F1 links: “We don’t a need British GP”
25th October 2009, 21:14 by Keith Collantine 24 Comments »
Silverstone warned by Ecclestone (BBC)
"We are not prepared to charge less. Do we need a British Grand Prix? No."
Five things you can do to support the British Grand Prix (Brits on Pole)
"This might be exactly the time when fans can bring a bit of pressure to bear and increase the chances of the race taking place."
Arise, Sir Ross (Sunday Express)
Murray Walker: “I believe 100 per cent that Ross should be honoured with a knighthood. He personifies British engineering expertise and he has single-handedly commanded attention, without bluff or bluster and with a lot of charm and humility, on a world stage bursting with competition. When you look at some of the chaps, in various occupations, who have been knighted you wonder what the heck they ever did to earn it. That’s not the case with Ross.”
Todt wants harmony with F1′s teams (Autosport)
"It will be a harmonious relationship. That's necessary to improve everything. It will also be necessary to reduce costs: considering the time we live in, carrying on at these levels is absurd. [...] I feel affection for Mosley, but we are different in our culture, studies, and nationalities. There are many things I see differently from him."
McLaren not interested in bidding war (Autosport)
Norbert Haug: "One thing is for sure though – guys who are out for money are not the right ones for us – whoever it may be. I won't name anyone, but we want to have full commitment from someone who is success-oriented, not someone saying 'I am a big name, pay me a lot of money and I will drive for you.'"
Sir Jack Brabham honoured with re-enactment (Crash.Net)
"Matthew Brabham, grandchild of three-time F1 World Champion Sir Jack, completed a lap of the Surfers Paradise street circuit today in a Cooper T51 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his grandfather's first world title."
These are links I’ve bookmarked using Delicious. You can see my Delicious profile here.
slr said on 25th October 2009, 21:17
We don’t need a British GP! What is Bernie on?
Steph90 said on 25th October 2009, 21:48
Well F1 doesn’t need it, it won’t die but it would be a huge blow to the calendar were we not to have it. Good to know what fans can do though (I will not approach any MP or sign petition for no10 as has been suggested before as I don’t feel the government should get involved).
If I was Mclaren I would pay the moon to get Kimi-they need the constructors.
Todt’s words will mean little to some fans, it’s still a case of wait and see what really happens but this is good start. Hopefully paving the way for diplomacy rather than outright autocracy.
jayb said on 25th October 2009, 22:18
What next?? we don’t need air!!!!
Stoo said on 25th October 2009, 23:50
Bernie is just once again trying to get lots of publicity by making these types of comments. The guy is a drama queen.
Prisoner Monkeys said on 26th October 2009, 0:38
I’m sorry Keith, but like everyone else on the internet, I think you’ve taken Ecclestone’s quotes out of context.
Ecclestone is saying that because he has previously said the British GP would never be at Silverstone. But now Donington Park has collapsed under the weight of its own bond, and Silverstone hs stepped up to the plate as it’s probably the only other British circuit that could host the race (Brands Hatch, I think, is a little too small). Damon Hill and the BRDC aren’t going to let Ecclestone forget this little fact any time soon – if ever – but Ecclestone doesn’t want them thinking for themselves and trying to cut a better deal.
Ecclestone has offered a contract, the same contract as he offered before the race went to Donington. It’s writte to the same terms as every other circuit in the world, and he’s not prepared to negotiate. The offer is there, and he thinks it is reasonable. The BRDC think they’ve gotten a little power now that Ecclestone has had to come back to them, and power he is giving them: the power to decide the fate of the British GP. The BRDC is very concenred with the history of the race, so now Ecclestone is giving them to power to control its futre. If they accept his deal, there British GP will take place. If they reject it, the race they have valued so highly for so many years will be gone. Yes, it’s a provcative comment, and it’s not intended to be anything else. But I don’t think Ecclstone truly believes what he’s saying. If the BRDC reject the contract, Ecclestone might take the race away from the for a year in order to get them to see the consequences of rejecting the race, but I don’t think he’ll revoke it permanently.
