Ecclestone final no to British Grand Prix

[alexkp]

Here:

http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/article.aspx?as=article&ae=windows-1252&f=uk_-_olgbtopnews&t=11881&id=269769&d=20041020&do=http://newsbox.msn.co.uk&i=http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/mediaexportlive&ks=0&mc=5&lc=en


I will not be watching any F1 this year as a protest. It's stultifyingly dull anyway, so it's not a great loss. Under Ecclestone it has become turgid and money obsessed.

I suggest the UK Broadcaster's don't bother with it either and put their money into Touring Car and Rally coverage instead.

What do you think?

[catretriever]

Easier link to follow here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3742034.stm

[britten_mark]

I am a complete car-nut, but have not watched an F1 race for years. It is impossible to get emotionally involved in something that is so motivated by utter greed. I'd rather watch a commercial for Barclay's Bank, their ethics seem about the same.

>> Edited by britten_mark on Wednesday 20th October 08:10

[bruciebabe]

This is excellent news.

[Eric Mc]

My sentiments too. F1 has been gradually drifting away on its own isolated island of self interest over the past five or six years and bears less and less relationship with other forms of motor racing.

I now can't wait for the whole circus to shift off to the Far East and become the Asian Formula 1 series whilst here in Europe we can concentrate on building up some new replacement open wheel series based on classic European tracks.

I am currently reading "Bernie's Game" and some interesting facts emerge. Do you know, for instance, that ALL racing series which are held across national boundries MUST be registered with the FIA? Once they register, they are obliged to sign up to TV marketing deals administered by Ecclestone's companies. BE can then dicate to ANY TV channel how many hours of broadcasting must be allocated to that series. The absolute monopoly enjoyed by BE and his companies is appalling and detrimental to motor sport.

[motco]

A pox on him

[HarryW]

Eric Mc said:

My sentiments too. F1 has been gradually drifting away on its own isolated island of self interest over the past five or six years and bears less and less relationship with other forms of motor racing. I now can't wait for the whole circus to shift off to the Far East and become the Asian Formula 1 series whilst here in Europe we can concentrate on building up some new replacement open wheel series based on classic European tracks. I am currently reading "Bernie's Game" and some interesting facts emerge. Do you know, for instance, that ALL racing series which are held across national boundries MUST be registered with the FIA? Once they register, they are obliged to sign up to TV marketing deals administered by Ecclestone's companies. BE can then dicate to ANY TV channel how many hours of broadcasting must be allocated to that series. The absolute monopoly enjoyed by BE and his companies is appalling and detrimental to motor sport.

everything he said and some :fume:

Did anyone mention the only person benefiting out of motorsport at present is BE, may his crotch be infested by the fleas of a thousand camels. OK its a business to him nothing else,but can he reasonabily expect anyone to sign a deal that increases by 10% year on year whilst gate receipts, the only form of income to those hosting the GP, go down , absolutel;y barking if you ask me.....pardon yes barking

H


Harry

[Iceman82]

Its a sickening example of how money orientated modern sport has become and a snub in the face to Britain.

[BigGee]

I like F1, but as we've all said, boring no overtaking.

But the two of my favorite motorsports are GT racing and rallycross.

Normal road cars you can buy thrashing themselves
around a track

Trouble is I keep missing GT racing, 7.30am CH 4 Sat morning

and I can't find rally cross on the TV anymore.

[cuneus]

Who cares ?

[Eric Mc]

Once the FIA (for FIA read "Bernard Ecclestone") take over the administration of a series, you can bet your bottom dollar that its demise will occur within three to four years. Their brief is to ensure that media attention is focussed on F1 to the eclusion, if possible, of everything else.

Do you know that BE can also dictate to some circuits that host GPs that they cannot run ANY OTHER open wheeled formula race WITHOUT HIS EXPRESS PRIOR PERMISSION! You can almost guarantee that all such arrangements are in force for all the "new build" circuits enetering F1 and are NOT in force in respect of the old "traditional" European venues.

That is another reason why BE wants more races on "his" tracks.

>> Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 20th October 08:52

[ettore]

Oh well, I had lost my faith anyway so at least this means I don`t have to pretend to enjoy watching the Grand Prix!

