal for Silverstone, similar to that agreed with Donington, which also makes the hosting of the Grand Prix financially viable. However, mindful of the fact that he is being painted into a corner - after all, the fans, team, sponsors and drivers want to see Britain remain on the calendar - Ecclestone has hit back, claiming that F1 doesn't need Britain.
"Silverstone has not yet been offered a commercially viable contract," he told the Daily Express. "No one is forcing them to take it," he added, referring to Hill's reluctance to accept the F1 supremo's initial offer. "This is business. We have offered them a deal.
"The contract they have is the contract we like," he added. "We are not prepared to charge less. Do we need a British Grand Prix? No."
Despite the fact that Silverstone hosted the first ever Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, and that Britain has host a race every season since 1950, Ecclestone insists that Britain is not one of the 'traditional' events.
...
"Monaco is traditional as they have always had the same track," he continued. "Britain and France have raced at three different circuits. They want a cut-price deal because it is traditional. That's not traditional to me. Britain is not protected. I would like a new plane because it's traditional as I have had one for 40 years but no one is offering me a cheap deal. That's not how it works. A lot of countries want Grands Prix. How would it be fair to those countries to charge them more than a major country like Britain?"






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[Bob Tanner]

Bernie's apparently has an International Olympic Committee fixation. This sounds like something which would come from them.

Dictatorships and monarchies are OK as long as the person running things is benevolent. Sorry, I just don't see that in the Motor Sports wing of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.

[WestCoast]

Yes Bernie you do need a British GP.
It's just as important as: Germany, Italy and France, you know the guys that started this whole GP thing.
Most of the Teams are located in England.

[kkfan91]

So I don't really follow F1 but are they trying to not race in major countries? Whats next the Grand Prix of Afganistan

[DOF_power]

Originally Posted by kkfan91

So I don't really follow F1 but are they trying to not race in major countries? Whats next the Grand Prix of Afganistan

If the money's right, it wouldn't surprise me.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by kkfan91

So I don't really follow F1 but are they trying to not race in major countries? Whats next the Grand Prix of Afganistan

Unfortunately, in the world of big monied sports the activity is no longer just sport, there to be followed by the fans who love it, it's become a commodity. Commodities are just items bought and sold by the highest bidder. Apparently race venues are no different, or better, than football, baseball or thugball franchises.

How many homes have the Dodgers had, when they were a fixture of Brooklyn where they were loved by the fans? They were uprooted by factors having nothing to do with the sport itself. Ditto the Baltimore Colts. The same could be said somewhat about the Minneapolis Lakers or the Fort Wayne Pistons.

If Canada won't pay the ransom for one of FIA's races, I doubt if Afghanistan can/would cough up the dough.

[kkfan91]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Unfortunately, in the world of big monied sports the activity is no longer just sport, there to be followed by the fans who love it, it's become a commodity. Commodities are just items bought and sold by the highest bidder. Apparently race venues are no different, or better, than football, baseball or thugball franchises.

How many homes have the Dodgers had, when they were a fixture of Brooklyn where they were loved by the fans? They were uprooted by factors having nothing to do with the sport itself. Ditto the Baltimore Colts. The same could be said somewhat about the Minneapolis Lakers or the Fort Wayne Pistons.

If Canada won't pay the ransom for one of FIA's races, I doubt if Afghanistan can/would cough up the dough.

I was going for Irony i mean England to me kinda important...Bahrain...not so much

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by kkfan91

I was going for Irony i mean England to me kinda important...Bahrain...not so much

I figured that and I took it as such, but...

The sad thing is that, with a lot of things today having underlying but obvious motives, ironical things are often seen as merely paradoxical, which is seldom humorous, but merely frustrating. Simple irony is becoming difficult to attain.

If GB is "kinda important," what in your opinion is really important? I'm sure we can omit Singapore, Bahrain and Abu Dabhi from the list.

[kkfan91]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I figured that and I took it as such, but...

The sad thing is that, with a lot of things today having underlying but obvious motives, ironical things are often seen as merely paradoxical, which is seldom humorous, but merely frustrating. Simple irony is becoming difficult to attain.

If GB is "kinda important," what in your opinion is really important? I'm sure we can omit Singapore, Bahrain and Abu Dabhi from the list.

well you'd think they would want like the big countries UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Canada ect

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by kkfan91

well you'd think they would want like the big countries UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Canada ect

Plus the increasing automotive impact of China and Korea would, IMO, make them candidates for a race. Monte Carlo has always also been a major player F1, as has Belgium and Brazil and are all F1 traditions.

