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Tag Archive | "Bernie Ecclestone"
FOTA’S RUMOURED CALENDAR. EMERALD CITY GP MISSES OUT, WIZARD SAID TO BE FURIOUS
Several media outlets including "The Guardian" in England are reporting an alleged calendar for FOTA's break away Formula One series. Of most interest to Australian fans is the inclusion of Adelaide as the series finale in November. Adelaide's end of year bash was always a highlight of the International F1 year and many GP regulars would be thrilled to see it's return. However the listing of Surfers Paradise as an alternative clearly shows the true nature of this calendar. There is about as much chance of Surfers ever hosting any kind of serious F1 standard race as there is of me hosting the Oscars. The track is seriously narrow, there is no run off area and the area seriously lacks much of the major infrastructure need to host a GP type event. The track already struggles to cater for the previous Champcar/IndyCar event so how they would cope with something five times as big is anybody's guess.... More
Continue reading...FIA RESPONDS TO FOTA THREAT: SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO…
Friday, June 19, 2009
The FIA have released a terse press release in response to the announcement that FOTA teams including Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, BMW Sauber and Brawn GP would stage a rival Formula One series in 2010. The simple 110 word statement reads: The FIA has noted the latest press statement from FOTA. The FIA is disappointed but not surprised by FOTA’s inability to reach a compromise in the best interests of the sport. It is clear that elements within FOTA have sought this outcome throughout the prolonged period of negotiation and have not engaged in the discussions in good faith. The FIA cannot permit a financial arms race in the Championship nor can the FIA allow FOTA to dictate the rules of Formula One. The deadline for unconditional entries to the 2010 FIA Formula World Championship will expire this evening. The 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship entry list will be announced tomorrow. Meanwhile here in beautiful GirtbySea, Victorian tourism and special events apologist Tim Holding has announced to an eager and bewildered mainstream media that the Albert Park GP will go ahead as planned no matter what happens in Europe. Tourism and Major Events Minister Tim Holding said the contract with Mr Ecclestone ensures a Formula 1 Grand Prix takes place every year up until 2015. "This is part of the pushing and shoving that Formula 1 is well known for,'' Mr Holding said. Speaking to the Murdoch media owned Herald Sun Holding said "We know these negotiations will continue and we also know that we will get a good outcome. Let's give the negotiations that are currently underway an opportunity to run their course.'' Mr Holding left the media conference on his magical flying carpet to return to Asgard.
Continue reading...FORMULA ONE SPLIT: CRISIS, SHOCK, HORROR, SCANDAL ! Pictures page 3
Friday, June 19, 2009
Formula One teams led by Ferrari and other major manufacturers have called the bluff of FIA President Max (hurts so good) Mosley and announced that they will run a breakaway series beginning next year. At a meeting held at the Renault F1 factory in Oxfordshire the teams refused to back down on their demands for changes for next years regulations. Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso have therefore declined to enter the FIA Formula One Championship for 2010. The announcement, on the eve of what looks set to be the final British GP at Silverstone, seriously ups the ante in the multi-billion dollar stare-down between the teams and the FIA. In a statement issued by FOTA, the teams said that there was no room for further compromise. "It has become clear that the stables cannot continue to make compromises on the fundamental values of the sport," they said. "The teams have no other alternative but to begin to prepare for a new championship which reflects the values of the competitors and their sponsors. According to the statemant the new series will have a transparent governing body, one single set of rules, encourage new entrants, and would better listen to the fans' wishes. Just what role, if any, Bernie Ecclestone may play in this is not yet clear. Despite the posturing of both the teams and the FIA, the real power broker is still Bernie. It is he who controls the sports commercial rights and the valuable TV deals that provide so much of the sport's income. Publicly at least, Ecclestone has shown qualified solidarity with his old mate Max, but Bernie is Bernie and friendship will count for nothing if there's a quid involved. And with literally millions of quids involved expect Bernie to jump wherever it's best for Bernie.
Continue reading...FORMULA ONE: PUT A CAP ON IT ?
Friday, May 1, 2009
The FIA has announced Formula One's sweeping new financial changes at The World Motorsport Council. Most notably, the FIA has introduced a £40 million 'budget cap' program to guarantee the future of current teams, while creating financial intensives to entice potential new teams into Formula One. The penny pinching goes so far as to also include the banning of re-fuelling and tyre warmers for the 2010 Championship. While not compulsory, those teams who do sign up to the program will receive numerous technical freedoms. These include unlimited wind tunnel testing and pre-season track time, along with movable front and rear wings as well as their engines being free of rev-limits. FIA President Max Mosely is quoted as saying “I think they may find it attractive because like everybody else they need to save money. They've got to think of their shareholders' money, and not just spend like in the old days.” Supporter of the concept of a budget cap, Sir Frank Williams, has raised concerns over the optional implementation of the initiative. “We would like to see all the teams operating to one set of regulations and under a budget cap in 2010 and that is the position we will be advocating within FOTA when we meet next week”. The Q&A media release on the FIA's website, stated that “There is one set of technical regulations and as always there are choices for all teams as to how they decide to attack the championships,”
Continue reading...DIFFUSERS LEGAL, BRAWN WINS AGAIN
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The FIA International Court of Appeal have backed the decision of stewards at both Melbourne and Sepang and declared the "double decker" diffusers of Brawn, Toyota & Williams to be legal. The decision has come as a huge blow to other teams who are now faced with the task of having to design and test similar devices during a tough season and with limited testing opportunities. Ferrari were quick to issue a statement expressing their disappointment about the decision. Stefano Domenicali, Team Principal for Scuderia Ferrari said that "...this decision forces us to intervene on fundamental areas of the car's design in order to be able to compete on an equal footing with some of the teams from a point of view of the technical regulations, and that will take time and money."
