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Bernie behind a big push for more races (10 posts)

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Prisoner Monkeys said 2 years, 11 months ago:

Hi ev’rybody! (Ten points if you give the correct response)

Watching Formula 1 news over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a sudden and inexplicable change: we’ve suddenly got a whole host of new races in the works. And this is more than simply your average “We’d like a Grand Prix” pledge which nothing ever comes of – Bernie is behind it. Firstly we had the annoucement of the race in Austin, but then Bernie said he was considering a second race to be held in New York. Then he fired up talk of a Russian Grand Prix (and over the weekend, Jenson Button and Vitaly Petrov were in Moscow where news broke that the city wanted a race from 2012). Then we got stuff on Mallorca wanting to steal the European Grand Prix away from Valencia. And over the past few days, Bernie has looked at a race in South Africa. And by all accounts, both sides – Bernie and the aspiring promoters – have responded positively. Add to that the addition of Korea for this year, India in 2011 and Rome in 2012, and we’ve suddenly found ourselves positively inundated with new races. Not counting Mallorca (which Bernie seems to have dismissed), we’ve got seven potential new races in four years. That has to be a record by Formula 1′s standards. The next-nearest influx of races was two in 2004: Bahrain and Shanghai.

What on earth is prompting this?

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scowle74 said 2 years, 11 months ago:

Hi Prisoner

I hope i get your 10 points. I believe, as with all decisions made by Bernie that MONEY is what is prompting this. With the exception of Rome and Mallorca the rest are emerging markets and that is where the money is going to be made.

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SoLiDG said 2 years, 11 months ago:

Money obviously is important. And Bernie wants a very high standard of well everything. Pit complex and surroundings, track safety.
Like most here I just hope they will do more races and it won’t affect the traditional circuits!

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Icthyes said 2 years, 11 months ago:

Hi, Dr Nick. What do I win?

I don’t see half of these becoming reality by 2012, and Mallorca doesn’t seem likely at all.

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wasiF1 said 2 years, 11 months ago:

Money for sure is the smell that Bernie is getting from the new venues.Bernie Ecclestone is considering dropping the Monaco GP, saying the Principality does not “pay enough”. So I think that is a prove.He said that he will consider to have 20 races on the calender that means to add some new races he will drop the old races.Which is a shame as I think that old circuit provide good racing then Tilke dome.

I will say that we can have more than 20 races per season as it will be a shame to drop the older circuit, if he wishes to drop circuit then drop those which always shows us boring racing.

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GeeMac said 2 years, 11 months ago:

There are three factors pushing the addition of new races. Firstly, Bernie is trying to broaden F1′s appeal by going into new markets, which if you ask me is a great thing. Secondly, you only have to look at the locations of the races that have been added recently to see that Bernie understands that Europe isn’t the global powerhouse it once was…he’s going where the influence is which again is no bad thing. Thirdly, with the impending renegotiation of the Concorde Agreement teams, of which there are many now, will be out to get a greater share of F1′s revenues, so Bernie is trying yo grow the pot so everyone benefits.

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Macca said 2 years, 11 months ago:

If the calendar is organised correctly then there is nothing stopping the series from having 24 or 25 races a year.

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Ned Flanders said 2 years, 11 months ago:

The almighty dollar is Bernie’s only consideration. He’d have us racing in hell if they payed up

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wasiF1 said 2 years, 11 months ago:

@ Macca

You are right if they organize GP close to each other in alternate weeks then they can have 25 races by 2014-2015, that will be great.

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Icthyes said 2 years, 11 months ago:

Ned, I thought that was the European GP?

As much as I’d love the idea of 25 races…it might be too much. If every other race is a Tilkedrome in Paidupistan (sorry if that came across offensively), then the value of a race will start to fall. It probably has already, though paradoxically a title challenge has become worth more.

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