The short version of it is this: Ecclestone wants the BRDC to know that they don’t have any special priveliges, and that if special priveliges were to be given out because of history other circuits – Monaco and Monza – would get them first (and if you read the full article, he does actually say this). The future of the Britsh GP rests with the BRDC, not Ecclestone.
Achilles said on 26th October 2009, 6:43
I would go with PM on this, the BRDC have allways tried to wag the dog, Ecclestone is a businessman, who represents a vast business, the BRDC is a comittee, and need a business man to make a good deal with Ecclestone, do this and Silverstone will have it’s golden event, as a fan I want it to happen, however, my head says that as long as there are very rich individuals/governments willing to fund tracks, then the business will follow the money..
Patrickl said on 26th October 2009, 8:14
Keith’s quote of Ecclestone mentions that Ecclestone is not prepared to cut costs and that if they don’t like the offer he won’t budge.
How is that out of context? It basically says the exact same thing, but in far less words.
Keith Collantine said on 26th October 2009, 8:52
Prisoner – I’ve used the quote here to highlight the article, I’m not making a point based on them, but I appreciate you adding the context.
PJA said on 26th October 2009, 10:58
Monaco already gets special privileges, it doesn’t have to pay the massive fees that Ecclestone demands for other circuits and it gets to keep the trackside advertising unlike other circuits.
If a similar deal was offered to Silverstone they wouldn’t make a loss hosting the Grand Prix and making the upgrades Ecclestone demands wouldn’t seem so unattractive financially.
Red Andy said on 26th October 2009, 14:26
Silverstone pays less to host the GP than most other venues. And yet its facilities are considerably worse. That is Bernie’s problem.
PJA said on 26th October 2009, 18:00
Silverstone may not pay the most to host a Grand Prix but because of the business model imposed on them by Ecclestone they still make a loss like most circuits do.
Ecclestone knows that there are plenty of Governments around the world who any not only prepared to build fancy new circuits with state of the art facilities but are then prepared to subsidise the hosting of a Grand Prix year after year.
If the fees charged for hosting a Grand Prix were more reasonable the ticket prices for fans could be reduced and so higher attendances at races, and the circuits could at the very least break even without Government aid.
If I was in Silverstone’s position I probably wouldn’t be eager to sign a deal that meant I not only had to spend millions on improvements but then would make a loss year after year on the event which demanded those improvements.
Tim said on 26th October 2009, 1:43
seriously bernie should just go away permentatly hes ruining the sport. He does nothing for the sport but takes everything. He is all about his bottom line, how much he makes.
JHunt said on 26th October 2009, 3:09
And Silverstone doesn’t need F1 either. Last week, it did not have an F1 race, and this week, nothing has changed. Damon needs to stand firm here, and be prepared to lose the race for a couple of years. Let it goto Turkey, Bahrain, China, whatever, where it has proven to be unable to genrate enough paying fans. Eventually the governments will back out, and F1 will come back to the UK, at a more reasonable price.
Patrickl said on 26th October 2009, 8:15
F1 will simply go to the next over ambitious government that is willing to sink a few million dollars in a propaganda project. There still are dozens lining up to be “strip mined”.
DGR-F1 said on 26th October 2009, 8:24
I would agree with that, since Silverstone has been doing quite well with MotoGP, BTCC etc. And as far as I could tell, Donnington has been very successful up till now without the Britsh GP around its neck.
I think that the BRDC and the Donnington people (and those who run Brands Hatch too) shouldn’t feel guilty about not hosting the GP. Its down to BERNIE’s greed, after all, that there is no future for it.
Lets all wait for BERNIE to give into pressure from the FANS and the MEDIA and negotiate a sensible deal with one circuit or another, or let BERNIE come up with a viable alternative venue, such as London Docklands or wherever.
Why should everyone go running to do his bidding? The French haven’t, the Germans haven’t. We will miss any venue that has historical significance, of course, but the age of high spending in F1 is over, and BERNIE needs to realise this too….
