CVC ‘helped prevent US Grand Prix boycott’

71 comments on “CVC ‘helped prevent US Grand Prix boycott’”

1. 

   Brian E
   4th November 2014, 0:08

   It’s beginning to feel like the hardest part is over… that is to say, the powers that be have recognized that there is a problem. Hopefully this feeling is in fact reality, and something good will come of it. I love F1 and am looking forward to the day when the positives about the sport make the headlines and not just the negatives.
   1. 

      Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
      4th November 2014, 8:03

      I wish I shared your optimism. But it’s not just a question of saving the teams F1’s got, it’s about making the sport a viable prospect for new entrants again, which hasn’t been the case for years. This needs to happen, because we’ve seen before that some teams – particularly manufacturer-backed ones – will abandon F1 at a moment’s notice when it no longer serves their purposes.

      For an example of that, see today’s On This Day.
      1. 

         Sergio B. Perez (@sergio-perez)
         4th November 2014, 9:24

         They should really learn from the English Premier League model. I think its the most successful approach to create a competitive, International, Wordwide sports league.
         1. 

            beneboy (@beneboy)
            4th November 2014, 11:23

            The distribution of domestic TV revenue in the Premier League is a good model but I don’t think the league is an applicable model for F1.
            The EPL benefits from a league structure that provides a steady supply of newly promoted teams as well as a mechanism for relegating the 3 worst performing teams – F1 will never be able to use this type of system as the difference between GP2 (and other feeder series) and F1 is just too big.
            The top EPL teams get to compete in the Champions League and Europa League while every team gets to play in the FA and League cups, these competitions generate huge amounts of additional revenue for the clubs – F1 teams will never be able to race their cars in competitions other than F1.
            Football teams own their stadia which can generate millions of pounds through season ticket sales, gate reciepts as well as hosting friendly matches and other events – few F1 circuits are owned by teams.
            The EPL was established by the teams who get to vote on how the league is operated but all sporting regulations are enforced by the FA, EUFA & FIFA – F1’s business model is very different.

            There are things that F1 could learn from the EPL but I don’t think we should get carried away with the comparison or believe that everything that has helped the EPL become the biggest League in the world can be applied to F1.
            1. 

               caci_99
               4th November 2014, 12:52

               @beneboy good points out there. And lets not forget that football is a sport where even a child at 5 years old can get addicted to it, while F1 requires a completely different approach.
            2. 

               2face
               4th November 2014, 22:55

               Well the current F1 model has failed spectacularly. So the current model is clearly unfit for F1. The EPL model has not yet been tried. However the sensible solution is probably somewhere in between.
      2. 

         Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
         4th November 2014, 11:38

         It’s a bit ironic now, isn’t it? Stefan GP with a car fully developed by a manufacturer wanting to do the same was Honda/Brawn the year before could’ve made the small team a very sucessful one.

         Imagine Stefan scoring points in the first race or doing well… it could’ve been a good start for a new entrarnt. a much better one than Virgin, Lotus and Hispania…
         1. 

            David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
            4th November 2014, 11:56

            @fer-no65
            It’d be entertaining to see the technology used by stefan GP, (read picnic chairs, etc)
         2. 

            Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
            4th November 2014, 15:52

            @fer-no65 I always thought it was a shame that the Toyota TF-110 never got raced. That Hispania couldn’t afford it, and ran a slower Dallara (which they also ran out paying for early on) instead, shows that it was going to be a long slog for them..
         3. 

            BasCB (@bascb)
            5th November 2014, 20:27

            If only Stefan GP hadn’t been a con deal worse than the latest buyers of caterham, the last owners of HRT, the guy who promised to invest in Lotus. He might have been on the same level of credibility as the mysterious group that was supposed to take over the BMW team before it turned out to be a scam @fer-no65.

            Stefan had no money behind him, no company, factory, nothing.
2. 

