Series financial security

[Tyrrell]

The Ferrari deal was a great marketing asset at the right price

over priced deal

Both the aforementioned snippets are your words Mak. Which is it to be then?

[RichardRenes]

And what exactly would be the 'right' price?

Remember, what Ferrari offered is an unique package. There is no other singleseater series around that is 'powered by Ferrari', nor will there be for a while (As Indycar will go for Fiat/ Alfa Romeo).

anyway, I think this discussion should be held in a 'Ferrari didn't bring anything to the series yet' thread (winks to mod)

[Kiwi3]

Note: the last five posts have been moved from the current season calender thread as they say nothing about the current season calender but are relevant to financial sustainability.

Mak - how do we know that TT could not afford it at the time? Nobody could foresee the financial crisis, and if the value of his mining operation (i.e. his worth) has gone down then you cannot blame his for predicting that a year ago.

[diabloA1]

His mining business should be in good shape now. Commodity prices would soar when economic recession hits

[RichardRenes]

Just to put things in perspective: Formula Nippon, which switched to new cars too, is struggling to get more than 10 cars on the grid this season.

[diabloA1]

And we've got about 20..

[META4]

Originally Posted by RichardRenes

Just to put things in perspective: Formula Nippon, which switched to new cars too, is struggling to get more than 10 cars on the grid this season.

Not quite true, the entry list mention about 14-15 cars

[rychard]

Why haven't the cars left for South Africa?

[RichardRenes]

Originally Posted by rychard

Why haven't the cars left for South Africa?

Now what ?????

I am getting soooo tired of this.

Please start to worry when the cars are not there on, say, February 17th or otherwise do not bother unless you provide a link as to how and why.

[Kiwi3]

+1

[Mak]

Originally Posted by RichardRenes

Now what ?????

I am getting soooo tired of this.

Please start to worry when the cars are not there on, say, February 17th or otherwise do not bother unless you provide a link as to how and why.

Richard you may be getting tired, but I think you will find these post being made by people who actually work in A1GP and are generally concerned about their job security. (they are getting updated as it happens, and not just hearing what the public are fed by A1.) If there are problems going on in your carreer do you wait till the end to worry? They are just expressing there frustration with the uncertainty. Cars have now been impounded (for non payment by A1) after Zandvoort and Malaysia. The last time only independant action by NZ seat holder CG saved the day. It would be great to hear about a new backer, but unfortunately its been very quiet on this front. Lets all hope that it all works out, but this is an open forum and all can express there thoughts and it actually gives some independant news to those interested in what is actually happening.

[ford prefect]

I think the problem lies less with being tired of the subjest and more with being fed up of being fed unsubtantiated information.

Where is the back up for this nugget of wisdom? Personally I would rather people gave concrete information or made it obvious that it is speculation.

Either speculate or inform. Please make it clear where you get the information, even if you say "a source within A1GP tells me..."

[Mak]

[QUOTE=ford prefect]I think the problem lies less with being tired of the subjest and more with being fed up of being fed unsubtantiated information.

Where is the back up for this nugget of wisdom? Personally I would rather people gave concrete information or made it obvious that it is speculation.

Either speculate or inform. Please make it clear where you get the information, even if you say "a source within A1GP tells me..."[/QUOTE

Havn't seen the "a source within A1GP tells me.." in this thread. What infomation do you think is speculation? Most things expressed have been facts. Just ask anyone working in A1GP who is independent of the oranisers. ie.team personnel.

[rychard]

I think you'll also find the cars were impounded after the first race in Durban.

And let me tell you one other thing, I certainly won't make it clear where I get my information.

Now, the reason why i asked why the cars haven't left. I heard Gilltrap was waiting for money from A1GP. A few weeks ago there was a lot of talk about a big A1GP Expo here this weekend, but it hasn't been advertised.

I now hear the cars will be arriving at Kyalami on Monday. I heard this from an A1GP team but I'm not going to say which .... I am based in SA so work it out!

[diabloA1]

As a 'team personnel' I honestly do not enjoy reading all the negative opinions in this forum despite knowing myself the state of affairs in A1GP. I know how frustrating it must be for everyone passionately following the series. I can only imagine.