Mussolini's Pet Cat said on 26th October 2009, 8:53
I think the mad midget is getting very confused in his old age. What that should read is: “We don’t need night races”….
dsob said on 26th October 2009, 9:09
I was really trying to not comment in this thread, and in fact went away and did something else for a couple of hours, but I just can’t let it go.
Well, the thing is, Monaco and Monza DO get special treatment. They are given a special price because they are considered “historical” tracks. And since Silverstone held the FIRST Formula 1 race EVER, I’d bl@@dy well think there should be some historical significance there also!
I believe that if any track is to get a break on price, it should be Silverstone. And Ecclestone won’t do it, because he perceives that the BRDC won’t give in to his demands, when in fact the BRDC CAN’T give in to his demands. BRDC isn’t a “for profit” company, they can only spend what the membership allows, and only on what the membership allows them to spend it on. BRDC/Damon Hill are only doing their jobs, yet Ecclestone appears to take it personaly. And when BRDC DID finally make several upgrades Ecclestone had specifically requested, that’s about the time he announced Donnington was to have the British GP for the next 17 years. Slap in the face, anyone?
And Keith’s summation was spot on, not taking Ecclestone out of context at all. Ecclestone simply doesn’t care about any venue that won’t pay his exhorbitant rates, as he can always get them elsewhere…so far, and I hope folks wise up pretty soon.
Nicely said. And I’ll go you one further. I’d like to see every venue west of the Bosphorus tell Ecclestone to go take a flying leap. Then all hold a press conference and announce to the world what they had done and why. Wonder if FOM/CVC might wise up then, at the outcry that would surely occur from multiple fronts. I know it will never happen, but golly it’s a nice thought, innit?
John H said on 26th October 2009, 14:40
Out of Kimi and Button, this is likely to be Kimi. But it’s a close call I have to say!
Everyone thinks it’s one of two, but I think there’s a chance McLaren could sign someone completely out of the blue and suprise us all.
John H said on 26th October 2009, 14:43
Timo Glock even???
That would be interesting
Gavin said on 27th October 2009, 19:12
Such a shame that at one point during the season it really looked like we were going to get a sea change in F1, no more Bernie, no more Max and a sport run by the teams.
But in the end the poisoned dwarf has as usual won, more bland tracks, more chasing the money, Max the 2nd installed as Bernies puppet, back to being a business again.
Harv's said on 28th October 2009, 3:37
We dont need you Bernie! take Tilke with you aswell when you leave please!
Stomp & Steer said on 28th October 2009, 17:58
Perhaps Silverstone were to run a F1 race of their own, open to any F1 qualified driver & car? Surprisingly on a date when BE has scheduled an event beyond Europe. Or maybe a couple of races a year for the fans to enjoy. Think outside the box—-.
The Limit said on 29th October 2009, 2:49
I don’t think this situation was a surprise to many people in Formula One, as it always seemed highly unlikely that Donington Park was going to pull it off in time for 2010.
The deciding factor though, like everything nowadays, is money. When everybody is finished dragging their heels, reality will bite, and common sense will prevail. With Jenson Button as defending champion, not to mention Lewis Hamilton, the masses will want to come to pay homage.
Losses or no losses, nobody is going to turn their noses up at that! I have always felt that Ecclestone has played his hand well on this matter.
He knew, I believe, that Gillett and the Donington Park venture were a non starter. In reopening a possible return to Silverstone, Ecclestone has firmly put the ball the court of Damon Hill and the BRDC. If they fail to agree on a deal, it will be the BRDC left with egg on their faces, and not Ecclestone.
That is something the BRDC will realise, thus giving us a grands prix! Trust me guys.
Anoop said on 29th October 2009, 3:26
I am shocked on hearing such a comment from Bernie !!!
If there is no British GP, then what is going to take its place?? I can understand Bernie wanting to tap new markets like Korea, Russia, India etc ( FYI-I am from India and would absolutely love to have a regular Indian GP on the F1 calendar), but I am dead against tinkering with races/venues that have a lot of history behind them!! I definitely think that they are a big reason why F1 is still attractive.
Hope he comes back into his senses and brings back the British GP.