"Ecclestone Urges Government to Help BRDC"
Discussion
Billionaire Bernie says:
The Government is bringing the Olympics here because they say the Games will help generate a vast amount of money ultimately for the country. Perhaps they could loan some of that to Silverstone to be repaid when the new circuit is making a lot of money.
One stands in awe at the man's chutzpah. The reason that Silverstone needs money to fund the GP is because of the enormous fees that it would have to pay to...where was that again?
In effect, Bernie is jawboning for the Government, that is, the taxpayers, to pay him more than the millions that he has already been paid and will receive in order to keep the GP in Britain.
Full text here:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/59306
The Government is bringing the Olympics here because they say the Games will help generate a vast amount of money ultimately for the country. Perhaps they could loan some of that to Silverstone to be repaid when the new circuit is making a lot of money.
One stands in awe at the man's chutzpah. The reason that Silverstone needs money to fund the GP is because of the enormous fees that it would have to pay to...where was that again?
In effect, Bernie is jawboning for the Government, that is, the taxpayers, to pay him more than the millions that he has already been paid and will receive in order to keep the GP in Britain.
Full text here:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/59306
Edited by flemke on Friday 1st June 14:09
Unbelieveable - you could set your watch by him - there can only be a month before the British GP...am I correct?
I'm sick of his posturing - credit to the FIA for not kowtowing to his demands post-Monaco.
Matt Bishop wrote an interesting article in this month's F1 Racing magazine linking BCE's utterings with significant events. He never says anything without there being an ulterior motive - something he shares in common with Mosley.
I'm sick of his posturing - credit to the FIA for not kowtowing to his demands post-Monaco.
Matt Bishop wrote an interesting article in this month's F1 Racing magazine linking BCE's utterings with significant events. He never says anything without there being an ulterior motive - something he shares in common with Mosley.
Those brits who are aiming to compete in the 2012 games have very little financial backing, many having to hold down a full-time job and work around that to train so they can compete for their own country.
F1 is full of multi-millionaire drivers, team owners, technical directors, agents, the boss is one of the richest men in the country, they all live a luxurious lifestyle.
Can the government really be seen to give money to Silverstone when the NHS is closing wards and standards in education are poor and the prisons are overcrowed???
Bernie, wake up and dip your own hand in your VERY DEEP pocket and save the British GP!!
F1 is full of multi-millionaire drivers, team owners, technical directors, agents, the boss is one of the richest men in the country, they all live a luxurious lifestyle.
Can the government really be seen to give money to Silverstone when the NHS is closing wards and standards in education are poor and the prisons are overcrowed???
Bernie, wake up and dip your own hand in your VERY DEEP pocket and save the British GP!!
TheOriginalGT40 said:
Those brits who are aiming to compete in the 2012 games have very little financial backing, many having to hold down a full-time job and work around that to train so they can compete for their own country.
F1 is full of multi-millionaire drivers, team owners, technical directors, agents, the boss is one of the richest men in the country, they all live a luxurious lifestyle.
Can the government really be seen to give money to Silverstone when the NHS is closing wards and standards in education are poor and the prisons are overcrowed???
Bernie, wake up and dip your own hand in your VERY DEEP pocket and save the British GP!!
Worth noting that a lot of the British athletes do receive funding from the lottery. I know that various recipients of lottery funding (not just athletes) have seen this funding reduced or removed, it being diverted to fund the ever increasing cost of staging the millstone-round-our-neck that is otherwise known as the 2012 Olympics.F1 is full of multi-millionaire drivers, team owners, technical directors, agents, the boss is one of the richest men in the country, they all live a luxurious lifestyle.
Can the government really be seen to give money to Silverstone when the NHS is closing wards and standards in education are poor and the prisons are overcrowed???
Bernie, wake up and dip your own hand in your VERY DEEP pocket and save the British GP!!
The NHS receives adequate funding, it is just totally mismanaged, but don,t get me started on that...
There's plenty of money in Olympic sports - ask a few retired athletes if they're short of a bob or two. There's even more in Soccer and I've paid for Wembley, now I'm shelling out for a World Cup bid.
So yes, I'd like to see the Government putting proper weight behind the GP. It's the "Why should they line Bernie's pockets?" arguments that will lose us the GP and ultimately the UK's motorsport powerbase.
