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If you were Bernie… (32 posts)

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McLarenFanJamm said 2 years, 2 months ago:

The talk of the Oz GP being dropped has got me thinking…

If you were in control of the F1 rights, which tracks/countries would you drop from the 2011 calendar? Which tracks would you replace them with (if any) and why?

Rules are:
You can’t have 2 races in the same country (so no Imola AND Monza, has to be one or the other)
20 race cap

I’ll save mine for later on ;)

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Todfod said 2 years, 2 months ago:

1) Zandvoort replaces Bahrain
2) Melbourne
3) Sepang
4) Shanghai
5) Istanbul
6) Monaco
7) Catalunya
8) Magny Cours replaces Valencia
9) Montreal
10) Indianapolis replaces Abu Dhabi
11) Silverstone
12) Nurburgring
13) Estoril replaces Budapest
14) Spa
15) Monza
16) Singapore
17) Fuji (although Suzuka is pretty good too)
18) Korea
19) India
20) Brazil

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Ned Flanders said 2 years, 2 months ago:

It’d be easy to a fantasy one with my favourite 20 tracks. But I’d like to stick to reality as much as possible, and keep it to tracks that give a good geographical distribution of races, bring money in, attract fans, and open new markets. So, here goes:

1) Adelaide (because I’m sick of hearing Melbournians moaning about their race)
2) Sepang
3) Kyalami (Make it a bit more of a WORLD championship)
4) Shanghai
5) Monza (earlier in the season, just for the novelty of it)
6) Monaco
7) Norisring (it’d be better for racing than either current German circuit)
8) Valencia
9) Montreal
10) Austin (assuming they managed to get it built very quickly!)
11) Silverstone
12) Paul Ricard (they’d need some more stands… and it should run on the highest speed layout)
13) Brno (The Hungaroring has monopolised the Eastern European GP for too long!)
14) Portimao (because it’s spectacular for TV viewers)
15) Spa
16) Singapore (But I’d tinker with the layout a bit)
17) Fuji (I am in the minority who actually quite like this circuit! It’s great for racing)
18) Korea
19) India (It deserves a chance, but if it’s crap I’d sling it for 2012)
20) Interlagos

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VettelS said 2 years, 2 months ago:

For one thing, I’d like to see the A1 Ring back.

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RIISE said 2 years, 2 months ago:

If I were Bernie I couldn’t care less who’s on the list provided they cough up.

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Dizzy-A said 2 years, 2 months ago:

I agree with Todfod and Ned about Fuji. Suzuka is a good circuit, but doesn’t seem to suit the F1 cars as well for good racing.

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Prisoner Monkeys said 2 years, 2 months ago:

A few of the circuits I would add …

New Catalunya – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307911

New Adelaide – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307890

New Singapore – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307924

Cape Town – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307917 (although it’s far too long)

Stockholm – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307921 (I picture this as more of a permanent circuit built anywhere)

I’d also use the perimeter of Bahrain and the shortest version of Abu Dhabi to change their image from slow and boring circuits to super-fast sprint races to rival Monza.

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Hare said 2 years, 2 months ago:

.. I’d wear platforms, dye my hair, get a face lift (all of it) and pretend I was John Lennon…

.. but that’s if I was Bernie.

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GeeMac said 2 years, 2 months ago:

If I was Bernie I too wouldn’t care less about the tracks, which is pretty much what he does at the moment.

What I would definitely do is take all my money out of the bank in $1 bills, fill up a swimming pool with them and swim around in them like Scrooge McDuck.

http://givemetherock.com/wp-content/uploads/scrooge-mcduck.jpg

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The Dutch Bear said 2 years, 2 months ago:

If I was Bernie this would be my calendar.

1. Australian GP, Adelaide (Bathurst is plan B)
2. Malaysian GP, Sepang
3. Singapore GP, Singapore (short after Sepang to cut travel costs for the teams)
4. South African GP, Kyalami (although the former layout is much better)
5. Spanish GP, Motorland Aragon (I don’t like Catalunya, Jerez and both the Valencia tracks)
6. Bernie Ecclestone GP, Paul Ricard (I own the track, duh)
7. Monaco GP, Monaco
8. Canadian GP, Montreal
9. American GP, Austin (If not finished in time Indianapolis Oval, let’s see whether F1 on a Oval can work)
10. British GP, Silverstone
11. German GP, Norisring (I like short and fast street circuits, although I would like to see F1 race on the Nurburgring 24H but the costs will be too high)
12. Portugese GP, Portimao
13. Dutch GP, Zandvoort (replacing Hungaroring that replaced Zandvoort in 1986. Zandvoort was the first track with camera helicopters. I didn’t like them, right up to the moment I found I could fly directly after the race to (Amsterdam) Schiphol Airport in them!)
14. Belgian (Wallonian?) GP, Spa-Francorhamps, (should always be there, great track. Don’t know whether Belgium still exists when we race there, since they recently broke the world record of making a cabinet (government).)
15. Italian GP, Monza
16. Indian GP, Jaypee
17. Korean GP, Jeonnam
18. Japanese GP, Suzuka (a classic, I have my doubts about Fuji.)
19. Chinese GP, Macau (the most challenging street circuit in the world, dangerous maybe, but Monaco isn’t what you would call safe either.)
20. Brazilian GP, Interlagos