   George (@george)
   4th November 2014, 0:13

   I heard yarns in Shanghai that four current F1 drivers heading to FIA WEC in ’15!

   Lets guess who they could be! I’d go for:
   Button
   Kobayashi
   Vergne
   Alonso
   in order of likelihood.
   1. 

      Michael Brown (@)
      4th November 2014, 0:26

      I’m converting to WEC next year. I saw Spa 2014 and it was a blast.
   2. 

      VMaxMuffin (@vmaxmuffin)
      4th November 2014, 1:35

      Sounds logical. How good would it be if Alonso and Button joined Webber in the Porsche? Fairly sure they get along well (I know Alonso and Webber are great friends), and it would create a media storm that’s for sure! Three ex-F1 drivers, 2 champions and one who was close. That would be cool.
      1. 

         LosD (@losd)
         4th November 2014, 6:57

         … And I can’t imagine a single driver who doesn’t like Button. He just seems like an incredibly nice guy.
         1. 

            George (@george)
            4th November 2014, 17:17

            @losd they might not like his car setup though :D
   3. 

      Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
      4th November 2014, 1:55

      And with the lack of potential seats around next year, it sounds like they are securing a drive while they still can. Kobayashi leading a Toyota to a Le Mans victory sounds like a match made in heaven, especially as they brought him into F1 before leaving.
      1. 

         Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
         4th November 2014, 8:01

         A historic moment, for sure. “CVC” and “helped” in the same sentence.
   4. 

      anon
      4th November 2014, 8:01

      I think it is much more realistic that Sutil would be heading over to the WEC rather than Alonso, given that the rumours are that Sauber will field an Ericsson – van der Garde line up for next year.
   5. 

      Evans
      4th November 2014, 8:11

      They were saying during the WEC broadcast that Hulkenberg is almost a done deal for next year’s WEC.
      1. 

         WilliamB (@william-brierty)
         4th November 2014, 9:55

         No he will just head a third car for Porsche at Le Mans, not race in the full World Endurance Championship.
      2. 

         Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
         4th November 2014, 20:25

         Hulkenberg is staying in F1 as reported two weeks ago:

         Force India retain Hulkenberg for 2015
   6. 

      WilliamB (@william-brierty)
      4th November 2014, 8:33

      @george – And whilst it would not be a season deal, Radio Le Mans reported that Nico Hulkenberg is set for a one-off Le Mans appearence with Porsche. Personally of the candidates on your list Kobayashi is probably the most likely since I remember reading that he has approached Toyota, and I think they are perhaps looking to replace either Sarrazin or Lapierre. This is how I think the 2015 WEC crews will shape up…

      Toyota: #7: Nakajima/Wurz/Lapierre #8: Buemi/Davidson/Kobayashi

      Audi: #1: di Grassi/Duval/Kristensen #2: Lotterer/Treluyer/Rockenfeller (Audi are loosing patience with Fassler)

      Porsche: #14: Dumas/Lieb/Jani #20: Bernhard/Button/Webber Le Mans 3rd car: Hulkenberg/Makowiecki/Tandy

      Nissan: 1st car: Vergne/Mardenborough/Leimer 2nd car: Pla/Brundle/Heidfeld

      Pure guesswork, but educated guesswork!
      1. 

         Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
         4th November 2014, 15:57

         @william-brierty Buemi/Davidson/Kobayashi would be a great line up. So would Hulkenberg/Button/Webber! Imagine 6 F1 drivers battling for the win! Nakajima/Wurz/Sarrazin would add another 3..

         I take it that Hulk can race while under F1 contract then?
         1. 

            WilliamB (@william-brierty)
            4th November 2014, 16:24

            @fastiesty – Kobayashi has approached Toyota, and Lapierre simply hasn’t been performing as well since he switched to the #8, so I think a Davidson/Buemi/Kobayashi line up is highly likely, albeit he severed his Toyota ties many years ago. Regarding the Hulk, because Le Mans always traditionally clashed with Canadian Grand Prix it has been many years since a driver dovetailed an F1 campaign with a Le Mans (I really can’t remember the last time a driver did a full F1 campaign but also appeared at Le Mans), but that changed in 2012. Contractually it is tricky since for one week and one week only Nico will be affiliated with Porsche’s sponsors not Force India’s, but equally major guest appearances aren’t unheard of in motorsport.
            1. 

               Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
               4th November 2014, 16:35

               @william-brierty True, and now that Kobayashi is out of F1 and has severed his Ferrari links, a Toyota return would definitely suit both parties. If either car wins, they have a Japanese driver winning.

               True, but what I was wondering, was whether it would have been prohibited under injury clauses, given the recent deaths at Le Mans, and after what happened to Kubica. Although, after what happened to Bianchi, it could quite easily happen in F1 itself as well.
3. 

   Chris (@tophercheese21)
   4th November 2014, 0:40

   It’s frustrating to see the top teams not wanting to concede ground on this payment inequality between top and bottom teams.

   You simply cannot allow the teams to decide on the future of F1 because they’re hardwired to win, so they will decide on anything that will help them win, regardless of how bad it is for the sport. (I.e. Ferrari pushing for Double Points).

   There needs to be an independent group that decides the direction of the sport because the teams will never agree with eachother.
   1. 

      @HoHum (@hohum)
      4th November 2014, 0:57

      @tophercheese21, it is not the pay disparity between the teams that is the problem, it is the disparity between what the teams get and what FOM gets.
      1. 

         Mike (@mike)
         4th November 2014, 2:28

         I would disagree and say that it’s both.
         1. 

            @HoHum (@hohum)
            4th November 2014, 3:48

            Ok but of the 2, it’s CVC/FOM that take the lions share.
   2. 

      Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
      4th November 2014, 3:56

      @tophercheese21 Well, the teams want what they have. They don’t want less.

      It’s one of those things that once done, it’s hard to change. They got special deals with F1, and now they obviously don’t want to lose them because some small team around the block came to the sport and failed. Once you give the top guns the power, taking a bit from them gets harder and harder every day.
      1. 

         maarten.f1 (@)
         4th November 2014, 17:47

         @fer-no65 Same can be said for CVC though, can’t it? Nobody wants less, but we all know something has got to give. But I’d rather see CVC take less from the sport than the top teams though…
4. 

   @HoHum (@hohum)
   4th November 2014, 0:54

   Good for Horner, it is up to CVC to sacrifice some of their totally unsustainable profits to make it possible for small teams to survive let alone prosper. FOM have + – 150 staff compared to the + – 200 of the smallest teams and yet FOM grants itself a bigger share of income than the total of the share it gives to 6 or more teams from the money the teams generate by racing, yet it is the teams that have to design and build 2 cars + spares and continualy develop in order to be competitive, the only equipment FOM have to buy and maintain is the TV record/transmit equipment.
5. 

   VMaxMuffin (@vmaxmuffin)
   4th November 2014, 1:33

   “I know CVC and Bernie have been looking at this, but it’s going to be a base payment given to the smaller teams, the racers, which is essentially going to make it possible for a normal budget to be pretty much closed here.”

   This.

   It’s similar to what I mentioned the other day, about no longer giving prize money – or at least greatly reducing it – and instead splitting up said prize money evenly into a “wage” that is paid to the teams for racing. After all, they’re making money for F1 by competing and should be rewarded for doing so. They have incentive to do the best they can anyway due to sponsor pressure, so it isn’t like not having prize money would result in teams not trying.

   OK so it looks like they’re not getting rid of prize money, but this “base payment” is at least a start. Hopefully they make it large enough.
   1. 

      @HoHum (@hohum)
      4th November 2014, 1:43

      FREE BEER !!!!!!! tomorrow.
   2. 

      Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
      4th November 2014, 2:08

      @vmaxmuffin From what we’ve heard so far, it sounds like it’s enough to make up the yearly shortfall. Lopez said it’s not much when split between 3 teams each.. maybe around $75-$100m? $25m each? $35m? That’s a small concession for CVC/FOM to keep F1 going, while still getting hundreds of millions. But surely it’ll be the size of the engine cost increases at least.

      Meanwhile, we’ll have the ten teams in 2015 that the prize money allows for, if Marussia are saved and take their $65m (plus a base payment?) with the Caterham operation slowly morphing (staff-wise at least) towards a team 11 (Haas most likely) for 2016, to start the whole she-bang again by 2017.

      Boosting the lower teams from CVC/Bernie’s stakes are what needs to happen first and foremost, so it sounds like we are gradually edging to that solution, else they’ll boycott Abu Double and make it into a farce (well, more-so than it already is. But voiding it could have serious repercussions).

      Eventually, we’ll get to equal cash for each ‘franchise’, with sponsorship money/manufacturer investment making the rest/giving the advantage. To have more than 11 teams, we’d probably need Ferrari to give back their advantage, which is probably only viable when they float and get a good investment. Or, just ask them to set up a B-team?
      1. 

         OOliver
         4th November 2014, 5:38

         This is not the solution. They still need to take away the 200million RBR and Ferrari get. Mercedes is unlikely to earn more this year for winning the championship than Redbull or Ferrari will be paid.
         The small teams will continue to struggle even if they win the constructors.
         1. 

            @HoHum (@hohum)
            4th November 2014, 6:23

            I know Ferrari get way more than their results deserve, but RBR ?
            I thought RBRs large pay-packet was primarily a result of winning a lot of points and therefor MB-AMG should earn even more this year than RBR earned last year, is this wrong ?
            1. 

               Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
               4th November 2014, 7:03

               The final championship position over the last few years determines how much you are paid (plus Ferrari gets an additional allowance). Additional points actually cost you extra as the number of points determines the entry fee.

               @hohum
         2. 

            Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
            4th November 2014, 16:05

            Considering F1 turns over $1.8bn, there’s enough in CVC’s profit margin (37%) to secure the small teams first, before weakening the stance of Ferrari and Red Bull the next time contracts are discussed.. as @hohum says, Mercedes will probably be arguing for a chunk of that ‘performance’ money as the serial winners of the last few years, which Red Bull recently secured from Bernie.

            Ferrari will have floated by then, so should be swimming in cash, and could be put on the spot to provide 4 cars (like Red Bull with Toro Rosso), or hand back their extra ‘appearance money’. They’d need to continue in F1 for their shareholders, so would have to do one or the other. Personally, why not a Ferrari junior team? Call it Alfa Romeo, set it up in the old F1 Maranello factory, bring through Italian talents like Marciello..
            1. 

               Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
               4th November 2014, 16:07

               They could also do this for 2016 with Forza Rossa, but that depends on what viewpoint the shareholders would take of teaming up with the Romanian organisation/leadership that is currently making a mess of Caterham..
6. 

   John H (@john-h)
   4th November 2014, 7:53

   With regards the cotd, double points has already made F1 a laughing stock on the world stage, it will be all over the media seen as the championship is now going to Abu Dhabi.

   Something that isn’t mentioned that often is the effect of double points further down the order, for example if Sauber get 10th place or it proves decisive between Williams v Ferrari or FI v McLaren.

   Stuff is going to hit the fan for sure, we just have to wait and see quite how much :)
   1. 

      Lewis McMurray (@celicadion23)
      4th November 2014, 9:14

      Regarding double points, I think the next most controversial scenario after the Hamilton/Rosberg title fight is definitely the chance that Ferrari could pinch 3rd from Williams on double points. Williams have done such a fantastic job this year, they definitely deserve to finish on the constructor’s podium over Ferrari.
   2. 

