Future Grands Prix?

[djinvicta]

secured a 17-year contract for Silverstone to hold GPs, a deal that will outlast Bernie.

Or will it? Who knows?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by djinvicta

secured a 17-year contract for Silverstone to hold GPs, a deal that will outlast Bernie.

Or will it? Who knows?

Has Bernie suddenly become immortal?

[djinvicta]

He would only be 102...

[bjohnsonsmith]

It's not been officialy confirmed but reading this the German GP looks terminal.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/118108

[old man]

We are really in a poor situation with no French GP and no German GP especially with the domination of the drivers championship by German drivers in the last 15 years and "German" team dominating at the moment.

One would expect those facts to bring in the crowd to Hockenheim and MB usually took a hole bunch of seats for their guests/staff.

I suppose the reason is an unreasonable demand from FOM, or at least a demand that the low attendance last year makes impossible to meet. It really is dire and just adds to the woes and cries for change that is becoming a self fulfilling prophecy. And then of course Melbourne were celebrating an extension of its deal (I think) so FOM will be confused, they will be sure they are doing something right

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by old man

We are really in a poor situation with no French GP and no German GP especially with the domination of the drivers championship by German drivers in the last 15 years and "German" team dominating at the moment.

One would expect those facts to bring in the crowd to Hockenheim and MB usually took a hole bunch of seats for their guests/staff.

I suppose the reason is an unreasonable demand from FOM, or at least a demand that the low attendance last year makes impossible to meet. It really is dire and just adds to the woes and cries for change that is becoming a self fulfilling prophecy. And then of course Melbourne were celebrating an extension of its deal (I think) so FOM will be confused, they will be sure they are doing something right

I thought Melbourne already had the GP until 2020, has it been extended beyond that?

[old man]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I thought Melbourne already had the GP until 2020, has it been extended beyond that?

Perhaps this is so, this why I put the (?) in

[GT6]

bad news abput the german GP this season is getting even more messy

[Sodemo]

I still find no French GP staggering, yet people dont seem too bothered about it hrug:

I will say that I am no fan of Magny Cours and never will be, so i'd love a French GP to return, they deserve one, but not at that go kart track.

[Pontlieue]

I'm not too bothered about the German GP missing, apart from the fact that mid-season in F1 has just become almost as bad as in WEC. (WEC has no races from mid-June to late August, F1 just 1 race between early July and late August). Germany doesn't have any really interesting tracks any more since Hockenheim was changed. And even if I would pay the horrendous ticket costs for F1, I could just as well go to Spa.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Pontlieue

I'm not too bothered about the German GP missing, apart from the fact that mid-season in F1 has just become almost as bad as in WEC. (WEC has no races from mid-June to late August, F1 just 1 race between early July and late August). Germany doesn't have any really interesting tracks any more since Hockenheim was changed. And even if I would pay the horrendous ticket costs for F1, I could just as well go to Spa.

I'm bothered, it's another traditional European GP that's not on the calendar and one that will probably replaced by yet another fly-away race in the Gulf, just because Bernie has convinced them to join the exclusive F1 club and they are willing to pay the absorbatant sanctioning fee for the privilege. It does nothing for the long term sustainability of the sport.

[Paradise City]

It's an absolute scandal that serious races like France and Germany aren't there whilst these stale desert races that are devoid of interest replace them.

If Germany hasn't the gumption to lock this sadistic miser-lunatic up, will Spain please oblige? Please!

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

If Germany hasn't the gumption to lock this sadistic miser-lunatic up, will Spain please oblige? Please!

This court case is not of B.C.E.'s making; this one is all down to a lot of very dodgy politicians and their equally dodgy business friends/partners and the dodgy business practices that they indulged in. It is more to do with the America's Cup set-up in Barcelona plus other major infrastructure (read vanity) projects that where put in place by the regional government for the Valencian region. They were/are a load of rogues, and it percolated right up to the nation governments in Madrid.

Mr Ecclestone's testimony will probably centre around how much they offered FOM to hold the races in Valencia, and what promises they made to ensure that the races took place. The sad reality was that Valencia couldn't afford either the America's Cup or F1, and it has bankrupted the region, which is now being bailed out by central government, and essential services are being starved of cash because of it. For example, schools have had to been built using very second hand transport containers and portacabins. Some kids of parents that I know have gone through their entire school career having never been taught in a purpose built property, but in portacabins which leaked whenever it rained, were cold in the winters (mercifully short luckily) because they were unheated, and stiflingly hot in the summers because there was no air conditioning and the temperature used to average about 35 deg C for two to three months a year.

[GT6]

The slow demise of european races has been happening for some time now as the balance of power changes, in Europe the circuits have to pay for themselves whilst in those countries currently being given races the money is no object, The solution is easy allow more races with teams/drivers being allowed to compete in a set number, and then we will see how many teams choose to compete in these new races. A little left of field i know but just an idea

[S griffin]

Germany is one of the more traditional racing countries, where they care about motorsport. For Bernie to take it off shows he is not fit to run F1

[bella]

i dont think bernie's taken it off as much as neither circuit really can justify the cash given their financial situations and the lack of profit from actually hosting it. it's weird that france could almost manage it but bailed out in the end - that was the change in government wasn't it?

gp2 and gp3 will be missing a couple of rounds now, so they'll probably end up with a mid-season round somewhere obscure like jerez or valencia or somewhere like that.

[S griffin]

The only reason they can't afford it is due to Bernie's ridiculously high fees.

[chillibowl]

perhaps a better question is why would anyone want to pay for a GP in 2015?

from a certain point of view, not hosting a race this year (and possibly next year) should be seen as a win for both the local promoter who just saved the sanctioning fee and for the spectator who will be saved the cost of admission.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

perhaps a better question is why would anyone want to pay for a GP in 2015?

from a certain point of view, not hosting a race this year (and possibly next year) should be seen as a win for both the local promoter who just saved the sanctioning fee and for the spectator who will be saved the cost of admission.

What about the spectator who wanted to go to the GP? Now they'll have to pay to watch it on TV but it won't be as much and it won't be as exciting.

[bella]

to be fair they'll shrug their shoulders and either go to belgium or austria instead, depending on their location and which tickles their fancy

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by bella

to be fair they'll shrug their shoulders and either go to belgium or austria instead, depending on their location and which tickles their fancy

Not necessarilly, they might not be able to make Belgium or Austria and Germany was the one race on the calendar that was doable.

[GT6]

Well there is very little Bernie can do about it now and to be honest the way this season is shaping up they could just announce the winner without actually running the race

[wnut]

Originally Posted by GT6

Well there is very little Bernie can do about it now and to be honest the way this season is shaping up they could just announce the winner without actually running the race

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by GT6

Well there is very little Bernie can do about it now and to be honest the way this season is shaping up they could just announce the winner without actually running the race

Yep, Rosberg's turn.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Yep, Rosberg's turn.

I was hoping so BJ!

BUT since Mr Wolff said, "Mercedes can zertinly dizziplin Rosberg", after he was starting to get the better of Hamilton last year, Nico has jumped out of Lewis' way every time they have been near one another and failed to get anywhere near Lewis in a race, despite usually out qualifying him.

Service resumed as normal in Melbourne with the added caveat that Rosberg failed to out qualify Hambo.