Too often many are quick to expect the worst rather than hope for best. How do YOU positively affect the series with this kind of mentality? Unless opinions are expressed with some reference of source, it is purely fictional opinion. That is how I have come to view this forum.

As far as my team is concerned we ARE racing at every venue left in the calendar unless on Wednesday morning of the race week we do not get our car. We as a team are pulling our weight 100%, otherwise we might as well not bother racing the entire season.

I'm pretty sure the other teams and organizers(despite the criticisms) are just as committed. We want to be there on race weekend, racing, for YOU the fans. Why do you think Giltrap and a few others assisted for Taupo?

I don't think I'll be participating much further in this forum. There are more important matters to attend to such as WINNING THE NEXT RACE!

[ford prefect]

Originally Posted by Mak

Havn't seen the "a source within A1GP tells me.." in this thread. What infomation do you think is speculation? Most things expressed have been facts. Just ask anyone working in A1GP who is independent of the oranisers. ie.team personnel.

The issue is not the factual content.

I am the part of a group that some on this forum consider irrelevant: I am a motorsport fan.

I cannot "just ask anyone working in A1gp"

I do not move in such exalted circles, therefore I will not take information as fact until I know the source.

If you tell me that Mak and Rychard are employees of A1GP and are privy to such info then so be it. Just don't present things as fact and expect me to take it at face value without substantiation.

[RichardRenes]

Originally Posted by rychard

I now hear the cars will be arriving at Kyalami on Monday. I heard this from an A1GP team but I'm not going to say which .... I am based in SA so work it out!

Now THAT is what I want to hear. I don't care if the cars are impounded or not or smuggled out of New Zealand in parts. There is a race next week, and the cars will have to be there only then!.

Anything else just starts rumours and all... and if you are so affraid to lose your job, why not call, say, Reuters or AP with your 'news'.

In these dire times, noone is sure of his/ her job !, unless you're a stormcrow.

[Kiwi3]

Originally Posted by rychard

Why haven't the cars left for South Africa?

Sorry but this post had no value. Where was the news that the cars had not left and who on this forum could be expected　ｔｏ　answer this question?

[RichardRenes]

and to add: where is the news that the cars were supposed to be in South Africa in the first place.

[Kiwi3]

According to Emerson Fittipaldi, A1GP is structured in a way that the financial crisis won't pose too many problems, and other series could learn from A1GP.

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/extra/a...2&in_a_source=

Emmo always did strike me as a bit of an eccentric...

[Mak]

Emo is one of the nicest people in racing, however the Brazil team is one of those which is still primarily funded by A1 and had little success in finding backers. With Emo's reputation you would have expected the marketing of this team to have been more productive with three seasons to work with. There are quite a few teams in the same position and have made A1's situation harder. The A1 plan is very good but did require all teams to get off there butts and market themselves. Had all teams done there work and were 90% finacially independant by now, it would have drastically reduced A1's current finacial problems.

[Kiwi3]

Right, Team Italy also immediately springs to mind as one that should have done a lot better.

Perhaps this is why we have not seen GER and PAK yet, hopefully A1GP are saying don't come back until you can stand on your own two feet.

Just from my own speculative guesswork:

Self sufficient: CHN, IND, INA, IRL, KOR, LEB, MAL, MEX, MON, NED, NZL, POR, RSA, SUI

Supported by A1GP: AUS, BRA, FRA, GBR, ITA, USA

[Armco Bender]

however the Brazil team is one of those which is still primarily funded by A1 and had little success in finding backers.

In the days of tobacco sponsorship the world was awash with up and coming South America drivers,seems the money has dried up since then.

[nic.v814]

Does anyone have any idea of what it costs to be a major sponsor on one of these cars?

[RichardRenes]

As it takes about $3 million to run a car for a year, i'd say you can get a full body sponsorspot for the same money you can get a wing end plate spot for in F1.

And to my knowledge team NED is not self sufficient yet. They come close though. They got about 85%-90% of their costs covered.

No big sponsor, but a lot of smaller ones.