      MattDS (@mattds)
      4th November 2014, 13:31

      Double points will not change anything to Sauber/Marussia.
      If Sauber nets a tenth position in AD, both Marussia and Sauber finish the season with 2 points but Marussia gets the ninth position in the WCC on countback (one ninth place vs one tenth for Sauber).
      If Sauber nets a ninth position, Sauber takes the ninth position in the WCC. But in that case they would have done anyway on countback – each have one ninth finishing position in a race, but Sauber has an 11th which is higher than the next best finishing position by Marussia (13th).
7. 

   JerseyF1 (@jerseyf1)
   4th November 2014, 9:03

   What’s interesting about the way the double points rule is written is that it is the final event which gets double points (not an otherwise specific race). This gives us the situation that should there be some sort of natural disaster/freak event which leads to Abu Dhabi being cancelled and unable to be rescheduled then Brazil would become the final event and could retrospectively have points doubled. This could then lead to the following (though unlikely) situation:

   Rosberg wins in Brazil, Hamilton is fourth.
   After Brazil Hamilton leads the championship by 328 points to 317.
   Abu Dhabi is then cancelled, Rosberg becomes WDC on 342 points to Hamilton’s 340!
   1. 

      PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
      4th November 2014, 9:44

      @jerseyf1 Woah, calm down there. :)
   2. 

      frood19 (@frood19)
      4th November 2014, 9:45

      that would almost (almost) so bizarre as to be worth seeing. and then the end of the sport as a sport. kind of like ’99 when hakkinen was world champion after the ferraris got disqualified in malaysia and then suddenly he wasn’t. i was so please when he won in suzuka – what a farce it would have been!
      1. 

         Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
         4th November 2014, 16:11

         @jerseyf1 @xtwl @frood19 That’s kind of why the 3 teams want terms on their base payment agreed by Brazil, or they will boycott Abu Double. Would having only 12 cars turn the race into a non-championship race? That’s possible at this moment and could lead to something as described above!

         PS. I reckon they let Ferrari off on that just so that the championship wasn’t decided on a DQ. And would Schumacher have let Irvine be the first Ferrari champion for so long?
         1. 

            PorscheF1 (@xtwl)
            4th November 2014, 16:17

            @fastiesty Didn’t Marussia already confirm they will be racing in Abu Dhabi?
            1. 

               Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
               4th November 2014, 16:32

               It’s possible, but depends on the team having new owners. But still, 14 cars may be less than the 16 that Bernie needs to contractually provide – a number which is enshrouded in mystery. It seems to be between 12 and 16, which was originally thought to be 20 for the FIA, but we saw 18 last weekend with no problems. @xtwl
8. 

   CountryGent (@countrygent)
   4th November 2014, 10:49

   Vergne is looking increasingly strong in pole position for the remaining Toro Rosso seat. Yes, if Sainz lined up with Verstappen it would be more in keeping with Marko’s ethos, and we could hypothetically anticipate an easier transition to F1 for Sainz than Max as he has been impressive in the tests he has done and has been in a powerful FR3.5 car not a mid-range F3 car, but I equally think Marko is willing to bend the rules to aid the phenomenal potential of Verstappen.

   Also, was Sainz’s FR3.5 campaign as good as it should have been? After Hungary he was just sixteen points ahead of series rookie Merhi having lost twenty-three that weekend, and the notably greater consistency of his title forebear Magnussen will have rung alarms bells. And in terms of comparison has Lynn not also been more consistent? It’s remarkable that the driver with the best junior record of the three youngsters, Gasly, is the stark outside bet for the seat, but if Vergne stays, and if he prevails in his inevitable 2015 title fight with De Vries and Lynn, he should be the obvious choice to replace Vergne twelve months from now.

   On another note, I’ve been standing beside racetracks my entire life and writing about what occurs on them for a fair while too, and I cannot say how proud I am to have just posted my first comment (hope it met the standards!) on this truly world class blog; the depth of knowledge from so many members has always astounded me. Fellow bloggers, take my word for it, you know a lot more about your topic than a lot of guys who write about it for a living!
   1. 

      beneboy (@beneboy)
      4th November 2014, 12:20

      @countrygent
      Welcome to the community mate, it’s always good to see new people joining us here !

