Worrying developments - FOTA
Discussion
The long heralded fight for control and money in F1 appears to have started:
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2010/07/away-from-th...
I wonder if Briatore has a role to play.
Todt is conspicuous by his silence in this matter.
Mosley could give lessons on how not to go about keeping control of F1. Even with FOTA lacking two teams he was unable to break it. Todt is made of different stuff.
Commentators seem to suggest a FOTA vs FIA/FOM. I was wondering if it might be being pulled in three directions.
I suppose the answer is to enjoy this season's
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2010/07/away-from-th...
I wonder if Briatore has a role to play.
Todt is conspicuous by his silence in this matter.
Mosley could give lessons on how not to go about keeping control of F1. Even with FOTA lacking two teams he was unable to break it. Todt is made of different stuff.
Commentators seem to suggest a FOTA vs FIA/FOM. I was wondering if it might be being pulled in three directions.
I suppose the answer is to enjoy this season's
Not sure what JA is reading into this.
To me, it simply looks like Renault were looking for a cheap advance to get its 2011 designs going. And the other teams haven't agreed to it - why would they? It'd give Renault a massive competitive advantage next season, unless most of the teams (am guessing that only McLaren and Ferrari are flush enough to not need one) took advances from Big BE. Which would be a dangerous avenue to go down.
2013 will be the next interesting time IMO.
To me, it simply looks like Renault were looking for a cheap advance to get its 2011 designs going. And the other teams haven't agreed to it - why would they? It'd give Renault a massive competitive advantage next season, unless most of the teams (am guessing that only McLaren and Ferrari are flush enough to not need one) took advances from Big BE. Which would be a dangerous avenue to go down.
2013 will be the next interesting time IMO.
What happens the next time around is likely to be much more interesting than what happened a year ago.
A year ago, we still had five manufacturers who might plausibly have carried a new series. They had a certain amount in common: they had the corporate justification to be in the middle of a racing series the primary feature of which is a global profile that roughly mirrors their global markets; they had the financial resources to pay for any amount of marketing through racing; their sunk investments in F1 programmes could be further exploited; plus there were the personal relationships that tend to be more influential than one might expect (for example, between Thiessen, Briatore, Howlett and their respective boards).
In the immediate wake of the financial mess, the Commercial Rights Holders were squirming, not only about their F1 position but about their entire portfolio.
The FIA was unstable, with its presidential election coming in a few months and no clarity over whether its discredited boss was staying or going.
We also had the di Montezemolo/Thermometer Boy pissing contest, whatever that was about.
Although there was a reasonable amount of entertainment offered by all the above, it was largely of the soap opera variety. The fault lines and natural alliances were clear, almost destined. All it took was getting rid of Doofus and everything else fell into place.
Next time around, we'll have fewer manufacturers and shallower pockets. The critical mass necessary to form a breakaway series will be more difficult to achieve.
It could be argued that one manufacturer, Merc, has increased its commitment to the formula, although in doing so they changed the position of one of the 3 "grandee" teams, such that the latter's behaviour is probably less predictable than it was.
Motor racing is no longer lumbered with one of the least credible, most reviled regulators in all of sports, and this change has solidified its position.
CVC have more freedom of action than they did, which gives them a greater ability to bargain hard with FOTA.
We appear to be getting closer to an effective cost cap. The greatly reduced financial needs of the teams relieves the pressure on them to get more out of the Commercial Rights Holder.
A year ago, a FOTA breakaway would have shifted the centre of gravity away from the trademarked "Formula One" - no question about it. FOTA would have had the series, the FIA and CVC would have been holding Herman.
A year from now, a breakaway series is much more likely to resemble IRL/Champ Car -
- although it could be amusing to watch the story line unfold.
A year ago, we still had five manufacturers who might plausibly have carried a new series. They had a certain amount in common: they had the corporate justification to be in the middle of a racing series the primary feature of which is a global profile that roughly mirrors their global markets; they had the financial resources to pay for any amount of marketing through racing; their sunk investments in F1 programmes could be further exploited; plus there were the personal relationships that tend to be more influential than one might expect (for example, between Thiessen, Briatore, Howlett and their respective boards).
In the immediate wake of the financial mess, the Commercial Rights Holders were squirming, not only about their F1 position but about their entire portfolio.
The FIA was unstable, with its presidential election coming in a few months and no clarity over whether its discredited boss was staying or going.
We also had the di Montezemolo/Thermometer Boy pissing contest, whatever that was about.
Although there was a reasonable amount of entertainment offered by all the above, it was largely of the soap opera variety. The fault lines and natural alliances were clear, almost destined. All it took was getting rid of Doofus and everything else fell into place.
Next time around, we'll have fewer manufacturers and shallower pockets. The critical mass necessary to form a breakaway series will be more difficult to achieve.
It could be argued that one manufacturer, Merc, has increased its commitment to the formula, although in doing so they changed the position of one of the 3 "grandee" teams, such that the latter's behaviour is probably less predictable than it was.
Motor racing is no longer lumbered with one of the least credible, most reviled regulators in all of sports, and this change has solidified its position.
CVC have more freedom of action than they did, which gives them a greater ability to bargain hard with FOTA.
We appear to be getting closer to an effective cost cap. The greatly reduced financial needs of the teams relieves the pressure on them to get more out of the Commercial Rights Holder.
A year ago, a FOTA breakaway would have shifted the centre of gravity away from the trademarked "Formula One" - no question about it. FOTA would have had the series, the FIA and CVC would have been holding Herman.
A year from now, a breakaway series is much more likely to resemble IRL/Champ Car -
- although it could be amusing to watch the story line unfold.
Hmmm..... Genii was one of the prospective bidders to buy Saab and now they haven't got enough money to run Renault F1 team til the end of the season? Doesn't sound like there is anything dodgy going on there at all....Forums | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff