Vietnam GP 2021 cancelled
Discussion
Eric Mc said:
Is Azerbaijan still on the calendar? They're in the middle of a shooting war (I know a so called "peace deal" was signed yesterday but that doesn't look to me that it will solve anything in regards to the dispute with Armenia).
It’s not on the programme at present although it is suggested it may appear laterAdrian W said:
Bahrain proves beyond any doubt that F1 goes to wherever the money is, no cash, no race, they happily ignore human rights issues, when they go to these places we don’t see drivers wearing T-shirts supporting or highlighting these issues.
I'm sure Hamilton will be wearing his "Brown Lives Matter" T shirt in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi & next, year, Saudi Arabia.Mr Pointy said:
Adrian W said:
Bahrain proves beyond any doubt that F1 goes to wherever the money is, no cash, no race, they happily ignore human rights issues, when they go to these places we don’t see drivers wearing T-shirts supporting or highlighting these issues.
I'm sure Hamilton will be wearing his "Brown Lives Matter" T shirt in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi & next, year, Saudi Arabia.Eric Mc said:
Is Azerbaijan still on the calendar? They're in the middle of a shooting war (I know a so called "peace deal" was signed yesterday but that doesn't look to me that it will solve anything in regards to the dispute with Armenia).
That is a particularly nasty flare up. Were it not for Covid, it would be a regular headline news item here with the potential to become something altogether different that could impact way beyond the immediate region. It's not a new thing - violent dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been a thing for decades. To the wider issue....
Someone mentioned that F1 goes to whoever pays the most. That's not exactly how it works. It's not an auction. If I were to become Mayor of Chelmsford and fancied hosting a round of F1, providing I could offer a circuit that met FIA requirements, a package that suited F1 in terms of 'image'... and found the money to pay for it all, I could have a Chelmsford F1 race. I wouldn't though because there's no need to promote the City in that way (and there's not even the money to replace the Army and Navy flyover!)
However, countries and cities that do want to position themselves in a different light look to the triumvirate of Football, Athletics and F1 as a means to help them do so, these being the only true global sporting contests - at least with meaningful reach.
Putting aside the issue of whether the fees charged to promoters are too big, if we are to retain the traditional circuits, them charging new countries more to host a race is a way to balance the books, using the income from the new ones to subsidise the others.
As for the appropriateness of going to certain countries, it's a difficult thing to balance.
At a geo-political level, you don't achieve change by turning your back on countries that need to change. You use the opportunity that the global spotlight sport brings to focus their thinking and encourage change because everyone's watching.
Who would have known about this corrupt minister in Vietnam if F1 wasn't intending going there?
StevieBee said:
Eric Mc said:
Is Azerbaijan still on the calendar? They're in the middle of a shooting war (I know a so called "peace deal" was signed yesterday but that doesn't look to me that it will solve anything in regards to the dispute with Armenia).
That is a particularly nasty flare up. Were it not for Covid, it would be a regular headline news item here with the potential to become something altogether different that could impact way beyond the immediate region. It's not a new thing - violent dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been a thing for decades. To the wider issue....
Someone mentioned that F1 goes to whoever pays the most. That's not exactly how it works. It's not an auction. If I were to become Mayor of Chelmsford and fancied hosting a round of F1, providing I could offer a circuit that met FIA requirements, a package that suited F1 in terms of 'image'... and found the money to pay for it all, I could have a Chelmsford F1 race. I wouldn't though because there's no need to promote the City in that way (and there's not even the money to replace the Army and Navy flyover!)
However, countries and cities that do want to position themselves in a different light look to the triumvirate of Football, Athletics and F1 as a means to help them do so, these being the only true global sporting contests - at least with meaningful reach.
Putting aside the issue of whether the fees charged to promoters are too big, if we are to retain the traditional circuits, them charging new countries more to host a race is a way to balance the books, using the income from the new ones to subsidise the others.
As for the appropriateness of going to certain countries, it's a difficult thing to balance.
At a geo-political level, you don't achieve change by turning your back on countries that need to change. You use the opportunity that the global spotlight sport brings to focus their thinking and encourage change because everyone's watching.
Who would have known about this corrupt minister in Vietnam if F1 wasn't intending going there?
It's not quite as simple as that though. Liberty don't just make money from the hosting fees, but also probably the biggest revenue stream is the TV rights. Clearly most viewers would rather watch a GP run in a non contentious country, so viewer preference and enjoyment is also a large factor - viewer appeal dictates the value of the TV rights they sell. If it was all in places such as Bahrain, then viewership would fall off a cliff regardless of how much they got for the hosting fees. There is always a balance.
They also have to balance what the F1 brand itself stands for as that has a broader effect on value, such as it's appeal to sponsor brands and indeed manufacturer sensibilities.
Indeed F1 will go anywhere for the right money, but some places (as we know) by not being very media desirable have to pay up a lot more to get the deal done. The problem spots are in effect fining themselves financially for being problem spots in the first place..
Anyway, yes - the classic circuits we adore are safe because they make up a very large part of the appeal of paying to watch F1. That's how they justify their continuation. This season has proven as much as the TV rights monies was enough to justify Liberty actually paying most circuits.
I'd say that whilst its not a factor so far as F1 book keeping is concerned, it's also worth remembering that these countries that want to welcome global sports are doing so as they want to modernise and be more prominent on the world stage. That to me sounds like the basis for increasing liberty and being held under a spotlight by the west - whether they like it or not.
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