'French GP Gone Next?...'

[Panther_99FS]

http://motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=311559

[Panther_99FS]

UPDATE:

It's CANCELLED--> http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-2009-french-grand-prix-cancelled/

[demorier]

With the economic climate the way it is for some time yet Bernie Ecclestone may have to stop being so fussy about venues. We have had some rumblings about the Australian F1 GP as well. Most of the championship will end up being based throughout Asia and middle east.

[hubbabubba]

Ecclestone is to F1 what Nero was to Rome...

Rome survived, but I'm not sure about F1. :173go1:

[wombat666]

The oldest and longest running Grand Prix and it's binned!
:banghead:
Bloody Bernie, guess we get another Camel Dung and Sand 'replacement'.
No 'French Grand Prix' equals no Formula One credibility, period.
:kilroy:

[Ferry_vO]

Anyone actually read the articles..?


The French motorsports federation has announced that it will not promote the race in 2009 due to financial difficulties.

"For reasons related to the financial situation, the Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile (FFSA) has decided to cancel the Grand Prix of France," said the entity in a statement.


So not Bernies decision this time!

[wombat666]

I think you'll find the source of the 'Financial Difficulties' to be one B.Ecclestone Esq.
:kilroy:

[Panther_99FS]

How much is Bernie charging/get in royalties a race these days :ques:

(I know that was part of the issue with the USGP)...

[Ferry_vO]

Most tracks do not directly make a profit from organising a GP, but anything around it does. Unfortunately for Magny-Cours there is nothing around the track for miles and miles, which is also the reason fans do not like to travel there.

[hubbabubba]

Well, Ferry_vO, there is a lot around Montréal Grand Prix circuit. When an article says "For reasons related to the financial situation (...)", you can certainly say that Mister Ecclestone is somewhere behind it.

The question here is; who will pay?

It looks like, in democracies at least, taxpayers should...:kilroy:

Which, seeing the constantly bulging costs of F1, is a running train that no-one is eager to hop in.

My analogy with Nero and Rome was going deeper than the simple burning of the City. Nero's intentions were to rebuild a "better Rome" on the ashes. We shall see if Bernie does better than Nero.

[Cazzie]

If F-1 doesn't step up to the plate for Europe, South America, and North America, Bernie and his gang of thieves will find themselves in the same boat with IRL, Champ Car, etc. Future does not look bright for open-wheel racing at all.

Caz

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

NASCAR to the rescue? :costumes:

-Ed-

[Panther_99FS]

If F-1 doesn't step up to the plate for Europe, South America, and North America, Bernie and his gang of thieves will find themselves in the same boat with IRL, Champ Car, etc. Future does not look bright for open-wheel racing at all.

Caz

Cazz,
The future is bright for F1 - It's just in Asia & the Middle East :kilroy:

[demorier]

Mostly about TV ratings I think, not really bums on seats at race tracks. That's why they have had night races in Middle east, and squabbling over whether to hold races in some countries. They want the races run live where the greater TV audiences are. Can't see that working either with world wide events.

[Cazzie]

Cazz,
The future is bright for F1 - It's just in Asia & the Middle East :kilroy:

Not if they go to standardized engines and chassis.:banghead:

Caz

[IanP]

Why not? What's so boneheaded, as your emoticon implies, about showing driver skill rather than how much money a team can spend on development?

Yet again, I'd far rather watch single car, single engine, single class, racing than the big money teams leaving the others in their wake simply because they have a bigger development budget.

As has already been said by a number of people, F1 is chasing the money and the money is in the Middle East. They'll build brand new tracks (that won't fall to pieces as the cars race in them, Canada), have track owners who will bend over backwards and ask Bernie how high (won't they, Mr. D. Hill?) and will be prepared to "modernise" the track, rather than insisting that it should look like this because it has for x number of years (Magny Cours).

As a business decision, I can understand it. I don't like it. I don't like Ecclestone at all. F1 isn't a sport though, nor is it run for the benefit of the competitors any more - it's a business designed to bring in money for the F1 management.

Ian P.

[Panther_99FS]

Ian,
The roots of F1 are in car design and manufacturing - and not the driver. That's why a lot of people globally are against a "spec" engine.

If folks really want a spec engine series, then they should have a lookee & enjoy GP2 and just dump F1 completely.. :)

[Ferry_vO]

8 out of 10 F1 teams are owned by big car manufacturers who invest a lot in the sport; the last thing they'll want to see is a Ferrari-Cosworth or a BMW-Mercedes combination in the future. So far Ferrari, Toyota and fuel and oil supplier Shell are threatening to leave F1 if the standard engine will be forced by the FIA.