Bernie talking of scrapping the Austrlian GP
Discussion
http://planetf1.com/driver/18227/7556771/Bernie-We...
Had a quick skim read of the article and it seems to be that Bernie is trying to push them towards having the Austrlian GP as a night race with the track owners refusing and the local government complaining because of the huge hosting fees.
Had a quick skim read of the article and it seems to be that Bernie is trying to push them towards having the Austrlian GP as a night race with the track owners refusing and the local government complaining because of the huge hosting fees.
ker.Mermaid said:
EDLT said:
If Bernie says he wants to scrap the race then it usually means he wants to make more out of that race.
EFA 
dailymail said:
This year's Australian Grand Prix is set to cost the Melbourne taxpayer in excess of $50million - a fee which has reportedly rocketed from $1.7m when the city first took over the hosting rights from Adelaide in 1996.
I suppose he does seem desperate not to cancel Bahrain under any circumstances...One day someone will say "Take your exorbitant hosting fee and shove it, Ecclestone." And then hopefully someone else will follow and then someone else etc.
Once again, its that odious little man holding a whole country to ransom in order that his duck-face daughter can have a more expensive house. If one existed. Which it doesnt.
The World is Not Enough.
Once again, its that odious little man holding a whole country to ransom in order that his duck-face daughter can have a more expensive house. If one existed. Which it doesnt.
The World is Not Enough.
Reardy Mister said:
One day someone will say "Take your exorbitant hosting fee and shove it, Ecclestone." And then hopefully someone else will follow and then someone else etc.
Once again, its that odious little man holding a whole country to ransom in order that his duck-face daughter can have a more expensive house. If one existed. Which it doesnt.
The World is Not Enough.
Well said. But I suppose he does a lot of good for the sport too Once again, its that odious little man holding a whole country to ransom in order that his duck-face daughter can have a more expensive house. If one existed. Which it doesnt.
The World is Not Enough.
smack said:
dailymail said:
This year's Australian Grand Prix is set to cost the Melbourne taxpayer in excess of $50million - a fee which has reportedly rocketed from $1.7m when the city first took over the hosting rights from Adelaide in 1996.
I can see the benefit at $1.7m. But $50m is a huge wedge of tax payers cash to request. Would a race really bring in that much? Works out as a subsidy of $625 per spectator a large chunk of whom would be resident in the city anyway.
Obviously there's going to be the teams themselves who spend large amounts of money but I can see that being very difficult to justify at budget time.
I think (hope?) this F1/Premiership bubble will burst sometime soon. Costs are going up exponentially but the quality of sport doesn't follow.
zac510 said:
This has been going on for years.
Just a lazy 17 years!vtgts300kw said:
Melbourne themselves have been talking about canceling the race for a few years due to costs.
A few years? 17 and counting.rpguk said:
I can see the benefit at $1.7m. But $50m is a huge wedge of tax payers cash to request. Would a race really bring in that much? Works out as a subsidy of $625 per spectator a large chunk of whom would be resident in the city anyway.
It's not $50mil being paid to Bernie, just to be clear. It's the fee to Bernie, paying for the freight to get here, setting up the circuit, etc. That contributes to the cost.Just the same boring rubbish that goes on every year. Listening to a lot of talkback radio, you just get the impression that criticism is more due to the fact the mainstream media broadcasters here don't like motorsport. They always focus on the $50mil, slanted in such a way to suggest the race loses $50mil, instead of just about $10 mil, which is roughly how much the event directly loses. $10mil cost for a F1 GP is a bargain, especially for the role the GP plays.
The media here never bang on about tax-payer funds, anywhere near to the same degree, when it is used for lesser events like the Presidents Cup or for Tiger Woods to play in the Australian Masters, or even, in many contexts, the Aus Open and the Cycling Road Race World Championship. The GP is the single biggest sporting event here, the only reason why the Aus Open is bigger is that it goes for two weeks. Also, the Aus Open would be far more expensive than what it is if Grand Slams weren't closed off to other countries that don't host a Grand Slam, who I'm sure, would love to host one.
For the media here, the GP is also a huge nuisance that forces attention away from the start of the Australian Football season. What is not recognised, is that the current conservative government in Victoria, has made it known they're looking to extend the contract to host the race after 2015. What is not recognised, is that the race has lasted many terms of government, from both sides of the chamber! With the possible expection of Jeff Kennett, I've not had the slightest impression from any Premier here, while the race has been held, that they even like F1/motorsport. Why would the race have lasted for so long if there's no benefit? Surely, after all this time, the local government here would know the benefit of not/hosting the race? They all can't be wrong?
The media and wider public, do resent the race being held here as if it's a waste of money. They just don't/can't acknowledge the presence the GP gives Melbourne, or any city/country, to the wider world. A failure to recognise, the F1 World Championship, with the probable exception of the English Premier League, as the biggest, regular season, annual sporting comp, on the entire planet.
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