Azerbaijan? Really??

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MOWOG
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Azerbaijan? Really??

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F1 heading for Azerbaijan debut according to Ecclestone


Almost a year ago, Bernie Ecclestone stunned F1's headline writers when he said plans were afoot for a race in Baku. Seasoned journalists quickly discovered it is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, an oil-rich former soviet state at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. Now, London's Times newspaper has quoted the F1 chief executive as saying Baku could be on the annual calendar as soon as next year.

"They are talking about 2015," said Ecclestone. "That may be a bit soon unless it is the end of the season. That is a possibility but 2016 is more likely." To Azerbaijan's north is Russia, whose president is Vladimir Putin, a man with controversial views on homosexuality that Ecclestone said recently he backs.

Indeed, even with the Ukrainian conflict in full swing, Ecclestone plans to shortly travel to Russia to meet with Putin about converting Sochi's new grand prix venue for floodlit racing in the future.

Ecclestone said Russia is a "no brainer" for F1. "We have to be there," he said. "It is a huge market and full of potential fans for the sport. They really want F1 and we want a race there to work.

"I have no problem with Vladimir," Ecclestone is also quoted by the Daily Mail. "He ran a good winter olympics. We get on very well -- no problems."

Less secure on the F1 calendar is Germany's Nurburgring race, after Bernie Ecclestone was outbid despite offering to buy the fabled track for $50 million. Ecclestone told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt that a decision about another buyer for the Nurburgring is due on Wednesday.

"The German grand prix is in trouble because they haven't got any money," Ecclestone is quoted by City A.M. "When I go to an auction I want to leave a bid, which is what I did, and somebody could offer more. I don't know what's happening there," he added.

Via Grandprix.com
I would not go to a grand prix in Azerbaijan if you gave me a free ticket and paid my airfare. What is it with Bernie and third world tin horn dictators? Do the teams get no say whatsoever in where they will race? :roll:
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Billzilla
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I've been there ..... it is a bit of a dump.

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Sebp
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MOWOG wrote:I would not go to a grand prix in Azerbaijan if you gave me a free ticket and paid my airfare. What is it with Bernie and third world tin horn dictators? Do the teams get no say whatsoever in where they will race? :roll:
Well, they would have a say if they wanted to. FOTA...need I say more? :roll:
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basti313
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Bernie always follows the money.
Don`t russel the hamster!

zonk
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acosmichippo
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The question I have every time a new GP is being discussed is what GP will be dropped to fit it in? The teams have been pretty resolute in saying they will not do more than 20. We already have 19 this year, and New Jersey still planned for 2015, right? Plus Mexico and others wanting to get in on the action. I guess South Korea could get the axe, but still. That's a lot of countries wanting a GP, but not enough GP's to go around.

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Thunder
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There are rumours that Germany could be getting the Axe. Nürburgring doesn#t have the Money and Hockenheimring can't hold a F1 race every Year too.

The Day that is announced would be a sad one for Motorsport i think.
Last edited by Thunder on 05 Mar 2014, 14:30, edited 1 time in total.
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#aerogollum

acosmichippo
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And then isn't Austria getting one with Red Bull's ring?

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PlatinumZealot
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I am with Bernie on this!

Germany deserves to get kicked off the calendar!

You telling me, the mighty Germany, home of the best auto-car makers in the world, doesn't want to put up money to keep FORMULA 1?!

Where is the BMW money? the porsche money? the mercedez money? the VW money?

Germany

you must be joking

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Sebp
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Why would they invest in an overly saturated market?
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wesley123
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Finally! The Azerbaijan population has been screaming for an international motor racing event for a while now! Not only will give this hearing to what the population wants, it will also put the many, many Azerbaijan racing drivers more in an international spotlight!
"Bite my shiny metal ass" - Bender

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WillerZ
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acosmichippo wrote:The teams have been pretty resolute in saying they will not do more than 20.
Not sure where you got that impression. I watched all the senior personnel press conferences last season and the one time I remember this being discussed Franz Tost (boss of STR) said that more races is always good because they earn money racing and spend it all the rest of the time. One of the other TPs (can't remember which) said that 20 races is about the upper-limit for one race team; when you get to about 26 it becomes commercially viable to maintain two race teams and have each squad do half of the races. My recollection is that the remaining 4 agreed with this second point of view.

So, by their own statements, at least one team would be happy with any greater number of races and a further 5 of them would be happy with more as long as the total is over 26.

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WhiteBlue
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n smikle wrote:Where is the BMW money? the porsche money? the mercedez money? the VW money?
The money goes into other racing series that provide better return for the money and allow those German manufacturers to utilize the races as field test for future road car technology.

Sports car and touring car racing will get most of the money in the years to come.
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Italiano
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#Forza Michael #Forza Jules

flmkane
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WillerZ wrote:
acosmichippo wrote:The teams have been pretty resolute in saying they will not do more than 20.
Not sure where you got that impression. I watched all the senior personnel press conferences last season and the one time I remember this being discussed Franz Tost (boss of STR) said that more races is always good because they earn money racing and spend it all the rest of the time. One of the other TPs (can't remember which) said that 20 races is about the upper-limit for one race team; when you get to about 26 it becomes commercially viable to maintain two race teams and have each squad do half of the races. My recollection is that the remaining 4 agreed with this second point of view.

So, by their own statements, at least one team would be happy with any greater number of races and a further 5 of them would be happy with more as long as the total is over 26.
But what about the drivers? They already push themselves to the limit of human endurance for 20 race weekends. How is it justified to make them race 26 times a year?

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