Bernie Ecclestone
Discussion
I think you'll find that the Las Vegas car park race was in the "Bernie" era (1982).
BE's driving motivation has been the placement of F1 races which can maximise income for his companies - and through trickle down, to the F1 teams. That has been the reasoning behind the move to these far flung non motor racing countries. As Mike Lawerence says over on Pitpass.Com - always follow the money.
BE's driving motivation has been the placement of F1 races which can maximise income for his companies - and through trickle down, to the F1 teams. That has been the reasoning behind the move to these far flung non motor racing countries. As Mike Lawerence says over on Pitpass.Com - always follow the money.
Eric Mc said:Really? You do surprise me. I'll of course bow to your oft-demonstrated superior knowledge.
I think you'll find that the Las Vegas car park race was in the "Bernie" era (1982).
Well, suffice to say, modern F1 is a world away from those days whether that be good, bad, or both.
I had a feeling it was 1982 - but I did check it up before posting. The date of the US GP held at Las Vegas that year was 25 September 1982. It was won by Michele Alboreto in a Tyrrell. However, there was a las Vegas race in 1981 as well - won by Alan Jones in a Williams. The 1981 race would have been before the Bernie led Concorde agreement was signed but there i s no doubt that the commercial deal to hold the race at Las Vegas would have been brokered by BE.
The point I was making is that Bernie has always sought F1 venues where he could garner more money - which he could also use as a bargaining chip when trying to prise larger amounts from existing venues. In 1981 a car park in Las Vegas was good enough to satisfy his requirements. Twenty odd years later, he has national governments pumping vast sums into etraordinarlly sophisticated facilities, just to pull in the F1 circus. I for one, do not feel that this can really contine. Already, Sepang has effectively gone bankrupt and has only been kept going by continued government funds. I see a similar fate befalling Bahrain. How long governments are willing to fund these extravagancies is open to question.
The point I was making is that Bernie has always sought F1 venues where he could garner more money - which he could also use as a bargaining chip when trying to prise larger amounts from existing venues. In 1981 a car park in Las Vegas was good enough to satisfy his requirements. Twenty odd years later, he has national governments pumping vast sums into etraordinarlly sophisticated facilities, just to pull in the F1 circus. I for one, do not feel that this can really contine. Already, Sepang has effectively gone bankrupt and has only been kept going by continued government funds. I see a similar fate befalling Bahrain. How long governments are willing to fund these extravagancies is open to question.
nonegreen said:
Alternatively we could employ John Prescot and start Formula crap.
Some soapboxes, everything dirty and falling apart, nothing organised, good punch up afterwards. Which would you prefer?
Can I join in the punch-up if 2-Jags is going to be involved?
F1's in a sanitised era, Silverstone is overrated as a racetrack, a change to another venue in the UK would be great. If they could spend the money, F1 at Brands would be brilliant.
As for the UK based teams being threatened by the GP going from Silverstone, I think that's knackers personally, certainly doesn't justify keeping the GP there "just because...". Much of the F1 skills-base is British and long may it remain so.
Frankly you can't knock Shuey too much - he's only doing what he's good at... winning. Knock the FIA if you must, they could level the playing field a bit but they choose not to. Hence the likely decline of the smaller teams.
I would much prefer F1 to keep its contaminating hands off any other British tracks. The thoughts of Donnington or Brands (or anywhere else) being altered to suit current F1 horrifies me. Personally, I don't give a s**t about the paddock or media faciliies at a GP venue.
What's that got to do with motor racing anyway?
What's that got to do with motor racing anyway?
Eric Mc said:I totally agree.
I would much prefer F1 to keep its contaminating hands off any other British tracks. The thoughts of Donnington or Brands (or anywhere else) being altered to suit current F1 horrifies me. Personally, I don't give a s**t about the paddock or media faciliies at a GP venue.
What's that got to do with motor racing anyway?
A couple of decent shower blocks at Cadwell would be nice though!
My theory is that as professional sport gets more and more "up its own bum" (to quote former world champion, Alan Jones), it loses touch with its original fanbase who wander off and latch on to some other more accessable sport or variant of the sport or maybe even decide to participate at a lower level rather than spectate
I call it "The Golden Goose" syndrome.
I call it "The Golden Goose" syndrome.
As someone who has worked for one of Mr E`s companies, you may or may not be amazed to learn that many of the paying visitors spend the whole race in hospitality. 
The F1 race (in any country) is part of the social calender - a place to be seen and if possible photographed for Hello! magazine.
