Grand Prix in India 2009 ???
Grand Prix in India 2009 ???
Author
Discussion

GuyS.

Original Poster:

295 posts

244 months

Thursday 14th June 2007
quotequote all
Did I just dream this or has there just been an announcment on BBC News 24 ?

c6erb

650 posts

263 months

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Thursday 14th June 2007
quotequote all
Probably will go the same way as the Russian GP.

Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 14th June 11:45

rubystone

11,254 posts

288 months

Thursday 14th June 2007
quotequote all
Tata and Karthikeyan might just mean that this happens. Plenty of other major sponsors out there too.

jpf

1,342 posts

305 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
I guess with over one billion people in India, no one cares what we think.

Andy Mac

73,668 posts

284 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
Well it is a business, and Bernie is right on the button saying F1 does not need America. I'd rather see countries with enthusiasm getting a slice of the pie. Just a shame that Britain seems incapable of getting Silverstone up to scratch. Maybe Rockingham should attempt an Indianapolis, and make a GP circuit as part of the oval?

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
Chasing the money should not be the be all and end all of any sport. As I've said before, shifting F1 and GP racing to countries merely because they have large POTENTIAL TV audiences will mean that we end up with something that isn't really F1 or GP racing anymore.

The core audience, support and enthusiasm emanates from Europe and always will. If Bernie takes the sport away from its ancestral home, he will kill it. Of course, he won't mind because, by the time that happens, he won't be around.
Recently, he seems to have woken up to this fact. His latest proposals for night races in these "new" venues is an attempt to create the new markets but retain his European audiences.
He doesn't seem to understand that the real way to retian his European audiences is to retain the European races.

It also looks like some of these new venues are actually unviable from a financial point of view. Ecclestone has had to virtually buy out the Turkish venue to keep it alive and the Malaysian circuit had to be bailed out by the Malaysian government.

rubystone

11,254 posts

288 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
Recently, he seems to have woken up to this fact. His latest proposals for night races in these "new" venues is an attempt to create the new markets but retain his European audiences.
I read somewhere that these night races are totally non-PC in these days of "neutral carbon footprints"...apparently the circuit will have to be lit to 8o% of the light levels we see in daylight....that takes a lot of energy....

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
I think it was always a non-starter.

Indeed, shifting the entire GP circus around the world every couple of weeks isn't exactly "green" either. Another argument for concentrating on its European home and heartland.

Pradley

93 posts

251 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
Silverstone is dull, drab and far too expensive to visit, more so priced out of my range, until they either increase the quality of the venue or decrease the ticket prices i am quite happy that new venues are being added, its a chance to see new race tracks and more flamboyent layouts and grandstands

It seems as though it is easier to build a new curcuit rather than re-develop an old one, European counties dont seem too keen on making provisions for new curcuits and the current EU ones are facing more and more hassle to stay open? (Brunters for example)

p.s. arent UK/European curcuits often in financial trouble?

Retaining an audience is one thing but its not an ideal situation for the FIA/Bernie to let 'their' sport stay stagnant in terms of growth, i dont think his intention is to retain the audience but to grow it. The EU is not growing quite to the extent of some of the countries where the new curcuits are now home.




Edited by Pradley on Friday 15th June 15:23

deevlash

10,442 posts

266 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
Ive never been to silverstone but the track doesnt interest me in anyway at all, its too flat. Id love to see the GP at brands or donny assuming they didnt have to bastaradise the layouts completely. Alternatively, f1 at knockhill yes

Pradley

93 posts

251 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
deevlash said:
Ive never been to silverstone but the track doesnt interest me in anyway at all, its too flat. Id love to see the GP at brands or donny assuming they didnt have to bastaradise the layouts completely. Alternatively, f1 at knockhill yes
Agree 100% i went as a child and could only afford standing tickets, could i see anything, could i f

at least at tracks like Snett - you can get close to the action, or like Brands - Great vueues from all over the curcuit!

deevlash

10,442 posts

266 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
Pradley said:
deevlash said:
Ive never been to silverstone but the track doesnt interest me in anyway at all, its too flat. Id love to see the GP at brands or donny assuming they didnt have to bastaradise the layouts completely. Alternatively, f1 at knockhill yes
Agree 100% i went as a child and could only afford standing tickets, could i see anything, could i f

at least at tracks like Snett - you can get close to the action, or like Brands - Great vueues from all over the curcuit!
Not snetterton, though, its too windy, the gazebos all fly away and lets not get started on yank security guards hehe

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
European circuit owners have become very cagey about bending over too much to satisfy Bernie's wishes. Two circuits have bankrupted themselves trying to facilitate him - the A1 Ring and Hockenheim.

Andy Mac

73,668 posts

284 months

Friday 15th June 2007
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
European circuit owners have become very cagey about bending over too much to satisfy Bernie's wishes. Two circuits have bankrupted themselves trying to facilitate him - the A1 Ring and Hockenheim.
That could well be part of Bernies plan to go more international.