Do you think the GPWCS is a good idea?

[Inigo Montoya]

Now that all the major teams have met and signed a memorandum of understanding that basically allows them to start planning for the new F1 series (Grand Prix World Championship Series), with a more team-favourable distribution of profits, do you think this is a good idea?

[Inigo Montoya]

I voted good, on my own poll, for the more equitable sharing of profits, plus, it is my hope that the new series will not involve silly limits on TC, electronics, etc. and <gag> standardized parts...

[Damon]

I voted no. If the manufactuers won it then the series would have the one and only aim of making money, pushing the sport side even further back. Profit sharing should be better but the sport should not be owned and run by the manufacturers.

[Maxmil]

This poll is a little tricky if you stop and think about it. I voted "Good", but I sure hope the GPWCS never gets off the ground.

[Inigo Montoya]

Hehehe, that's why I included the option "Other" Maxmil. Explain yourself.

[Testure]

I think the GPWC itself is a terrible idea. A series run and controlled by manufacturers just chills me, I really think it'd be a sporting disaster. Better sharing of the cash generated by F1 is a good thing, but that should be looked at in the context of another Concord agreement. IMHO

[ASCII Man]

I voted other, for the same reasons that Damon and Testure gave.

Saves me alot of typing too!

[Maxmil]

Originally posted by Inigo Montoya
Hehehe, that's why I included the option "Other" Maxmil. Explain yourself.

Nothing really to explain. I totally agree with the "Good" vote statement, so I voted for it. It doesn't say a word about the GPWC. I don't agree with the "Bad" vote statement because the teams' shares now are too small vis a vis Bernie's. Therefore I couldn't vote for it. I never really had to think about the GPWC in order to vote.

[Inigo Montoya]

Originally posted by Maxmil
I totally agree with the "Good" vote statement, so I voted for it. It doesn't say a word about the GPWC.

Sure it does, Max, the topic above the poll is "GPWCS - good or bad"

[Snrub]

The teams should get more money, but the automakers should not control things. Problem is would the top teams simply have the money they have now, plus the extra or would they keep their budgets the same? I tend to think the first would happen.

[Armco Bender]

Its like a bad marriage,Bernie needs the Manufacturers and the Manufacturers really need Bernie,hopefully they will all kiss and make up.Do we really need another CART/IRL scenario?.

[RT]

Originally posted by Maxmil
This poll is a little tricky if you stop and think about it. I voted "Good", but I sure hope the GPWCS never gets off the ground.

My feelings exactly Maxmil. I think it's about time to pull Max and Bernie's chain and the manufacturers are the only ones with enough resources to make it credible. But I also hope it doesn't become an open war, I have a feeling the GPWCS wouldn't work.

[mortda]

I think it's about time that we revised the way the F1 is seen in regards to the technology and broadcasting of races.
F1 is supposed to be the ultimate in the advancement of motoring expertise and developement and if one goes back to the original days of motor racing one will find that then and since, that the competition has been about the top drivers in the best machine that could be afforded and if other competitors,as in other sports that require some sort of device as part of the package, have not been able to to "footit " with the best have drop outleaving the top teams to do the competing hence the need for all teams involved to aquire as much finacial input as possible to continue, the old days of self financial investment are long gone due to the increase in the development costs. that brins us to the broadcasting of such events.
The fact that the spectator,then as now are really secondary to the events but the difference today is some sort of spectacle is needed to help the teams draw a revenue, in the form of advertising, to help pay for that developement and the best medium for that these days is Television and the world wide Audience it commands and therefore the best way to get the advertises to make aprofit therefore increasing the revenue available to the Sporting Faternity is to ensure that the advertising is seen by as many as possible and the best way to do this is to ensure that the TV rights to events is free to all those countries that want there TV stations to show it

[Lee Janotta]

Mortda, please try using punctuation in the future. Trying to read that gave me a headache.

A pure manufacturer's series is a horrible idea. It'll turn into a spending contest even moreso than F1, and suck up resources from the manufacturer's other motorsport programs, while failing to provide even a halfway decent show for the fans, without whom motorsport would have never evolved beyond two wealthy motorists and deserted stretch of road!

That said, I also want to see Max and Bernie tossed out on their ears.

[gttouring]

I voted other-Easy enough. You see bernie, one man and Max are far too wealthy from F1 alone, The wealth can be shared, Allowing the factories more cash from winning and profit sharing would benefit the sport by keeping it self sufficient. The F1 cricus would become an entity among the manufacturers and the fans. the F1 admins would preside over it, ok and we could always have our show without so much sponsorship mambo-jahambo messing with circuits and what not. Imagine if someone bought Spa, and then without tobacco sponsorship to worry about because the teams make money regardless, they could race anywhere and everywhere, instead we are now bowing to the whims of Ecclestone, and Tobacco advertising bans. in a word Pooh- F1 should exist as the ultimate racing series, top tech, and best races and factories duking it out for supremacy, at the real tracks
.

