Superleague Formula 2010 calendar revealed

[Peat]

I might pop up to Slitherstone on Saturday for a ganders. Oh and the Superkarts of course! Whooop!

[bella]

has someone had a quiet word with silverstone regarding the need for decent weather?

[runshaw]

If they have, I hope they had a quiet word with Oulton Park as well! I don't want to be dripping all the way from Silverstone to Oulton on Sunday evening.

Quite hard to choose title contenders, i'm thinking Bourdais could be the one to watch. Never discount Craig Dolby though who was an extremely under-rated driver and not on many people's radars up until a couple of years ago.

[bella]

the only lingering question with bourdais would be over the new team running his car i suppose. i think it'd be unwise to count out parente, walker, so pretty much most of the field!

is this the most competitive field around?

[Robbe]

Marcos Martinez with Sevilla/De Villota and Borja Garcia with Sporting/Reid. Only the two Durango drivers missing - lets hope for someone like Pantano, Filippi or Valles.

I really wonder how on earth they have managed to put such a field together. And I wonder even more who pays for it...

[bella]

well there were figures flying around a couple of years ago for budgets for drivers, and i would guess they've gone up a bit since the number of races has increased but it still works out pretty good value for money considering the toys you're playing with and the free publicity through the club.

but i assume bourdais is being paid a wage - i can't imagine he'd do anything for fun.

[p-matt]

Originally Posted by Robbe

Marcos Martinez with Sevilla/De Villota and Borja Garcia with Sporting/Reid. Only the two Durango drivers missing - lets hope for someone like Pantano, Filippi or Valles.

If Valles was coming back he would be racing forr Liverpool surely? I suspect Valles might eventually be confirmed as Hispania's 3rd driver

[Mak]

Originally Posted by Robbe

Marcos Martinez with Sevilla/De Villota and Borja Garcia with Sporting/Reid. Only the two Durango drivers missing - lets hope for someone like Pantano, Filippi or Valles.

I really wonder how on earth they have managed to put such a field together. And I wonder even more who pays for it...

Come the end of the season (or even mid) that may be a relavent question.

[Joe Taylor]

Originally Posted by Robbe

I really wonder how on earth they have managed to put such a field together. And I wonder even more who pays for it...

Sonangol would be my guess. Either that or the series bosses went to the Tony Teixeira school of finance and it'll all come crashing down in a couple of years

[Shaddix]

the football-clubs will have to pay a fair amount too I guess
and maybe a bit from pay drivers

[mickey29]

I doubt the football clubs will have to payout hard cash. Their only input would be use of image and association.

[old man]

My guess is that most are bringing budget but I am told the prize money is exceptional and that is where Sonangol come in. Good prize money will attract decent drivers

[bella]

it IS exceptional - the total weekend prize fund is €280,000, and there's €1.75million on offer for the top 3 in the championship.

you do have to win or at least get to the superfinal to score prize money though, so perhaps thats why some of the uh less competitive drivers bring their own budget. i assume the prize money is delivered quicker than a1gp managed to, so i suppose someone like bourdais might be on a percentage of winnings contract.

[skells22]

ESPN will be showing these cars (found out via the mag of Autosport) and i can now answer the time question as well there are 3 races, one at 11.10am and one at 2.10pm and there is a Super final as well at 3.10pm all BST

[N.A-D.R]

I got told about some sort of guest entry format for each round, is this still going to happen?

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by bella

it IS exceptional - the total weekend prize fund is €280,000, and there's €1.75million on offer for the top 3 in the championship.

you do have to win or at least get to the superfinal to score prize money though, so perhaps thats why some of the uh less competitive drivers bring their own budget. i assume the prize money is delivered quicker than a1gp managed to, so i suppose someone like bourdais might be on a percentage of winnings contract.

IRC Bourdais was in fact on a salary as there was a brief hold out for more money.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Can't imagine the majority of the field pays anything to race here. If they could bring that sort of money they'd be elsewhere. Most money probably come from the investors behind Superleague - a few drivers get paid (Bourdais, probably Montagny), many race for free (Gommendy, Buurman, GarcÃ*a, Tappy, Rigon, vd Drift, Dolby) and some pay (Karthikeyan, maybe Walker and MartÃ*nez). Just guesswork, but I just can't see most of these drivers raising any sort of money to fund a race drive.

[Shaddix]

Originally Posted by mickey29

I doubt the football clubs will have to payout hard cash. Their only input would be use of image and association.

then why did Beijing Guoan exit after they won the title?

[Keyfabe]

Its disappointing Valles is not racing this season, it says in Autosport he couldnt raise finance in Spain!!!! and as for ESPN how many motor racing fans are gonna subscribe to that channel, its almost as bad as GP2 and Setanta last year!

[mickey29]

Originally Posted by Shaddix

then why did Beijing Guoan exit after they won the title?

No idea, they might be able to answer that question better than I!

[Shaddix]

yeh, but I just wanted to say that money propably is the only valid reason why a championship team would quit a series

[kerrmanningjarv]

Should this thread maybe become "Superleague Formula 2010 season discussion"?

Or alternatively a new thread could be opened for the 1st round.