Hope for Silverstone?
Discussion
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.p...
It seems that there could be a take-over of the board. Some might feel that this was Bernie's intent all along, but I couldn't possibly comment.
It could have been that Bernie made the BRDC an offer they could not accept. Going by some of the figures quoted - although one wonders as to their accuracy - it seems that Silverstone could not have made a profit until 10 years into the deal, and even then that was at the current interest rate.
I can't see how Donnington could ever hope to run the GP by 2010 so a change of board at Silverstone seems the only hope for a British GP. With the stands half empty at the German GP, one wonders if Bernie has a full grip of what the enthusiasts mean to the sport. Perhaps they'll bus British fans to the Chinese GP.
It seems that there could be a take-over of the board. Some might feel that this was Bernie's intent all along, but I couldn't possibly comment.
It could have been that Bernie made the BRDC an offer they could not accept. Going by some of the figures quoted - although one wonders as to their accuracy - it seems that Silverstone could not have made a profit until 10 years into the deal, and even then that was at the current interest rate.
I can't see how Donnington could ever hope to run the GP by 2010 so a change of board at Silverstone seems the only hope for a British GP. With the stands half empty at the German GP, one wonders if Bernie has a full grip of what the enthusiasts mean to the sport. Perhaps they'll bus British fans to the Chinese GP.
If Donington succeeds in hosting the GP, Bernie will get a higher fee than he would have got from Silverstone.
If Donington defaults, the penalty will be two years' fees. In which case, Bernie would go back to Silverstone, for at least the same fees that they would have paid him anyway.
£30M upside for Bernie, plus he gets to wind up the BRDC again.
If Donington defaults, the penalty will be two years' fees. In which case, Bernie would go back to Silverstone, for at least the same fees that they would have paid him anyway.
£30M upside for Bernie, plus he gets to wind up the BRDC again.
oop's I nearly forgot the other thing that rocks his boat,filling up his already full pockets !!A change of Board at the BRDC wouldn't change the fundamentals one bit, which is that Bernie wants an excuse to dump the British GP. The BRDC made a very good bid, but as Damon has said, he couldn't allow a bid that would bankrupt the club and Silverstone in order to retain the GP. When you have someone asking you for cloud cuckoo land figures with an agenda to not really want your money even at slightly sub cloud cuckoo land money, you just cant win.
johnfelstead said:
A change of Board at the BRDC wouldn't change the fundamentals one bit, which is that Bernie wants an excuse to dump the British GP. The BRDC made a very good bid, but as Damon has said, he couldn't allow a bid that would bankrupt the club and Silverstone in order to retain the GP. When you have someone asking you for cloud cuckoo land figures with an agenda to not really want your money even at slightly sub cloud cuckoo land money, you just cant win.
Good post, I agree entirely. If (when) Donington isn't ready, Bernie gets to take the GP to a nice new country with a nice big emerging non EU market that will make the sponsors happy, they will of course have a government which will pay large sums of money for the privilege. Plus he won't be the bad guy for taking the GP away...it'll be Donington's fault for not being ready.
Frankly with all the money he has I wonder why Bernie is sodding around playing these circuits off against each other.
He could easily build his own circuit wherever he wanted and plant the F1GP there. In fact he's got so much money he could probably afford a small country to host the circuit as well.
He could easily build his own circuit wherever he wanted and plant the F1GP there. In fact he's got so much money he could probably afford a small country to host the circuit as well.
johnfelstead said:
A change of Board at the BRDC wouldn't change the fundamentals one bit, which is that Bernie wants an excuse to dump the British GP. The BRDC made a very good bid, but as Damon has said, he couldn't allow a bid that would bankrupt the club and Silverstone in order to retain the GP. When you have someone asking you for cloud cuckoo land figures with an agenda to not really want your money even at slightly sub cloud cuckoo land money, you just cant win.
But there are plenty of other players willing too pay and more and then some, hence Short arse is a very wealthy man, and will get his money.
corozin said:
Frankly with all the money he has I wonder why Bernie is sodding around playing these circuits off against each other.
He could easily build his own circuit wherever he wanted and plant the F1GP there. In fact he's got so much money he could probably afford a small country to host the circuit as well.
He gets off on it, he likes playing games, the amount of money is secondary to the game of squeezing the most money out of the players.He could easily build his own circuit wherever he wanted and plant the F1GP there. In fact he's got so much money he could probably afford a small country to host the circuit as well.
superkartracer said:
On another note, we pay top ticket prices to watch our home GP, were does the cash go?
The cash goes to cover the costs of hosting the GP, a large chunk of those costs are Bernie's fees, hence Bernie gets most of the cash and is the main player making a profit. The BRDC are not on a get rich quick scheme, which seems to be some peoples opinions of them because of the price of tickets.If Donington do pull this off, which i doubt, they wont make any money from it, they will be lucky to stay afloat and not go bankrupt, just as Octagon did when they tried to take the GP back to Brands but ended up paying Silverstone to run the GP following their failure to get planning permission or make the numbers add up.
bigbadbikercats said:
dxb335d said:
Donnington will provide better racing. Donnington is better for the spectators also.
So that'll be better racing on a circuit configuration which doesn't exist yet and better for the spectators in the facilities which don't exist yet... (With a stronger smell of chips)--
JG
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