      I hope Vergne can get the Torro Rosso seat for next season, he’s put in some good performances both on and off the track since joining F1 and I’d like to see him on the grid next year. It’d be strange if he were to be let go by STR while his team mate got promoted to RBR given that JEV has scored almost three times more points than Kvyat this season.
      1. 

         CountryGent (@countrygent)
         4th November 2014, 13:33

         @beneboy – There are compelling arguments both for and against JEV. On the one hand little more than a month ago Vergne was finished in the eyes of Marko, but now he is potentially key in establishing Verstappen’s F1 career. That said, he was content to nurture Max alongside Kvyat, so Sainz with his extensive testing experience and FR3.5 campaign isn’t too much of a departure, albeit he has no actual F1 race experience either. One could argue that the fact that Verstappen always replaces Vergne not Kvyat is an indicator in Carlos’ favour, but why then has Sainz not been in the paddock since Monza?
         1. 

            @HoHum (@hohum)
            4th November 2014, 20:32

            @countrygent, Glad to have you with us Squire.
   2. 

      MattDS (@mattds)
      4th November 2014, 13:38

      @countrygent you might have a valid point about Gasly. He has been so consistent this year, not getting a race win but deserving one for sure. He just needs to be a bit more decisive when it comes to overtaking. I think he’d do well in staying in FR3.5 one year extra. It will be an exciting battle with De Vries and probably Lynn as well.

      As good as Sainz Jr’s beginning of the season was, it seemed to tail off now and then. Not everything was his fault though, but he has had a few stinker weekends. That might have cost him a seat at STR for 2015. And if Gasly impresses next year, he will indeed be in a good position to replace Vergne for 2016.
      1. 

         MattDS (@mattds)
         4th November 2014, 15:08

         Oh and by the way, welcome @countrygent. Good to see someone joining who’s interested in and knowledgeable about young drivers in feeder series. I’m sure we’ll have some good discussions about it, with (among others) @william-brierty :)
         1. 

            WilliamB (@william-brierty)
            4th November 2014, 15:34

            @mattds – I’m someone recognizes my specialist area!

            @countrygent – Hi there, nice to see a new name among us junior category analysts! 2015 is shaping up to be another mega season in the young category roundabout and it’ll be great discussing it with you.

            One thing on Gasly, he is set to be in GP2 not FR3.5 in 2015, I think Marko wants to see if he can “do a Vandoorne”, whilst as you say Lynn will be fighting De Vries in FR3.5.
            1. 

               Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
               4th November 2014, 16:43

               @william-brierty I agree.. a switch into the deep end that is GP2 was thought too hard to do until this year – hence Marko now using it to see if Gasly is ready or on the same level as Vandoorne, who he could even pinch if McLaren are going nowhere with him. I bet Frijns wishes he could now be pinched by Red Bull.. he could have ‘done a Kvyat’ by now.
            2. 

               WilliamB (@william-brierty)
               4th November 2014, 17:11

               @fastiesty – Instead I rather think Frijns wished he has accepted Marko’s 2011 approach instead of choosing a Dutch sponsor for his FR3.5 campaign. Had he accepted, he would have just replaced Sebastian Vettel. So whilst the tale of Frijns is a real tearjerker, it was largely his fault.
         2. 

            CountryGent (@countrygent)
            4th November 2014, 17:27

            @mattds @william-brierty @fastiesty So I guess, with reference to the impressive knowledge I’m seeing above, you guys are the chief authorities on all matters feeder categories? Great to speak to you!
            1. 

               DaveD (@daved)
               4th November 2014, 23:58

               At least you guys get a chance to watch the feeder series on that side of the pond. Here in the States it’s hard to even see a couple of GP2 races a year. I try to catch up watching FR3.5 on Youtube. :(
            2. 