But Abu Dhabi? Turkey? Singapore? Bahrain? (I've been in Singapore multiple times and I personally think it's a great little place. The fact of whether I "like" a place or not, such as my feelings IRT Korea, Turkey and any place in the UAE, is notwithstanding) Have there ever been any notable drivers from any of these areas? I found on Moroccan driver and one Malaysian. (DOF; any others?)

The FIA simply sells it's race dates to the highest bidder/briber. Or that's the way it looks to me but I admit to NOT being an expert on the subject.

[Racer Duck]

the purist view vs the businessman's view ... they'll always clash.

I understand both sides .. sure, Bernie's splitting hairs .. but as great at the venue is at Abu Dhabi, it's got a long way to go to be a tradition .. while Silverstone does have tradition. Somehow I never knew that tradition dies when it skips a few years. If that were the requirement, then there's plenty of venues that are no longer "tradition."

Be that as it may, I was under the impression that Bernie was wanting to expand the number of venues... Was i wrong?

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Plus the increasing automotive impact of China and Korea would, IMO, make them candidates for a race. Monte Carlo has always also been a major player F1, as has Belgium and Brazil and are all F1 traditions.

But Abu Dhabi? Turkey? Singapore? Bahrain? (I've been in Singapore multiple times and I personally think it's a great little place. The fact of whether I "like" a place or not, such as my feelings IRT Korea, Turkey and any place in the UAE, is notwithstanding) Have there ever been any notable drivers from any of these areas? I found on Moroccan driver and one Malaysian. (DOF; any others?)

The FIA simply sells it's race dates to the highest bidder/briber. Or that's the way it looks to me but I admit to NOT being an expert on the subject.

I think Japan needs to be in the "East" list.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

I think Japan needs to be in the "East" list.

I have zero problem with either Japan and Australia. They contribute something to the game besides providing FIA with money, namely cars and drivers.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

[1]the purist view vs the businessman's view ... they'll always clash.

[2]I understand both sides .. sure, Bernie's splitting hairs .. but as great at the venue is at Abu Dhabi, it's got a long way to go to be a tradition .. while Silverstone does have tradition. Somehow I never knew that tradition dies when it skips a few years. If that were the requirement, then there's plenty of venues that are no longer "tradition."

[3]Be that as it may, I was under the impression that Bernie was wanting to expand the number of venues... Was i wrong?

{1} Twrue, twrue, twrue. The bottom line sees to increasingly clash with what is good for the sport itself. No more so, it seems, as in motor sports. However, I'm not in the motor sports business. I'm a fan of the sport. That said, I remain solidly steadfast and unapologetic in my feeling that there is a clear line between what is right for a sport and what is wrong; I feel that giving the bottom line a priority over the sport itself is wrong, wrong, wrong.

I realize that, as another GTG member recently stated, my story gets tiring after the 500th time I've stated it. Too bad. I'm passionate about the sport and will continue to state my opinion until I'm forced to not do so.

[2] Do we know how good a venue Abu Dahbi actually is? All they've done so far is test. As far as it's being impressive, that's beyond argument. If the track were a piece of art it would be worthy of a place in the Prado or the Louvre. But beauty can be skin deep, as attested to a number of entertainment types who are ravishing in appearance and can be entertaining but stone solid rotten -when they are closely analyzed.

[3] I dunno but here is link to an interesting piece by Joe Saward back in 2000. I'm sure some of the money figures are wrong but the concept is basically pretty much the same, I believe. F1 - Grandprix.com > Features > News Feature > How can Formula 1 expand?

Granted, the story was written back in 2000 but I found the list of prospective venues an interesting one:Given that there are limited opportunities in the future there are a remarkable number of projects under discussions, including Argentina, Egypt, Beirut, Bahrain, Dubai, India, Bali, Singapore, South Africa, Holland, Greece, Croatia, Korea, China, Russia and San Francisco. (China, Bahrain, Singapore and UAR have been added but I see the magic number remains 17.

The problem for Formula 1 is that demand is now much greater than supply. The World Championship has been extended to 17 races but the teams are not likely to accept more races. They simply cannot do it. They also do not want to do it because there is a danger that too much of a sport can bore the viewing public.
Remind you of any other series we both know?

[kkfan91]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

{They also do not want to do it because there is a danger that too much of a sport can bore the viewing public.
Remind you of any other series we both know?

just a quick point I've never heard anyone complain about WoO running over 60 times a year