Bernie launches attack on Todt

[woof]

From The Express

Have to agree with Bernie on this.

"Jean Todt is a poor man's Max," Ecclestone told the Daily Express. "He has been travelling around the world doing what Max didn't do too much - kissing the babies and shaking the hands. It is probably good for the FIA but we don't need it in Formula 1."

"We should write the rules with the teams," he said. "The competitors have got to race and have got a big investment. We have got a big investment. We should write the rules, give them to the FIA and they should make sure they are followed.

"It should be like the police – the police don't write the rules and say you've got to do 30 miles an hour. The FIA is a joke."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90140

[Mermaid]

So how long will Todt last?

[Derek Smith]

So Todt kisses babies and Mosley gets prostitutes to stick thermometers up his arse. I have my own opinion on what's best for F1 and it would appear to differ from that of Eccs.

I was no big fan of Todt and thought he would be a disaster for the sport. However, we've had a whole season with him at the top and it was one with the least political interferance from the powers that be for some time. So far, so good.

This is nothing more than Eccs vying for power in the struggle over the Concord agreement. It would appear to show that Todt is digging his own furrow and not being controlled by Eccs.

Mosley was Eccs little toy poodle for much of his time in supposed control of the FIA. Suddenly Mosley wanted to go his own way. Then, in one of those coincidences that shock one to the core, his weird predilictions were discovered by the NotW and he never recovered.

Todt took over the demand for more green engines and I was a bit surprised he ran with it. If the teams want something a bit more traditional then they can push for it. Eccs might be trying to get on the teams' side in order to form a power block to balance the FIA.

If the past is anything to go by, whatever Eccs does is for the good of Eccs and there is little or no concern for the likes of us.

This is politics, that sub culture that did so much harm to our sport under Mosley.

[weyland yutani]

Midget fight!

[Chrisgr31]

I read an article on Pitpass which said the interview which generated the article was with their business editor Chris Slyt who appears to be Bernies poodle for getting his veiws into the press.

SO all it really is is spin with an ulterior motive.

[ArnageWRC]

Todt is obviously doing his job properly, as it's annoying Bernie. Remember, Todt is the President of the FiA - the body that govern the majority of Motorsport - not just F1!! I wasn't sure when Todt won the election, however, he's so far done a good job - and has taken a keen interest in the WRC - something Max didn't.
It's about time Bernie realised who is top dog - and how lucky he was to get the F1 rights, for so little.

Bernie, sports media, Joe Public think that F1=Motorsport. WRONG.....

[Derek Smith]

ArnageWRC said:

Todt is obviously doing his job properly, as it's annoying Bernie. Remember, Todt is the President of the FiA - the body that govern the majority of Motorsport - not just F1!! I wasn't sure when Todt won the election, however, he's so far done a good job - and has taken a keen interest in the WRC - something Max didn't.
It's about time Bernie realised who is top dog - and how lucky he was to get the F1 rights, for so little.

Bernie, sports media, Joe Public think that F1=Motorsport. WRONG.....

From the FIA's point of view, F1 is not so much as THE motorsport as THE source of income. Lose the income and the FIA, with all its goodies and flings around the world, gets lost as well.

Bernie would not like it if the FIA sought to promote other formulae as they might take interest away from F1 and that would not do at all. There was a time when it was touch and go which would be the premier sport - closed or open wheelers. At the moment there is no contest.

One wonders why Mosley not only didn't support other forms of motor sport but seemed to actively starve them of promotion.

Much as I love F1, it's motor sport that's the main draw. Let, say, WSC dominate and I'd quite happily follow that, as long as it was the pinnacle. The year when Jaguar were WSC champions newspaper coverage was virtually the same as for the GP, at least in this country. Seven litres as opposed to three - not a level playing field.

What I would really like is for both F1 and WSC to have equal billing, with WRC and WTC in there as well. If Todt can pull that off then he'll convert me.

I went to a LMES race at Silverstone one year and there were strong rumours doing the rounds as to why the circuit didn't see fit to advertise the race. There were more in the pits than spectators. Despite the teaming rain, they felt it inappropriate to open the stands.

I can't remember the actual year but it was when Silverstone were in fear of losing the GP franchise. No connection obviously, but it was strange.