I used to have a tremendous amount of respect for Bernie but his current actions, other than being avaricious, seem to be driven by desperation. Is the threat of the manufacturers breakaway getting to him? - The BRDC would be well advised to form an alliance with the likes of Spa, Magny Cours (which surely will not last)and Imola and put a proposal to the leading manufacturers...

[Ribol]

And you believe that do you? This is all free advertising trying to drum up a bit of interest in what can only be described as a high tech replay of an average M25 journey.
Rest assured a final bid led by someone like Nigel Mansell/Jackie Stewart will manage to salvage negotiations just minutes before an imaginary deadline - more free advertising.

Ivan

[andy_b]

Problem is many people forget that Ecclestone helped save F1 at the tale end of the 70's and helped (with Max Mosley)sort out the Concorde Agreement then. I believe he also Financed all this.

So, he took an opportuinity then, and it was a very risky one and has been laughing all the way to the bank ever since.

.....and to think he's a member of the BRDC too

>> Edited by andy_b on Wednesday 20th October 09:07

[alexkp]

I think Mr. Ecclestone would do very well to read this thread, because it is becoming clear that despite the fact we are all car enthusiasts, many of us actually couldn't really care less what happens to F1 anymore.

He should find that very worrying indeed, unless as has been pointed out by Eric MC that the strategy is to shift F1 over to the Far East. If so, fine by me.

Lets have a new series here that perhaps unites IndyCar and what was European F1. That should encourage the MacLarens of this world to get involved - after all, who would choose to watch Bernie's turgid circus, if a new alternative racing series took place across Europe and the USA?

>> Edited by alexkp on Wednesday 20th October 09:09

[Nicholas Blair]

A fly-swat would be the ideal impliment to fix him.

[toppstuff]

Excellent news. Great result.

It was boring anyway, and I was really beginning to resent the way the little cockney geezer was ruining the sport while simultaneously lining his pockets.

Thank god the government were'nt suckered into giving the troll tax payers money.

Bye Bernie. We won't miss you .

[motco]

To paraphrase Don Vito Corleone; "How did we let things get so bad". In essence, who let the dear little Ecclescake get such a grasp on our collective goolies?

>> Edited by motco on Wednesday 20th October 09:17

[Eric Mc]

I don't think Bernie has any particular love for the Far East (or anywhere else for that matter). His driving force is "control". He must be in complete charge of all aspects of his "deals" and "arrangements". When setting up brand new venues in brand new countries, he can dictate his terms to them as they are desparate (usually for government prestige purposes) to have a GP in their country. He is trying to play this card at the old European venues as well but the European tracks all have other agendas, outside of F1, that they must pay attention to.

It would be nice if all the European circuits did band together to try and put up a united front against BE. This was actually tried in the late 70s but self interest and inability to literally get together to discuss common interests doomed the effort to failure. Maybe the time is now right for some sort of Confederation of European Motor Sport Venues to be set so that they can start negotiating "en bloc" for their commercially viable share of the F1 cake.

It was Bernie's realisiation that he would have to relinquish a large chunk of his personal control over his business interests that finally persuaded him to give up any idea of floating the F1 brand on the Stock Exchange.

[andy_b]

BRDC need to walk away from it really, or risk distorying British Motorsports all the way down to a grass routes level. No more racing school, no more club events. This from the Times earlier this month (I hope that this latest offer doesnt include Bernie to take SS)

the attached article from today's Times supports the argument that that I made on Saturday that under Bernie's offer he gets the track, including the BRDC clubhouse, for free. The BRDC members loose their access to the track and their clubhouse AND get to pay for the improvements.

from the Times article:

Ecclestone told the BRDC he will promote the race but only if he is allowed free use of Silverstone ALL YEAR without paying rent, while he will expect them to carry out a scheduled £150 million worth of improvements.

To rub it in, he also told them that they would be allowed the use of their clubhouse but only for the grand prix weekend. He would allow them 500 tickets, though, to enter the circuit they own. To say that BRDC officials were incredulous would be an understatement as they digested an offer that would mean Ecclestone taking not only all television and advertising income, as well as revenue from the Paddock Club — as he does now — but also the gate money.

complete article available at: www.timesonline.co.uk/articl...1303248,00.html