The Future of Formula 1?

[DNQ]

Perhaps my comments here would be best attached to one of the existing threads, but I am just so angry with the current state of Formula One.

Arrows, Prost, Hockenheim, Spa, gone in the space of one year. What are we going to lose in the next year?

Formula One IS in morbid danger, the rule changes for next year are all well and good, but it's not going to stop the rot.

Bernie and Max are finally starting to take notice - but F1 will not change under the present system were all the teams must agree on change.

Should ALL the teams have to agree before changes go through? Or should the people in charge decide what to do?

For me, it's about time Bernie and Max take control. The manufacturers are never going to agree to any significant cost cutting.

As a sidenote to this...who is going to replace the manufacturers after they've left?

Ferrari - will never leave
Renault - they pulled out last time...
Honda - will leave as soon as they've won
Jaguar - already thinking of leaving
BMW - left in the eighties
Toyota - Le Mans, WRC, CART...they'll leave one day
Mercedes - enjoying little success

That is 7 manufacturer team out of 10. With 5 possibly leaving one day. What happens when there are only four teams left, and there are no engines because Cosworth has pulled out?

Sorry to be the voice of doom, but Formula One is in serious danger. Privateers form the back bone of a series, not manufacturers.

[f1manoz]

Look at series in the past which relied heavily on manufacturer involvement and died away. The biggest example would be the absolute decline of sportscar racing in the early 1990s, when it went from giant spectacle to a mere shadow of it's former self. And nowadays no-one takes notice of any of the series, except for the ALMS...

[woodbine]

Personally I think it might be a good idea if several of the manufacturers did pull out. The F1 establishment would then be forced to re-examine the rules and maybe introduce wholesale changes.

This happened in the BTCC recently and after a few lean years it is beginning to come good again.

[kdr]

trouble is the manufacturers have set the technological and financial bar so high...that if they go theres few to fill the gap.

when audi eventually go from sportscars it won't sound the death knell because theres a raft of privateers really just waiting for that moment....but in f1?

[twig]

the reason most teams, or some teams are pulling out or not surviving are the unbeleivable costs.

The whole problem with the TV money is stupid, and why does Mr E get huge profits?!

Why is there the huge deposit in the first place. "Well, if you give us say, $100 million, we will give you back a bit of money if you do well" - Bernie.

Tom.

[twig]

i think to be a little more entertaining, they should extend the season, and spread it, so there is a smaller gap between end of one year, and the beginining of the next.

The GP circuits we lost Spa, and maybe now Silverstone are for a reason, however stupid, but its obvious that Mr E is just going to new places for the money, racing aside.

Should more tracks be taken off the calander, F1 should go to good tracks around the world, so the racing is good, and people start to like F1 more. Instead of going to stupid countries where most people dont know what F1 is, but hold a lot of money. Shanghai, Bahrain, Dubai, and even thought up, Russia.

[Glen]

Originally posted by twig
The GP circuits we lost Spa, and maybe now Silverstone are for a reason, however stupid, but its obvious that Mr E is just going to new places for the money, racing aside.

Should more tracks be taken off the calander, F1 should go to good tracks around the world, so the racing is good, and people start to like F1 more. Instead of going to stupid countries where most people dont know what F1 is, but hold a lot of money. Shanghai, Bahrain, Dubai, and even thought up, Russia.

The whole thing (in fact virtually everything we all do in our capitalist world) is ultimately for money. Nothing has changed there.

Whilst I would eagerly and aggressively defend the argument for circuits such as Spa, I can't really go along with the rest of your arguments here. Why are China, Bahrain, Russia etc "stupid" countries? Why don't they know what F1 is? Why is their support any less valid than any other countries? If you wanted to point to a country that doesn't understand F1, USA (for the most part, don't take offence fellow-forumers) would be a pretty good example.

In seeking out new Grand Prix venues and expanding the world-wide appeal of F1 Bernie is bettering the prospects of F1, not making them worse. Whether the new circuits are good and produce good racing is a separate issue, and there is no reason to assume that they won't be... Sepang makes for a rather good race, for example.