So yes, I'd like to see the Government putting proper weight behind the GP. It's the "Why should they line Bernie's pockets?" arguments that will lose us the GP and ultimately the UK's motorsport powerbase.
Any government will try to optimise, getting as much return for as little expense as possible.
In this case, so far at least, motorsport has been a substantial cash cow for the Government, which in return has put back virtually nothing (apart from updating a few access roads to circuits, which it ought to have been doing as part of its general responsibilities anyhow).
As long as the Gov't can string this one out, they will do - no doubt about it.
In this case, so far at least, motorsport has been a substantial cash cow for the Government, which in return has put back virtually nothing (apart from updating a few access roads to circuits, which it ought to have been doing as part of its general responsibilities anyhow).
As long as the Gov't can string this one out, they will do - no doubt about it.
Make no sentimental mistake, if there are 20 GP-standard circuits around the world in a stronger financial situation than Silverstone, it will lose the GP.
If the worldwide demand for Grand Prix is stronger than the supply, then Ecclestone will only ever be but a whore to that market and up prices accordingly. As indeed, most of us would.
If the worldwide demand for Grand Prix is stronger than the supply, then Ecclestone will only ever be but a whore to that market and up prices accordingly. As indeed, most of us would.
ph123 said:
Make no sentimental mistake,
And therein lies the problem, this is, or at least should be about sentiment, about F1's history. Would F1 still be F1 if it was staged at 20 new Tilke-dromes in the far East watched by a few curious locals? According to Bernie, yes, and for what remains of his lifetime, it probably would be. But what of the long term future of the sport? Bernie doesn't seem to know when to stop making deals.Edited by chris_w on Friday 1st June 17:40
ph123 said:
Make no sentimental mistake, if there are 20 GP-standard circuits around the world in a stronger financial situation than Silverstone, it will lose the GP.
If the worldwide demand for Grand Prix is stronger than the supply, then Ecclestone will only ever be but a whore to that market and up prices accordingly. As indeed, most of us would.
Not so sure about that, my friend.If the worldwide demand for Grand Prix is stronger than the supply, then Ecclestone will only ever be but a whore to that market and up prices accordingly. As indeed, most of us would.
I'd guess that most PHers, had they £4 big ones in their pockets and were they on the wrong side of 70, would be willing to cut some slack to the country in which they grew up and which has been the heart of the Formula One industry (that would be the one that made them rich) for as long as they had been involved in it.
I don't understand what the issue is, F1 is a business, if we want to keep the F1 in the Uk then they need to spend money, the loss of F1 to the UK would cost more in the long run than spending the money.
Any of you been to Silverstone lately, it really is piss poor compared to other F1 circuits, its NEEDS developing
Any of you been to Silverstone lately, it really is piss poor compared to other F1 circuits, its NEEDS developing
taffyracer said:
I don't understand what the issue is, F1 is a business, if we want to keep the F1 in the Uk then they need to spend money, the loss of F1 to the UK would cost more in the long run than spending the money.
Any of you been to Silverstone lately, it really is piss poor compared to other F1 circuits, its NEEDS developing
Ever been to Spa? Any of you been to Silverstone lately, it really is piss poor compared to other F1 circuits, its NEEDS developing
Eric Mc said:
But why should I, as a taxpayer, be expected to foot the bill?
Here here...Correct me if I'm wrong, but was the new Wembley funded by the Government? I thought is was the FA that foot the bill...
Several people talk about how much money that the sport of F1 and motor racing in general brings to businesses here in the UK, so if it means that much to business here in the UK, why don't they set up a body to fund the future of both the Silverstone circuit, the British GP and in turn the continued money that they will be making from it.
Just a shame that Rockingham does not have the capacity to entertain the F1 circus because their facilities are far superior to those of Silverstone when it comes to catering for the fans.
Just imagine if they could pull it off and have a fully enclosed seated oval with in-field track. I'd be happy to pay excess of £200 to sit and watch the whole race on track, with no need for big TV screens
taffyracer said:
I don't understand what the issue is, F1 is a business, if we want to keep the F1 in the Uk then they need to spend money, the loss of F1 to the UK would cost more in the long run than spending the money.