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HonaryRussian said 2 years, 2 months ago:

Basically I would go for the racing and fan base with

Silverstone
Spa
Monza
Nurburgring
Suzuka

Then you need the BRIC countries

Moscow (I so what to see the Moscow Grid Girls)
China
India
Brazil

Then the Sponsor festivals

Monaco
Singapore
Dubai

The remaining 8 will be done on who can pay the most basis

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RoboCAT said 2 years, 2 months ago:

1) Melbourne
2) Suzuka
3) Sepang
4) Shanghai
5) Istanbul
6) Monaco
7) Catalunya
8) Magny Cours
9) Hockenheim
10) Hungary
11) Silverstone
12) Spa Francorchamps
13) Monza
14) Abu Dhabi
15) Singapore
16) Korea
17) India
18) Canada
19) Austin
20) Brazil

But if I was really Bernie I would retire.

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ajokay said 2 years, 2 months ago:

Here’s the list that I bring out each time one of these threads arises (Quite often, so often, I have it saved in a notepad file)

I also broke the rules with regards to ‘not-more-than-one-race-per-country’ with the USA, because it’s very big and has a lot of fans. Unlike China, for example, which is very big and has very few fans.

1 – Brazil – S�o Paulo – Aut�dromo Jos� Carlos Pace
2 – Americas – The Americas – Various (Rotation)
3 – USA West – California – Laguna Seca
4 – Monaco – Monte Carlo – Circuit de Monaco
5 – Spain – Alca�iz – Motorland Aragon
6 – European – Europe – Various (Rotation)
7 – Canada – Montreal – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
8 – USA Indy – Indianapolis – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval
9 – France – Le Mans – Circuit de La Sarthe (New mid-length version)
10 – Britain – Northamptonshire – Silverstone Circuit
11 – Germany – N�rburg – N�rburgring
12 – Italy – Monza – Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
13 – Belgium – Spa – Circuit de Spa-Francourchamps
14 – Portugal – Portimao – Aut�dromo Internacional do Algarve
15 – USA East – Florida – Sebring International Raceway
16 – Argentina – San Luis – Potrero de Los Funes
17 – South Africa – Kyalami – Kyalami Circuit
18 – Pacific – Asia/Oceania – Various (Rotation)
19 – Japan – Suzuka – Suzuka Circuit
20 – Australia – Melbourne – Albert Park Circuit

You many have noticed many of the new Middle-Eastern and Asian tracks are missing. There is a good reason for this. Style over substance, and we all know it.

But there we are, Calendar with at least 1 race on all continents, a decent presence in North America (boath coasts, and the oval in the middle), classic European races, and 3 slots left open for various tracks on rotation, such as the Middle Eastern ones.

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HonaryRussian said 2 years, 2 months ago:

I think you mean to write, “China does not have many fans yet”. However as USA buys less and less luxury cars and China buys more and more, and manufacturers both need and want to use F1 to promote their brands qualities in China (and the other BRIC countries.)you will see more and more of a following in China and less and less interest in taking F1 to the USA (not that their seems to be much left).

Its also worth noting that F1 has never achieved the commercial success in North America it has often aspired towards. Yes it has many potential fans, but failed to break the strong following of the local racing.

The simple reality is that F1 goes where its sponsors want to sell products, or be wined and dined. Sadly for the US that’s not the Brick yard but the BRIC countries. Its also why the race in Monaco rarely delivers but will never leave the calendar and Singapore night race has been such a commercial success. It is also why you will see more F1 in the emerging resorts of the Middle East and less in America and Europe.

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ajokay said 2 years, 2 months ago:

… which would leave us with the actual calendar we have now, which wasn’t really the point of the thread. “If I was Bernie”, not “If Bernie was Bernie”.

And anyway, Formula One should really be about motor racing, not about manufacturers selling their road cars, so it should go where the fans are. China started out with an almost full house in its first year. Now they devote entire grandstands to giant billboards because there’s no-one to fill the seats.

The Indy GP was always packed, and I’m sure Austin will be too.

So if I was running F1, that would be my calendar.

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