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14 Dec 2005, 07:40 (Ref:1483649)
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Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,512
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Financial troubles for A1?
Italiaracing.net (sorry it's in italian!)
http://italiaracing.net/news.asp?id=3406&cat=A1GP&nome=A1|GRAND|PRIX&cart=a1gp reports that the series despite the encouraging success of the first races, is having economic problems: it seems that many teams still have to pay their franchises and spare providers are blocking deliveries because they're not being paid. Is it a pure hint, has anyone heard about it elsewhere? |
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You got to learn how to fall, before you learn to fly P.Simon 
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14 Dec 2005, 08:00 (Ref:1483655)
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#2 | ||
 Race OfficialVeteran
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 13,038
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The only problem I have heard of to date has been the Russian teams inability to pay their bills, hence them not running in Dubai last weekend. No news on any of the other teams though.
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The Priest Catcher Honoured recipient of the BARC Browning Medal
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14 Dec 2005, 11:07 (Ref:1483778)
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#3 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,394
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China I think were the other one who were a bit shaky. Ironic for the world's emerging Super Power
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Tranquillity - What happens inside Shane's race car. Chaos - What happens outside Jamie's race car.
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14 Dec 2005, 13:25 (Ref:1483868)
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#4 | |
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Registered User
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Posts: 16,661
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That italiaracing site has a history of knocking any series using Lola rather than Dallara chassis.
Sheik Maktoum could fund the entire A1GP from loose change if he wished. |
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14 Dec 2005, 16:08 (Ref:1484009)
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Racer
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 121
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Financial Problems
Definately heard the same from some very good sources. How many spectators turned up in Dubai? Not many from the few shots we were shown of the grandstands.
Whilst it may be true that the Sheikh has got more money than God and the Arabs hate losing face - nevertheless economics are economics. If you factor in the franchise fee (3 years and the amount that a top team (Carlin etc) charge you are talking about what $5-$10 million per year. Quite frankly can't see that being recouped from TV or sponsors especially some of the less well known countries! |
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you've got to walk the walk not just talk the talk
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14 Dec 2005, 16:20 (Ref:1484018)
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#6 | ||
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,366
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Firstly the A1 GP race was held on a working day in Dubai. Secondly, from what I have seen both from TV pictures and photographs online the grandstands seem pretty full to me. Not 100 full, but around 85-90%. A1 IMO is far from struggling. Here are a couple of photos from last weekend that I've seen regarding crowd sizes.
  Small crowds? 
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14 Dec 2005, 16:26 (Ref:1484023)
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#7 | ||
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,069
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That grandstand looks far from 85% to 90% full and is really the only viewing point at the entire facility.
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14 Dec 2005, 16:37 (Ref:1484030)
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#8 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,366
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Looks pretty full to me John, you think the series is struggling to attract crowds? Didnt you see the crowds at Brands and Lautiz? It wasnt capacity crowds no, but it was a lot better than a lot of other International series get.
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Sportscar Racing fans of the world Unite!
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14 Dec 2005, 16:46 (Ref:1484038)
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#9 | ||
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,069
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Not syaing it's empty, but not 85% or anything like it.
lausitz? LOL. |
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14 Dec 2005, 17:05 (Ref:1484054)
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#10 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 121
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Photos can be misleading. I guess the main grandstand (photo) has only got a few thousand people in it. With many tickets being given away for free and the rest priced at what $10? doesn't even pay the bill for circuit hire I would have thought. Nonetheless I hope A1 carries on but unfortunately the problems that Russia have had may not be unique in the A1 paddock!
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__________________
you've got to walk the walk not just talk the talk
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14 Dec 2005, 18:20 (Ref:1484096)
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#11 | ||
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 13,000
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If Russia weren't the only team not to pay the bills, why were they the only team not to be allowed to race? Or were they simply unable to attend due to their finances?
If the figures alluded to for the Dubai race are as low as the reality, it is worrying for the series. Countries like Dubai could be key to the viability of the championship. I'm not sure how expensive it is to run a race there; it's proabbly a fraction of what it would be at Brands, but surely not by enough to offset the smaller crowds AND lower ticket prices? |
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14 Dec 2005, 20:42 (Ref:1484209)
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,623
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Quote:
I guess Lausitz pays some OAPs to fill the stands. |
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The older I get, the better I used to be !
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14 Dec 2005, 21:11 (Ref:1484235)
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#13 | ||
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,449
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Personally, I don't think the issue over finance is terribly significant. As has been pointed out in earlier responses Sheik Marktoum could probably fund the championship from the money found down the back of his settee. The issue over non-payments of bills seems to stem from the antics of Russia, which is probably no surprise given there repeated non attendence and performance defecit. Also, the championship is only a few races old and needs time to a) inform people of its existence, particuarly of those from a non-motorsport tradition and b) get a reputation as a championship that people want to watch, which could contribute to the poor crowds at the moment, bearing in mind that as far as I know the biggest crowds were at Brands and Eastern Creek (admittedly Lausitz would appear to be an exception).
Last edited by kipper; 14 Dec 2005 at 21:13. Reason: I wish I could spell. |
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14 Dec 2005, 22:35 (Ref:1484293)
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#14 | ||
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Race Official Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,783
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In addition to it not being a weekend in Dubai, you also have to remember that there was no home team to bring locals out either.
That will be rectified next year when there will be a Team UAE...apparently (the Sheik's interview on Sky) the selection process has already begun to find their driver(s) |
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14 Dec 2005, 22:36 (Ref:1484296)
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 264
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15 Dec 2005, 06:14 (Ref:1484453)
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Quote:
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__________________
"...full of sound and fury, yet signifying nothing...."
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15 Dec 2005, 10:24 (Ref:1484597)
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Racer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 183
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Quote:
Last edited by bella; 21 Dec 2005 at 17:48. Reason: to correct quote tags! |
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15 Dec 2005, 10:33 (Ref:1484611)
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#18 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,366
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It coudnt have been? Sure it could, just because there are no photographs of spectators around the track (the photographs I posted obviously werent meaning to show the crowd anyway but the cars) does not mean there were not lots of spectators. The vast majority of the time you dont see big shots of spectators in any series, yes the series doesent get crowd sizes of that of F1, Moto GP or Champ Car but I would say its probably on a par with FIA GT, FIA WTCC and WSBR.
The WTCC only gets crowd sizes of 25,000-50,000 on a regular basis and that is a pretty big popular series and one that people know. Why then are people suprised that A1 doesent get huge crowds when other big series like the WTCC and WSBR doesent either? As for the WSBR the main reason they get the ammount of spectators they do get is because they give away so many free tickets, how many thousand for each event? Id not be suprised to hear that the series gets more people attending with free tickets than people who are actually paying! |
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15 Dec 2005, 10:50 (Ref:1484618)
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#19 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 183
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Sorry, what i meant to say is that the track only has one permanent grandstand but i'm sure for this event temporary ones would have been put up. However my point was that if even this main grandstand wasn't full then the others surely had a far fewer people in them.
Although i wasn't at the race at brands i know people who were and have been told that it was extremely busy. Of course with a series like this that is taking motorsport all around the world there are going to be some races better supported than others. I'm sure most races at countries with an established motorsport history will be getting large attendances. |
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15 Dec 2005, 12:34 (Ref:1484679)
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#20 | ||
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Race Official Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 13,038
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There were no temporary grandstands nor was the main granstand anywhere near 85% full. There weren't that many spectators around the track either but then I dont think the event was very well advertised locally. I didn't see any advertising until I drove into the main entrance!
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15 Dec 2005, 16:59 (Ref:1484846)
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#21 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,069
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Thank you SG, sanity at last!
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15 Dec 2005, 19:51 (Ref:1484931)
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 1,965
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Quote:
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21 Dec 2005, 05:09 (Ref:1487803)
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#23 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,219
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Why are you lot concentrating on crowd sizes anyway? If you are talking about the overall economic health of the series surely income from TV rights are far more important that crowd size?
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21 Dec 2005, 11:12 (Ref:1487954)
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#24 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,512
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Quote:
johndownunder is absolutely right |
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__________________
You got to learn how to fall, before you learn to fly P.Simon
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21 Dec 2005, 17:29 (Ref:1488198)
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#25 | |
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Rookie
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 14
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A1 Crowds In Dubai
I have visited Dubai and Bahrain on several occasions so I know a fair bit about the motorsport arena out there. They have the most amazing facilities and tracks but locals are very new to motorsport and there is only a very small amount of the population actually follow motorsport at all. It is a completely different motorsport culture to Europe for example. Therefore it is not surprising there weren't many spectators. Also weekends are thursday/friday in many middle eastern countries so if you put a race on a saturday or sunday not many people can turn up. I was out for the GP 2 race in Bahrain, there were probably 2000 people altogether on race day and no one really stands at the side of the track as it is normally to hot.
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