F1 on the ropes... and I don't even care.

[JimClarkFan]

4 cars not on the grid this weekend, Bernie said that next year we might only see 14 cars competing. It is hard to tell what is true, or what is just smoke, especially when it comes from bernie. However it is true that 4 are missing this weekend, and it is known that Sauber, Lotus and some say even Force India are struggling for funding - if they drop out that is 14 cars. What adds to my feeling that there might be a ring of truth to this 14 car rumour is the the fact that Bernie wants to push 3 car teams, presumably to make up the numbers.

I have my own opinions on the mess created, first is the obvious allocation of funds in F1, I think that needs to be looked at more closely. And secondly I think there is too much regulation, and too much change in regulations. Can we really expect teams who make barely any money to spends millions in R+D with regulation changes as big as those that took place this year.

Farcical.

OK - well I care enough to post.

[Phillyred]

F1 needs more engine manufacturers with $$$ to spend on factory teams. Honda will be a nice addition especially if moving forward they add customer teams. The likes of Toyota, BMW, Ford/Cosworth, Audi etc would really help infuse some cash on the grid as well.

[gavingav1]

isn't it strange -i haven't followed this weekend at all ,the internal corrupt politics of this sport has left such a sour taste ,-i have devoutly watched f1 since 1987 this weekend i just have no interest in whatsoever ,i just check this website to stay in touch and see whats going on - this farce is hurting f1 ,imagine losing two or three football clubs from the league -some-people need to stop dipping their fingers in f1's moneypot and distribute it fairly amongst the smaller teams --all those hundreds of millions spent by ferrari and mclaren for years of fail ,seems failure is rewarded at the moment

[GitanesBlondes]

F1 needs more engine manufacturers with $$$ to spend on factory teams. Honda will be a nice addition especially if moving forward they add customer teams. The likes of Toyota, BMW, Ford/Cosworth, Audi etc would really help infuse some cash on the grid as well.

The fundamentals of F1 are so broken now, that no manufacturer is going to get involved with it again. BMW, Toyota, and Cosworth are never coming back. Audi is never getting involved in F1. Here's the thing, manufacturer involvement will not fix how broken F1 really is.

I'm hoping this is what causes the commercial rights to revert back to the FIA.

Kind of is nice he got off for the bribery thing since he's going to be at the helm as the whole thing burns down. Fitting ending to a guy who did nothing to help the sport over the years.

[Vettel Maggot]

I have felt the same, I didn't even watch quali, I never miss races or quali normally. Ask my annoyed wife - 'Your life revolves around F1 and football!!!' F1 is in a huge crisis, after watching the Russian GP I have almost given up on it.

[SidSidney]

Fitting ending to a guy who did nothing to help the sport over the years.

That is a little harsh. Bernie is not the nicest guy in the world by any stretch of the imagination but he has helped lots of people into F1 over the years. Pretty much everybody on the grid, plus hundreds who have moved away, owe their drives, teams, sponsors, salvation to him one way or another. The stories are legion.

[GitanesBlondes]

Fitting ending to a guy who did nothing to help the sport over the years.

That is a little harsh. Bernie is not the nicest guy in the world by any stretch of the imagination but he has helped lots of people into F1 over the years. Pretty much everybody on the grid, plus hundreds who have moved away, owe their drives, teams, sponsors, salvation to him one way or another. The stories are legion.

In the long-term, his commercial rights con job that he and Max pulled off for $3 million per year for 100 years was the greatest robbery to ever occur in pro sports, and negates all of those "good will" efforts. It was frankly disgusting, and incredible how fans are still blissfully unaware of how big of a deal that move with the commercial rights was.

Yes, the stories may be legion, but it was part of Bernie's concerted effort to buy all the good will he would need in order to do things like the above.

[JimClarkFan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/29868355

Bernie saying he is responsible for f1 financial problems...

I hope there are meetings going on in the background in attempts to sort this mess out

I really hope there is no boycott, as some people are asking, would be an unbelievable disaster for that to happen twice in America.

