Is this the End of F1?

[Speeddemon555]

Since a sweeping rules change by the FIA to curb higher costs for F1. The group called GPWC consist of auto companies from BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes and others were not happy about it. The GPWC is threatening to form their own version of F1 if the rules continue to hamper their racing efforts made by the FIA.

Article found on the espn website.

[cos]

See this article - there seems to be a bit of a contradiction between what the GPWC say and what its supposed members think.

[Adam43]

Is there a link, straight to the article?

Other similar threads on 10-10ths:

Renault issue 'we will quit F1' threat
Major teams may boycott Aus GP
GPWC Statement...
What,REALLY is stopping the major tweams from starting the GPWC sooner than 2008??

just to summarise what has gone before...

[Red]

It might be the end of 'Formula 1 Bernie ©® label'. But not the end of motorsport. Roll on 2008. With all due respect, Mr Bernard sir, you have done much for the 'circus', but right now you're heading towards a wrong path...

[Damon]

The GPWC has been around for 2 or 3 years now and the planned breakaway for 2008 has been in motion pretty much since then. As cos says the member 'companies' and the actual teams they support however seem to contradict each other with their views making anything that the GPWC say seem like little more than hot air.

[Red]

They cannot do anything sooner than 2008, Damon. They're all under Concorde agreement which is a contract, not just a gentlemen agreement.

[Damon]

Yeah I no, and its the same document thats stopped decent rule changes in the past (I'm a little confused as to how they've got round it this time actually). Thats not my point however, I was simply saying that, for example, BWM and Williams seem to be in very different places with regard their views of the recent changes.

[shiny side up!]

I believe they got around it by saying that they are 'clarifying' existing rules or something to that effect...

[Red]

Damon, 'decent rules'? What were those decent rules proposed in... say 10 years? :confused:. Anyway. The Concorde Agreement (that holly grail that noone saw) has a very strict schedule of major technical/sporting regs changes. The past changes (grooves, narrow cars, 3 elements wings, higher front wings etc), were all previewed. Or met the unanimous agreemets. (It's complicated, and I only read press speculations, remember, Concorde is one ofg the major mysteries of the known hystory ) Which obviously was not the case with the latest aberrations.

[Inigo Montoya]

So maybe the manufacturers can get together and sue Bernie and Max for breach of contract?

[RWC]

"So maybe the manufacturers can get together and sue Bernie and Max for breach of contract? "
Assasination would be Soooo much more satisfying....
but would you waste a bullet on max LOL

[Super Tourer]

Interesting viewpoint from Gerhard Berger.

Quoye from an article on:www.planet-f1.com

http://www.planet-f1.com/Home/story_10573.shtml


"The car manufacturers know that Bernie is no longer 20 years old - they want to have certainty about the future," he said. "They want to know how a successor is being organised. They want to be certain that the money doesn't disappear which would lead to a situation where the manufacturers are urging for more control."

"We would then have a group in charge of the sport with every member pursuing their own goals. The interests of BMW are different to those of Mercedes. Everyone will look after himself."

"Toyota will be in a different position to Mercedes and Ferrari will pull in another direction. Everyone will do their best to influence the rulemaking to achieve success for his own team."

"I have seen the same situation in touring cars. One manufacturer has front wheel drive another has rear wheel drive; one wants to add 10 kilos at the front, the other 40 kilo at the back. It's difficult to predict how the thing is handled when manufacturers have power."

So instead of having a group of individuals, all with ties to their own manufacturer, a single, independent voice might be best. Berger may be employed by BMW right now, but only Michael Schumacher has driven more races for Ferrari.

Gerhard also spent three seasons with Ron Dennis at McLaren, so he's on good terms with all three leading teams.

[Peter Mallett]

I made a point in the Touring Car forum that the arrival of manufacturers in Championships spells doom for the racing because all they do is up the ante every year until it gets a bit difficult so they pull the plug.

The WSC in the Nineties. ETCC in the eighties. Touring cars now. How many more championships will die because the manufacturers decide they don't want to spend money any more?

This thing will last about as long as it takes for the advertising revenue to dry up.

[golem]

Yep. If the GPWC starts up, it'll last X years before they pull the plug and don't want to be involved in F1. Until then, hopefully, the F1 will keep F1 alive somehow and some of the smaller and non-GPWC engineering firms and manufacturers (Yamaha, Subaru, Toyota, Honda, GM, VAG, MG-Rover... and notice a veeery strong Japanese trend there)
will keep the supply of engines there.

It'll be alot like CART and Indycars now. The two will fight to stay alive. And even now no one knows who's going to win because CART is going more and more global oriented, while Indy's are staying more localised to USA. But it'll be even more radical with GPWC and F1 if it happens because remember, anyone involved with GPWC is blackballed from F1. This could mean european manufacturers that make up the GPWC will be pushing into the 'new' markets and the asian companies will be able to retain F1's european grounds... Which will be odd.
(This is a kinda forced situation because if a track in europe goes GPWC it can't hold things like NGT and other FIA sanctioned groups. Which would kill revenue too much I suspect at all the major tracks.)

[Miss Hardt]

Hmmm...he's no longer 20 years old.

Conclusion: we should wait a couple of years, that's what they were doing in the old Rome and that.

FOCA needs a new chairman.