Of course F1 will gravitate to where the money is. Lack of money (or too much expense, depending on how you look at it) is what is putting F1 in crisis right now. Prost and Arrows haven't gone to the wall because of the demise of the old-fashioned circuit - they have folded because of rising costs and ever more professional and consistent front-runners.

[Korr]

I agree with Twiq, save for the season extension.

Why in God's name sould the FIA be getting 53% of the TV revenues when the teams only get 47%? BE can't tell me that it costs $250m to develop and field a viable camera program.

Greed. Someone has to stop Ecclestone's greed before he ruins F1. Maybe the splinter group should name their organization FBE.

Use your imagination on that .

[Liz]

Bernie is expanding to countries where (1) lots of people smoke tobacco and (2) there are not likely to be any anti tobacco regulations any time soon. Bernie is not going to lose that tobacco money if there's any way to keep it in the family, so to speak.

Since the television viewership in Europe and North America is dwindling away, it makes good sense to put the races in places where tobacco is welcome and broadcast to them as well. I look for a race in Laos or Cambodia or Vietnam in the near term as all those countries are big fans of BAT 555 cigarettes -- most of them smuggled, admittedly, but they are there.

I am not a fan of Big Tobacco, incidentally, but if people want to know why the F1 races are disappearing to strange countries, look at their policies on tobacco and then look at the policies in the places they are leaving.

[josvandeperre]

Bring back the DFV - at its original price of £ 7500....

[Korr]

Wow. Good point, Liz.

[chrisgr31]

I'd go with the season extension. After all the CART season seems to be much longer.

At the same time they could ban testing. Racing might be expensive but at least the sponsors are getting worldwide TV exposure when racing, and therefore may pay more. Additional races also means there is more money in the pot as well, and of course it would increase the locations in the world where I could go on holiday!

Chris

[a_r_c_a]

F1 future = The Dead

This is my positive view!

[Bononi]

Well, with not so many enthusiasts around, it makes me wonder how come this forum is the most visited around... is the pleasure of seeing something dying or are we a bunch of sadists ?

Liz, is right. And worst, where's money, there's business, F1 is far from lacking of both.

[a_r_c_a]

This is my positive view! I am a big enthusiast of F1 dark side. It's a pleasure to see F1 dead...

[Kex]

Heavy cost-cutting is required in all areas, but safety to drivers, teams and spectactors should not be compromised.

[tanalised]

Liz is dead right. F1 will be taken to new markets by Bernie only if there is no anti tobacco laws. Which means one day there will be no races in Europe.

[Jordi]

The bottom-line is: Will all this tobacco laws be effective or just be useless?

[Armco Bender]

Most of the other sites are running this story,seems even F1 is starting to see the writing on the wall:

Phillips warns of more losses for F1
Only 16 cars in 2004? [04/12/02 - 05:19]
After losing two Formula One teams in less than twelve months due to financial difficulties, Prost and Arrows, Jordan's Ian Phillips has warned that more may fall by the wayside unless something is done, and fast.

Although the major teams are relatively safe from money woes, the smaller outfits, such as Jordan and Minardi are both feeling the heat. Jordan recently lost major sponsor DHL while Minardi are still trying to find the remaining 25% of their 2003 budget. Eddie Jordan is confident that things will work out and Minardi boss Paul Stoddart has assured the public that his small outfit will definitely be on the grid, but that doesn't stop the worry sweeping the paddock.

Phillips is definitely concerned about the situation and echoed FIA President Max Mosley's recent fears that the grid could be reduced dramatically in the near future, possibly leaving just 16 cars to start the 2004 championship season.

"People have got to start taking the issue of there possibly not being enough cars on the grid in the future pretty seriously," he told the Guardian. "It could drop from 20 to 16 cars by the start of the 2004 season and if something isn't done urgently then I would say there is a fair chance of that happening."