Any of you been to Silverstone lately, it really is piss poor compared to other F1 circuits, its NEEDS developing
They need the money, or they want the money?Any of you been to Silverstone lately, it really is piss poor compared to other F1 circuits, its NEEDS developing
I daresay that there is more than enough money floating around in Formula One already.
Spa lost the GP didn't it? Then spent some money, now back in. So that's good.
The UK needs to spend the money, because Silverstone is in competiton with new world facilities to keep the GP. Silverstone as a GP facility is now near the bottom of the pile, not the top. Unfortunately I think any other consideration is irrelavent.
As a tax payer, that's a politic consideration; if the majority opinion feels we should keep the GP (and the Olympics) then Silverstone could use the leg up.
The UK needs to spend the money, because Silverstone is in competiton with new world facilities to keep the GP. Silverstone as a GP facility is now near the bottom of the pile, not the top. Unfortunately I think any other consideration is irrelavent.
As a tax payer, that's a politic consideration; if the majority opinion feels we should keep the GP (and the Olympics) then Silverstone could use the leg up.
Spa lost its GP because of their Government's approach to tobacco advertising. They have spent money, but on F1 garages and not on spectator facilities. I think you may find Bernie is fairly closely involved with Spa now... I think it's highly unlikely that Spa (much as I love the place) has spectator facilities that come anywhere close to Silverstone - I'll check out the toilets in July when I'm there for the GT 24.
It's a myth that Silverstone's facilities are significantly poorer than those in other countries until one adds the "new" non EU countries into the mix. Don't forget EU governments are forbidden from supporting businesses as this is deemed to give them an unfair advantage in the European market place.
Silverstone is no worse than most of the other European circuits. Crucially what it lacks (given the deal done by dear Nicola some years ago) is vast amounts of (revenue producing) hospitality suites above the pitlane.
The non EU countries are not constrained by tobacco advertising and they have Goverernments happy and able to pour millions of pounds into building race tracks that are used once or twice a year.
I'd like to see some Government support of grass roots motorsport (and that is what the BRDC exists to support). I do not want to see the Government propping up F1, as said, the huge cost of staging a GP is within the control of BCE, it need not be that expensive to hold a F1 race.
As I've said many times before, we will continue to see see an increasing number of non EU F1 races, emerging countries are prepared to pay big bucks as are the sponsors - the potential market in somewhere like China is huge compared to that in Europe. Car and technology sponsors would love to get some additional market share. We'll see fewer and fewer EU races and those countries that are prepared to pay for a race will end up with a rotating race every couple of years.
It's a myth that Silverstone's facilities are significantly poorer than those in other countries until one adds the "new" non EU countries into the mix. Don't forget EU governments are forbidden from supporting businesses as this is deemed to give them an unfair advantage in the European market place.
Silverstone is no worse than most of the other European circuits. Crucially what it lacks (given the deal done by dear Nicola some years ago) is vast amounts of (revenue producing) hospitality suites above the pitlane.
The non EU countries are not constrained by tobacco advertising and they have Goverernments happy and able to pour millions of pounds into building race tracks that are used once or twice a year.
I'd like to see some Government support of grass roots motorsport (and that is what the BRDC exists to support). I do not want to see the Government propping up F1, as said, the huge cost of staging a GP is within the control of BCE, it need not be that expensive to hold a F1 race.
As I've said many times before, we will continue to see see an increasing number of non EU F1 races, emerging countries are prepared to pay big bucks as are the sponsors - the potential market in somewhere like China is huge compared to that in Europe. Car and technology sponsors would love to get some additional market share. We'll see fewer and fewer EU races and those countries that are prepared to pay for a race will end up with a rotating race every couple of years.
It seems to me that Countries such as Bharain and Malaysia use ther GP to showcase their Country to billions of people, whilst our Government prefers to gain it's worldwide exposure by warmongering. Presumably upgrading Silverstone would cost less than decimating an Arab Country?
However 'The Hamilton effect' may see Labour wanting to jump on the bandwagon, like they tried to do with pop stars, Phoenix the calf and anything else that might win them another vote.
However 'The Hamilton effect' may see Labour wanting to jump on the bandwagon, like they tried to do with pop stars, Phoenix the calf and anything else that might win them another vote.
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