Continue reading...WHY I WONT BE AT THIS YEARS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Every year since 1996 when the Australian Grand Prix first came to Melbourne, I’ve always looked forward to it as the highlight of the year. The opportunity to watch my favorite sport live in person without exuberant travel expenses is always a good opportunity. To live that “chasing the dream” lifestyle if only for one week of the year. However, 2009 will set another precedent for me as I chose to shun the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park and Formula 1 as a whole. To my friends that I have made over the years at Albert Park especially wonderful fellow fans and former members of the Super Aguri F1 team who have found employment elsewhere and are traveling to Melbourne, I apologize for not being able to see you at the AGP this year. For those of you who know me well, your first reaction to my statement above would be: “Is it only because Takuma Sato lost his ride?” That is partially correct. Amongst other arguments, for a sport to encourage and changing rules to suit overtaking then deny a competitor who doesn’t need rule changes to be able to overtake on track is well beyond me. However, that is not the entire story. I estimated I’ve spent over AUD$10,000 over the last 13 AGPs I’ve attended, and that is not including the souvenirs that I have purchased. However, I’ve found other than making friends at autograph alley and being given some very special privileges by Takuma Sato and his management as well as my friends at SAF1; my memories of the AGP are almost always of working like a slave for meager student wages to save up to fund my one big splurge each year at the AGP. However, for where the money has gone, I’ve learnt the hard way that trackside F1 fans are still very much being given a raw deal by F1, the FIA, race organizers and certain local businesses.
Continue reading...FOTA’S F1 FUTURE, CRYSTAL BALL OR 8 BALL ?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The long awaited FOTA statement was finally released on 5th of March detailing technical, commercial and regulations that have been agreed and will be implemented into future seasons of Formula 1 racing. While it is encouraging to see all team principals participating and agreeing to cement their vision of the future of the sport, the current economic situation and the unsustainable use of resources provided have now forced their hands on the teams to agree to many technical regulation changes. Most of which involve homologating and producing long life or single make components; thus reducing the fascination of and image of technical advancement of Formula 1 racing. This however does indeed take Formula 1 back to its roots before regulations of major components being required to self manufactured became applicable. However, it does not go as far back as off the shelf chassis as was the controversies over the last few years with the so-called customer cars. This does indeed cut down costs associated with the running of the cars however I don’t believe the cost cutting measures have gone far enough.
Continue reading...LIGHTS OUT IN MALAYSIA
Friday, February 20, 2009
Bernie Ecclestone's plans for more Asian based night races has taken another step backwards as organisers of the Malaysian Grand Prix announced that there will be no night race at their circuit, at least until 2015. Like Melbourne, Australia, the promoters and the Malaysian Government were encouraged to considered a night race to better fit in with peak TV viewing times in Europe. Sepang Circuit Spokesperson Irwan Rahman said that installing a lighting system to illuminate the circuit, at a cost estimated of around USD$5.77 million, was too expensive, and there was no guarantee that it would increase the revenue. Like Melbourne, Malaysia has agreed to move the start time of the race to later in the day putting the race into an early morning time-slot in Europe.
Continue reading...HONDA OUT, AUDI CUT BACK. WHO’S NEXT!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Honda's decision to leave Formula One is just an early taste of the schism about to hit international motorsport worldwide. As the US based sub-prime economic meltdown hits, Honda will be the first of many to reassess the wisdom of spending millions of dollars on cars going round and round in circles. Already major NASCAR teams are laying off staff and as the US big three put out the begging bowl to US taxpayers one wonders how any sensible Government will view any public funds being ploughed into things like NASCAR, NHRA and the American Le Mans Series. In the week when Audi announced its commitment to building a new diesel powered sports prototype for Le Mans, they also announced a complete pull out from both the European Le Mans series and the ALMS. Toyota, who have probably the biggest exposure of all the Japanese car makers to the collapsing US economy have issued a statement saying that they remain committed to F1. No, sorry that is “currently” committed to F1. Unlike Honda, Toyota have had some limited success at F1 level and also unlike Honda they have the backing of a major naming rights sponsor in Panasonic. But their press release does give very clear indication that unless ways are found to dramatically cut the huge cost of F1 then they too could be the next to go.
Continue reading...BERNIE: WORKING ON THE NIGHTMOVES
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Emboldened by the apparent early success of Singapore's first ever night Grand Prix, Bernie Ecclestone now plans to pressure Japan into a night event as well. Speaking to the BBC, Ecclestone was asked about whether he wanted to see more night races and he said that if they were in Asia then yes. “We're going to try to get Japan to do it.” he said. “I hope when people see Singapore they realise it wasn't a stupid idea.“ he told BBC Five Live.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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