               CountryGent (@countrygent)
               5th November 2014, 8:04

               @daved I would obviously never encourage internet deviousness, but I’m sure you could find a stream of Eurosport (FR3.5/WTCC) and Sky F1 (GP2/GP3) in the deeper recesses of the net. That said, you will have to tolerate a British accent…
            3. 

               DaveD (@daved)
               5th November 2014, 23:14

               @countrygent

               LOL Yes, I usually find those types of feeds in the deep creases of the internet. I almost always watch the replay of the F1 races on Sky because I like to see their perspective on the race and their commentary compared to the NBC crew in the States. Hell, I’d pay for it if there was some way to do so, but that’s not possible.
               But I’ve had really bad luck finding FR3.5 feeds :(
   3. 

      Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
      4th November 2014, 16:29

      Welcome @countrygent! People forgetting Gasly also makes him a favourite in my books, as Marko doesn’t usually do what people expect (the safe option, such as moving Vergne, 24, up to RBR, with Verstappen partnering Kvyat, or to be even safer, promoting Sainz for Max and letting Gasly/Verstappen continue in GP2/FR3.5 until ready).

      I see Marko as an investor – he’s always looking for the upside. So, Kvyat was chosen over Sainz, who initially looked more promising, but then got ‘the yips’ while transitioning to adulthood, setting him back a year. Perhaps he could still make it on his own, on the back of his Formula Renault titles, as well as Lynn, with GP3/FR2.0 UK titles, who struggled when not starting at the front.

      Similarly, they’ve plumped for Verstappen, who is like Kvyat, but even younger. Gasly is also in this mould, as was Ricciardo, so it’s easy to see a Ricciardo/Kvyat, Gasly/Verstappen line up by 2016. They’ll be 26, 22/21, 20, 18.5.

      @mattds If Gasly needs to learn overtaking, he’ll be better served in GP2 – same for Lynn as well.
      1. 

         Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
         4th November 2014, 16:41

         I also wonder whether Marko speeding up the process towards younger drivers with more potential (and not taking on more RB juniors) is the first sign of the ending of the program.

         Once it ends, there’s 3 years for the junior drivers selected at Toro Rosso, before an eventual exit from Red Bull. Would Audi be interested by that time? Perhaps Bernie, 87, might not be in charge anymore..
         1. 

            Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
            4th November 2014, 16:58

            PS. Alex Albon is the obvious driver for them to keep on if so desired, being half-Thai and now getting a top 5 in Eurocup, while Blomqvist was on the program not too long ago, matching Verstappen this year in F3.
      2. 

         CountryGent (@countrygent)
         4th November 2014, 17:24

         Thanks for the amazing welcome @fastiesty! I wouldn’t say Gasly is favourite for the seat, I still am of the conventional view that it is a fight between Sainz and Vergne, but the Marko mentality you describe does rather delineate why Sainz was the initial favourite for the seat, but I feel the goalposts have moved since them. Sainz has showed he is still susceptible to off-colour weekends and the need for F1 race experience alongside Max has been realized, so I think JEV has nabbed pole from Sainz for the seat. That doesn’t mean Sainz, Lynn or even Gasly won’t appear alongside Verstappen knowing Helmut…
9. 

   beneboy (@beneboy)
   4th November 2014, 12:53

   @keithcollantine
   Shouldn’t that headline be “CVC helped prevent a problem they created” :-)

   I’m loving the irony of CVC management having to intervene to prevent a boycott that only came about due to CVC taking so much money out of the sport and allowing Bernie to run the sport as if it were his own private cash cow. Had they put as much effort into ensuring the sport’s finances were properly organised that they’ve put into maximising their own profits the sport could have generated far more profits for everyone, including their investors.