The F1 race (in any country) is part of the social calender - a place to be seen and if possible photographed for Hello! magazine.
wedg1e said:Indeed. I mean, if you have spare CF lying around and the autoclave is being heated up anyway for something else, it's probably cheaper to get one of your chaps to knock up a noticeboard and chuck it in than anything else. And it looks cool.
... and the CF noticeboard was probably made from off-cuts left over when they moulded a cockpit. So not wasted at all 
I used to get down to Arrows HQ in Oxfordshire where they had a bin full of CF clippings that would be used for odd brackets and things...
Scooby_snax said:
Echo jamesc's comments above. Back to back F1 then Touring Cars a no brainer which was the more entertaining and exciting.
James Allen's commentary it gets worse...and as for smug git Tony Jardine well...............
Ditto.
racketman said:
my fav james allen quote from the chinese gp:
"fox hunting may have been banned in britain but raikkonen(sp)hunting button hasn't"
i really can't stand james allen
Ditto again.
The DJ 27 said:
I woke up to hear the commentators screaming
"THIS IS LIKE FORMULA FORD...FANTASTIC!!"
Did make me laugh that
IMHO, Allen, Jardine and Rosenthal are all hopeless wasters. At least we were spared the illiterate mumblings of that thick prat Mark Blundell on this occasion.
Martin Brundle is the only informed, educated and interesting bloke on the whole show. His pit walkabout is the best part of the coverage nowadays. Long live Murray Walker. F1 on the box has not been the same since he retired. The man may have been judged by many for his gaffs - but he was a TOTAL professional and I listened to his every word.
Immediately post race I turn off now - before Rosenthal asks smug-git Jardine his next stupid question.
CharlieAlpha66 said:
Immediately post race I turn off now - before Rosenthal asks smug-git Jardine his next stupid question.
Which wil have some connection to football because that's Rosenthals background.
I did see he was in the chair for the post F1 questions & answer sesssion but I doubt if he would actually be answering any of the online questions put to him.
Anyway 99% of the questions would have been something like, "James Allen, why?"
Top commentating teams yesterday, Jack Burnicle & Jim Whitham (Eurosport WSB) and Ben Edwards & Charlie Cox (he seems to acquire a sense of humour when not working for the BBC) BTCC Masters race at Donnington.
nonegreen said:
The CF notice board is part of the package. Just one more thing that makes F1 stand out.
whats the point of a carbon fibre notice board when your team is a second off the pace per lap?!?! F1 is nothing without the racing and sadly there is very little racing these days. its quite simple!.... the best technology does not mean you will get the best racing! I have no sympathy for an F1 team who complains the sport is too expensive and then makes a carbon fibre notice board! what would look better for BAR, a race winners trophy in the pit garage or the noticeboard! take away all the crap and the unnecessary spending, out it into the car and race!
you say F1 is about teh best of everything. Which is absolute
F1 is not about tne best of the best. Any fool with a superlicense and a bag of cash can race. Richard Lyons (Formula Nippon racer) is lined up with a Jordan drive at Suzuka because it suits his Asian sponsors and he is willing to give Eddie Jordan £300,000 for the privilege! Ecclestone is in F1 to make money, not provide you with a sport. I cannot understand how one man has come to own a sport and has power over everything but he has and it is simply not right. Why are there lots of races in the Far East and a race in Turkey next year? sponsorship. There are no restrictions on tobacco sponsorship and thus the big market players (Philip Morris et al) can carry on pumping their cash into teams and trackside advertising maintaining their global position. Bernie likes the far eastern countries becasue they recognise the problems regarding sponsorship in Europe and are grabbing the chance whilst they can. Bernie can snap his fingers and say I will give you an F1 race if you build lots of nice circuits. Great, look a the wider picture, China has one of the worlds worst Human Rights records yet a lovely new F1 circuit whic will be used how often?!?!
I dont want the Government to put any money into keeping the F1 at Silverstone. If the BRDC can not amke it work, why should they get a subsidy? I want this Government and any other to build hospitals and train teachers...
pablo said:I beleive I answered this, but as usual no-one reads a thing I write.
whats the point of a carbon fibre notice board...
I have no sympathy for an F1 team who complains the sport is too expensive and then makes a carbon fibre notice board!
Just to recap - I would imagine they made it out of offcuts of carbon fibre and then chucked it in the autoclave whilst it was being used for something more important like body parts or whatever.
Net result is that the cost is probably negligable. And it looks cool.
(As Dave Allen used to say - "if you have been, thank you for reading"
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