[DNQ]

No way in hell. It's terrible. When has a breakaway series worked in anything? IRL vs CART, ARL vs Super League, One Day vs Test Cricket...in the end, splits are to the detriment of those involved.

[Lee Janotta]

CART vs. USAC. The one time I can think of that it worked. For a while, at least (around 15 years).

[f1manoz]

Can't say I'm too thrilled with the idea of only manufacturers having the say. They still need an independent controlling body to ensure fair play among rivals.

[Valve Bounce]

Either way, a more equitable way of sharing the profits is essential for F1 to survive.

[racer69]

GPWC will only last as long as the manufacturers are interested.

The current set-up will last as long as the FIA is interested as, as they have been for more than 50 years. The only manufacturer to have done that is Ferrari.

[NiceGuyEddie]

Originally posted by Damon
I voted no. If the manufactuers won it then the series would have the one and only aim of making money, pushing the sport side even further back. Profit sharing should be better but the sport should not be owned and run by the manufacturers.

Other than the current FIA, GPWC seems to know what racing is about. Perhaps that has got something to do with the fact that they actually compete. Besides, when they are contractually obliged to remain in the series untill a specific date, there is really no threat of teams leaving before it can really take off.

Besides, if the sport is owned by those who compete, than complementary interests are where they are supposed to be. Wouldn't you think that GPWC will do everything in their power to setup a geniune, healthy racingseries, for thats where the racing is, and where the racing is, there is also the money. No racing, no money. Season 2002 should suffice to underline that point.

[NiceGuyEddie]

Originally posted by DNQ
No way in hell. It's terrible. When has a breakaway series worked in anything? IRL vs CART, ARL vs Super League, One Day vs Test Cricket...in the end, splits are to the detriment of those involved.

Well, IRL seems to be getting the better of CART. Besides, I don't think GPWC can exist next to Formula 1. If GPWC takes off, it will take off with the manufacturers, the competitors who actually can spare a dime. That financial circumstance is essential to setup a racing series as being the pinnacle of motorsport.

Setting up an independed body to control it all, is not that difficult. All teams could send representatives in order to setup some sort of commity. With every voice represented, that is as independend as you can get.

[NiceGuyEddie]

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
Mortda, please try using punctuation in the future. Trying to read that gave me a headache.

A pure manufacturer's series is a horrible idea. It'll turn into a spending contest even moreso than F1, and suck up resources from the manufacturer's other motorsport programs, while failing to provide even a halfway decent show for the fans, without whom motorsport would have never evolved beyond two wealthy motorists and deserted stretch of road!

Many people seem to suggest that spending money and increasing budgets takes away from the sport. How can that be true? The thing that is taking away from motorsport, are big fluctations in budgets. If you have a series in which the riches competitor spends about 11 times more than the poorest, how are you gonna let those 2 provide anything close to a race? If you let the rich half of the current grid (i.c. the manufacturers) setup their own grid, as GPWC would mean, than there is a bigger chance of genuine racing than we have under the current FIA. At least definatly no smaller chance.

[BootsOntheSide]

I think it'd be a terrible thing to put the companies in control. They will be constantly trying to gain sneak advantages for their own ends, and it would just be a spending contest with no racing involved.

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by NiceGuyEddie
Many people seem to suggest that spending money and increasing budgets takes away from the sport. How can that be true? The thing that is taking away from motorsport, are big fluctations in budgets. If you have a series in which the riches competitor spends about 11 times more than the poorest, how are you gonna let those 2 provide anything close to a race? If you let the rich half of the current grid (i.c. the manufacturers) setup their own grid, as GPWC would mean, than there is a bigger chance of genuine racing than we have under the current FIA. At least definatly no smaller chance.

Were that true, there's no reason they can't do the same in F1.

Anytime the FIA gives up control over F1, things get worse. First they gave Bernie and FOCA power, and the gap between the front and the back of the grid grew exponentially. And it's about to happen again, only worse.

Simply put, the cars can just be built to be far too fast today to produce either good racing or even remotely safe conditions.

Other than the current FIA, GPWC seems to know what racing is about.

Where in the world do you get _that_ idea?

Need a remind you what has happened to series who depended wholly on manufacturer participation? Group C, IMSA GTP... WRC quite nearly ground to a halt, reaching a point where only Subaru, Mitsubishi and Toyota were competing, and Toyota was about to pull out!

Manufacturers are totally self-interested and unreliable, caring nothing for the health of the sport, only for what direct benefit they can extract.