   If F1 had created its own netflix type service that showed every session live plus interviews, behind the scenes and classic footage instead of going down the pay-TV route they could have made a fortune. Get 100 million fans to pay £1 per GP or £10 a year and you’re looking at over £1billion of revenue and you’ve still got the option of selling a basic qualifying plus the race world feed to free to air networks.
   Cooperate with the circuit owners to help increase circuit capacity and facilities and you could have far more people going to races, work out a more equitable profit share instead of having hosting fees and the circuit owners and FOM could each get more money out of the races and more people could get an opportunity to see F1 in the flesh.
   Increased race attendances and an increased TV audience would make the sport more attractive to sponsors which would benefit everyone.
   A more equitable distribution of profits could see more teams joining, which gives more drivers a chance to enter the sport which gives the fans more people to support and more on track action to enjoy.

   If CVC aren’t careful they could end up killing the Golden Goose when they could have made it bigger, healthier and able to lay a few more eggs with changes that even a casual fan could have recommended years ago. Hopefuly the latest crisis will make them realise that the sport is more than just a way to make a quick buck, although I won’t be holding my breath as we’ve been here before and will probably be back here again in a few years – if F1 survives that long.
10. 

    petebaldwin (@)
    4th November 2014, 14:42

    Bernie is sadly like any other crook you find. The secret is to make a bunch of money and then get out before everything falls apart. Sadly, his greed has kept him in charge for too long and he’s found himself with some very difficult questions to answer.

    Don’t think for a second that the boycott threat is over. Nothing has been fixed yet and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the teams take it one step further in the near future.
11. 

    DaveW (@dmw)
    4th November 2014, 15:14

    I had thought that the boycott scenario was a lot of hype, but it’s chilling to see how serious the teams were. When you think about the fact that the teams have direct contractual commitments to sponsors, such as they have, which expose them to serious legal risk or liquidated damages for not running (e.g., I don’t think Mr. Slim is a dude you want to surprise like that) they must really feel that they have their backs to the wall now. This is not a hobby for them. They have a variety of serious legal duties to turn up.

    I originally thought that a boycott was crazy. But now, seeing how Mercedes and the others have basically told the other teams to drop dead, so to speak, this is the only thing that may change anything. You are not going to prise a dollar out of the hands of Ferrari, Mercedes, Mateschitz, or CVC without massive, unified show of strength. I also think that the 3-car team response from the powers that be is a transparent bluff that needs calling. That would be a hot mess, operationally and in terms of how the championship is run.

    In this area, the smaller teams are not making a good case for a bigger arid. It’s not just about, hey, give us some money. Bernie and others say, who cares, they are slow. But A bigger grid creates: 1. a better spectacle for TV and live audiences, 2. helps develop drivers who may end up a WDC and who become popular ambassadors for the sport, 3. develops mechanics, engineers, and keeps the underlying racing industry strong 4. creates a way for new entrants can come in and have someone to compete with whle they get it together. 5. creates more fan content, stories, for people to follow (and for Keith to write about) 6. gives smaller-beer sponsors a way to participate.

    I think that at the core is a kind of cultural tone-deafness too. Exclusivity and distance is part of F1 culture. The bigger teams and the owners, in their hearts of hearts, think that all of the teams’ motor home cafes should rate a Michelin star and all drivers should get around by private jet. They look at the smaller operations and feel scandalized by their penury—it damages, in their minds, the show. It’s like when the middle-class cousin shows up for Thanksgiving at the home of the wealthy relations with a bottle of an unheralded California wine and without his sports coat and parks his diesel Golf in the driveway. He just is going to get nasty side-eye for a couple hours.
12. 

    KeithR (@)
    4th November 2014, 22:51

    I can’t help thinking it’s significant that CVC’s chairman called Gerard Lopez direct instead of calling Bernie. That seriously bypassed Mr E – who totally authored the crisis, and is looked rather octogenarian.

    Hard not to start hoping…
13. 

    Supremacy (@supremacy)
    5th November 2014, 14:58

    A lot of British ex-drivers have had many negative things to say about Lewis, big ups to Nigel for being supportive.

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