Comments on: Bernie Ecclestone makes demands for Silverstone

By: manatcna

manatcna — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:28:22 +0000

Well, for what it’s worth, I would rather watch a daylight race than one during the night, even if it does mean getting up at 2am

By: Gman

Gman — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 04:40:15 +0000

Journeyer, in regards to the US fanbase and a return to America, I think it’s very much obvious that demands from the sponsors and constructors will fuel what will hopefully be a quick return. After all, if Bernie really cared about pleasing the loyal fanbases, would he ever juggle around comments about leaving Silverstone and the many loyal F1 fans in the UK?

On your second topic, because i’m new to following the sport and living outside the UK, i’m not well enough informed on the Silverstone situation to give you an honest response. Bernie dose seem to always want to be in control though, and I would imagine such a move would give him just that, so it sounds like it could be a very realistic possibility.

By: Journeyer

Journeyer — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:57:47 +0000

Hi Gman, well, true, F1 does have a fanbase, but does Bernie think it’s big enough? If ever, F1 will go back to the US not because of the fanbase, but because of the manufacturers who want to make big bucks there.

Bernie is too much of a businessman now, sadly. Or could it be that he wants the BRDC to sell out the GP to him? Methinks that’s what he wants to happen.

By: Gman

Gman — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:34:15 +0000

Jim, I agree with you 100% that Bernie is just a greedy old man- we can find truckloads of evidence to support our claims on that. We also know that Bernie wants a night race down under, but I need to seriously question that the reason is to please American viewers.

As I wrote on the page regarding the Australian GP, the race will air at 11PM ET in the US, and many American F1 fans (myself included) will be up watching. I think if Bernie really cared about F1 in America, he would have taken the simple steps to keep the USGP and market the race better over here- and that includes opening up to mainstream American sports media outlets.

Contrary to popular belief, F1 dose have a fanbase in the US, and it can grow if marketed properly. Take myself- a university student raised in a house that, in terms of sports, revolved around baseball, basketball, and- most of all- American-style football. I’m catching on, and may others can as well.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:05:15 +0000

Bernie is just another greedy old man. He wants to have a night race in Melbourne, just to please the American audience. The Americans are not great supporters of F1, they think that their Indy cars are better, purely because they are American made.

By: Pink Peril

Pink Peril — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:21:24 +0000

I have long been calling for Mad Max’s head on a platter, but I think I am going to add calls for Napoleon Bernie’s head also.

Any businessman worth his salt knows that retention of customers is more important/valuable and easier than attracting new ones. I’d like to see what the ticket sales were like for some of the more questionable events. Is there a fan base in Bahrain for example, or do the powers that be just pay the money Napoleon wants and not care if the race is run to an empty track?

His devotion to the almighty dollar may prove his undoing in the end.

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:45:05 +0000

Thanks Frecon, I’ll keep an eye out for it in the English-language media.

By: frecon

frecon — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:34:43 +0000

Hello Keith. Here you have the link to the new. It’s from Mundo Deportivo a sport newspaper. The info is signed by the own newspaper editorial staff, so i don’t know which are their sources.

http://www.elmundodeportivo.es/web/gen/20080204/noticia_53430892592.html

By: J-Dub

J-Dub — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:11:51 +0000

It seems to me that this race should be making upwards $35m US in ticket sales alone – and they’ve only been paying $16m US for the race in the past. Now Bernie wants the $22m US that all the other races have to pay. Seems to me that they should be making money on this race where is the profit going?

By: Steven Roy

Steven Roy — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:49:41 +0000

Max has made one stupid decision after another since he originally took the job. There seems to be no obvious logic to his decision other than the obvious Ferrari bias.

Bernie is only interested in his bank balance. He will make whatever decision benefits him financially.

I think McLaren were treated totally unfairly over the whole ‘spy’ nonsense but the inconsistency in how rules are applied is doing the sport no favours.