[KeiKo403]

Can I just say it's easy to point fingers at Mr. E, Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes & Mclaren but I dare say that for the teams one of the biggest expenses are the drivers. The drivers who score points (pretty much) every race. Drivers who (should) have a good chance of winning WDC's. Is that not enough.

How about a sporting reg which says no driver can be paid more that £1 million per season (plus work expenses)

[Ciro Pabón]

Ecclestone knows perfectly what's going on.

He sucked dry F1 and nows he complains he doesn't know what to do with the empty shell.

The notion of Ecclestone "giving" could be laughable if it weren't pathetic. He's giving away crumbs while the bread is in the hand of bankers.

Simple: income is 1.5 billions per year. Over HALF of it goes to CVC. Teams have 47.5 percent of the money. An engine deal costs over 30 million.

JimClarkFan, thanks for the link. Yes, it seems F1 has made a specialty of shaming itself in ol' US.

I imagine Ecclestone will keep saying 'Tis but a scratch' till the end.

[langwadt]

Can I just say it's easy to point fingers at Mr. E, Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes & Mclaren but I dare say that for the teams one of the biggest expenses are the drivers. The drivers who score points (pretty much) every race. Drivers who (should) have a good chance of winning WDC's. Is that not enough.

How about a sporting reg which says no driver can be paid more that £1 million per season (plus work expenses)

like so many other limits on expenses that is easily circumvented in accounting, i.e. Santander pays Alonso 50M to be
"spokes person of Santander" or something like that and Ferrari gets him for free

[rjsa]

I lost as much races this year as in the peak binge drinking years during college, when I just couldn't wake up at 9am when races air here.

Now I just don't care.

[SidSidney]

Fitting ending to a guy who did nothing to help the sport over the years.

That is a little harsh. Bernie is not the nicest guy in the world by any stretch of the imagination but he has helped lots of people into F1 over the years. Pretty much everybody on the grid, plus hundreds who have moved away, owe their drives, teams, sponsors, salvation to him one way or another. The stories are legion.

In the long-term, his commercial rights con job that he and Max pulled off for $3 million per year for 100 years was the greatest robbery to ever occur in pro sports, and negates all of those "good will" efforts. It was frankly disgusting, and incredible how fans are still blissfully unaware of how big of a deal that move with the commercial rights was.

Yes, the stories may be legion, but it was part of Bernie's concerted effort to buy all the good will he would need in order to do things like the above.

I takes two to tango. Why did Mosley get away with that in full broad daylight? Why does FIFA get away with the same (that process is well documented for the German World Cup by Andrew Jennings BTW)? Where were the teams while the FIA was signing that off, do you think they were unaware? No, they all knew that was the best solution, as they all owed markers to Bernie one way or another, otherwise it would have gone to bid. Welcome to the world.

[GitanesBlondes]

I takes two to tango. Why did Mosley get away with that in full broad daylight? Why does FIFA get away with the same (that process is well documented for the German World Cup by Andrew Jennings BTW)? Where were the teams while the FIA was signing that off, do you think they were unaware? No, they all knew that was the best solution, as they all owed markers to Bernie one way or another, otherwise it would have gone to bid. Welcome to the world.

Please read this article, it will explain why exactly he got away with it.

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1/mo ... elt-in-f1/

Biggest reason he got away with it was because the world did not actually know the rights were up for bidding. He dressed it up as it being the only offer on the table...and well if you haven't really tendered the rights out on the open market, of course it would be the only offer on the table. He had a very small window to get that deal done with Bernie being the beneficiary of the deal.

Saying the teams knew it was the best solution is complete rubbish, and is not remotely close to being true.

[Pierce89]

Can I just say it's easy to point fingers at Mr. E, Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes & Mclaren but I dare say that for the teams one of the biggest expenses are the drivers. The drivers who score points (pretty much) every race. Drivers who (should) have a good chance of winning WDC's. Is that not enough.

How about a sporting reg which says no driver can be paid more that £1 million per season (plus work expenses)

Then we'll make a law saying noone in the world can make more than $1m, and we'll all live happily ever after.