As to who is top dog, I reckon that still remains to be decided. I would assume the battle lines have been drawn for some time: Todt on one side, Eccs on the other. The only question is where the constructors are.

Mosley did a sterling job of uniting them and making a third estate. Todt, despite a certain antipathy between him and the team when they parted ways, has been sucking up to Ferrari over recent times. That's the prize. Which way Ferrari will jump.

Todt is, I think, too shrewd to pay the Danegeld that Mosley was only too willing to give, so the battle isn't over yet.

[skwdenyer]

Derek Smith said:

From the FIA's point of view, F1 is not so much as THE motorsport as THE source of income. Lose the income and the FIA, with all its goodies and flings around the world, gets lost as well.

Really? How so? The FIA sold the rights to F1 for the next century to Ecclestone for a surprisingly small amount of money some years ago. Where is the ongoing revenue stream from F1?

[ArnageWRC]

skwdenyer said:

Really? How so? The FIA sold the rights to F1 for the next century to Ecclestone for a surprisingly small amount of money some years ago. Where is the ongoing revenue stream from F1?

Well Max virtually gave them away to his mate Bernie - and what we have now is the result.
Look what happened to other series that looked to be in good shape; WSC - GroupC - introduction of the 3.5L engines meant the deathknell for the series. WRC - early 2000's was a strong series, then strange rules/regs, and one by one the marques disappear. And which series benefitted?? Hmmm.......F1.....

Personally, the FiA should still have the final say on the F1 calendar, Bernie should only suggest which circuits make up the calendar. In the WRC, NorthOne wanted AbuDhabi in the series, but the FiA vetoed it - that wouldn't/couldn't happen with F1. No consistency. The FiA should be there to provide checks/balances and to stop money hungry promoters going to cash rich countries at the expense of the tracks with rich history.

[Derek Smith]

skwdenyer said:

Really? How so? The FIA sold the rights to F1 for the next century to Ecclestone for a surprisingly small amount of money some years ago. Where is the ongoing revenue stream from F1?

Really.

[aeropilot]

Derek Smith said:

What I would really like is for both F1 and WSC to have equal billing, with WRC and WTC in there as well. If Todt can pull that off then he'll convert me.

If anyone can pull that off, it could be Todt.

I think the problem is too many people just associate Todt with Ferrari, and forget his pre-Ferrari experiences in WRC as Guy Frequelin's co-driver under the tutorship of the late, great, Des O'Dell (who had a lot of time for Todt) and then as head of Peugeots Comps Dept., and masterminding their success in WRC, Rally Raids and Sports Car racing.
That level of experience in those different disciplines (and at a high level of success) is what is needed at the helm of the FiA.

[5potTurbo]

weyland yutani said:

Midget fight!

[revrange]

Derek Smith said:

Really.

Yeap for $100 million if i recall, great going Max! I think part of this is Todt wants to take the rights back and get a better price for them or at least a yearly fee.

[ArnageWRC]

aeropilot said:

If anyone can pull that off, it could be Todt.

I think the problem is too many people just associate Todt with Ferrari, and forget his pre-Ferrari experiences in WRC as Guy Frequelin's co-driver under the tutorship of the late, great, Des O'Dell (who had a lot of time for Todt) and then as head of Peugeots Comps Dept., and masterminding their success in WRC, Rally Raids and Sports Car racing.
That level of experience in those different disciplines (and at a high level of success) is what is needed at the helm of the FiA.

Absolutely!! A very good co-driver and excellent Peugeot Sport team boss.

[Derek Smith]

revrange said:

Yeap for $100 million if i recall, great going Max! I think part of this is Todt wants to take the rights back and get a better price for them or at least a yearly fee.

A bit over £300 million if memory serves.

I forget the actual figure but it was around 13,000% (unlucky 13 for some went through my mind) return on investment that Bernie got from the FIA's sale of the rights. One wonders what all the other bidders thought the value was when it was put out to tender.

I wonder if Todt's fall from grace in Bernie's eyes has anything to do with any renegotiating of the deal? It runs out at the end of this year. Again I can't remember the actual figure but it was around 10% of the FIA's income. It has other sources of revenue generated by F1 but the rights, c10m I think, is the biggest lump.

Oddly enough, all of a sudden just about everybody who turns up in the pitlane to do a job now has to have a licence, for which the FIA will, no doubt, charge a fee.