France and Belgium to alternate GP's

[Hail22]

Tax money? Is it a government-operated circuit?

Yes similar to Singapore, Valencia, Melbourne etc etc, however not operated more like the majority of the event fee.

[blokkie]

Partially it's funded (I think 2/3) by the government with the reason to "promote walonie & belgium"
So the governement of the french speaking belgians gives a huge amount of money to the circuit so it can host a F1 race.

Remember when tobacco advertisement was going to be banned in F1 ? Our belgian government descided a year earlier to already to apply no tobacco-sponsering should be alowed in any sporting event in a law , and as spa is funded by the belgian governement, Formula 1 was not alowed to show tobacco sponsering.
That year it was very close that F1 would leave spa as well. But Marlborror for example then used the bar-code as replacement.

There is also private investment . It's not 100% governement

[Steven]

I don't care. They have a deficit of 7million EUR per year. That is very little money (compare this to the 12bln the government is cutting this year to keep its head above the water). Also, this money comes from the walloon government, so I'm hardly paying for it anyway.

The tobacco ban before it got banned in Europe was thanks to the green party who was in the government for 4 years. Never again please!

And sure, Spa is the greatest track of all. Now if they could just organise it properly... been there 5 times, it's always something.

[Scythe]

I think the Belgian government subsidizes it.

Bernie needs to understand that the tracks have to make $$. Really, should be a split of some sort on the TV revenue and the seat revenue. F1 shouldn't be a financial burden on the track, but a revenue source for it.

It shouldn't be an up front fee and then the track hopes to make some $$ back.....not really sure how the F1 fees work, but NASCAR and other series doesn't seem to have this $$ problem.

[raymondu999]

I think the tracks pay to have the F1 - then give royalty to FOM on ticket sales. I think. I think in Bernie's world the tracks are all loss leaders - and the real revenue comes from the supporting things such as hotels and tourism.

[Richard]

To correct a few facts. FOM earn money from the race fee, advertising at the cicruit, and broadcasting. The circuit earns money from tickets and on-site sales (food, merchandising, etc). The teams get a payment from FOM.

Mr Sarkozy certainly is sounding alot like Mr Le Pen these days what with his foreigner comments yesterday. But I do fail to see where the link with Mr Sarkozy and the resurrection of a French GP is.

He's a politician seeking a nationalist popular vote. He's also got a reputation for grand machismo gestures. Puffing up the chance of a French GP portrays him as a fixer striding the world stage, restoring French pride, stimulate a feel good factor.

Its all about reflected glory, why else do politicians love rubbing shoulders with sports stars?

Put it another way, what else would a sports minister say when facing a public vote. He'd hardly want to seem impotent and powerless by saying "No chance of a French GP, I suppose the Belgians are good enough"

[Hail22]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/17312397

Very interesting if thats the case Spa and France will not alternate?

[WhiteBlue]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/17312397

Very interesting if thats the case Spa and France will not alternate?

I believe you have mixed Spain and France. As the two Spanish venues are going to alternate none of them could be alternating with Spa.

So theoretically you have France and Germany left to alternate with Spa in order to reduce the burden on the tax payers.

[Hail22]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/17312397

Very interesting if thats the case Spa and France will not alternate?

I believe you have mixed Spain and France. As the two Spanish venues are going to alternate none of them could be alternating with Spa.

So theoretically you have France and Germany left to alternate with Spa in order to reduce the burden on the tax payers.

No no no...What i meant was if they are going to ditch one of the Spanish GPs then there would be no need to alternate between Spa and France.

My fault there, sorry xD

[WhiteBlue]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/17312397

Very interesting if thats the case Spa and France will not alternate?

I believe you have mixed Spain and France. As the two Spanish venues are going to alternate none of them could be alternating with Spa.

So theoretically you have France and Germany left to alternate with Spa in order to reduce the burden on the tax payers.

No no no...What i meant was if they are going to ditch one of the Spanish GPs then there would be no need to alternate between Spa and France.

My fault there, sorry xD

But it looks like they are not going to ditch one of the Spanish races. The published solution from 2013 is to alternate them.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

He's a politician seeking a nationalist popular vote. He's also got a reputation for grand machismo gestures. Puffing up the chance of a French GP portrays him as a fixer striding the world stage, restoring French pride, stimulate a feel good factor.

Its all about reflected glory, why else do politicians love rubbing shoulders with sports stars?

Put it another way, what else would a sports minister say when facing a public vote. He'd hardly want to seem impotent and powerless by saying "No chance of a French GP, I suppose the Belgians are good enough"

And I'm of the belief that the majority of the French feel no need for even more spending on F1. If it happens fair enough, but most nationalists are hurting. And this hurt is financial.
So when Sarkozy says, hey lets blow a few million on a French GP....there will be far more irate people than proud ones.
Polarised opinions will always happen with these sorts of things. The problem for Sarkozy is he will probably piss alot of people off by doing it. And, those people will probably not vote if they feel peeved enough.

Thats my point.

[blokkie]

Ecclestone confirms F1’s return to France

source : http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2777 ... to-france/

The deal verifies that Belgium’s popular Spa-Francorchamps will not be in F1 next year, but appearing sporadically in 2014, 2016 and so on; the Ardennes race has been making losses for several years and this avoids a complete departure from the calendar. France last hosted a Grand Prix when Felipe Massa won at Magny-Cours in 2008. Space must now be made in the schedule for the country’s return; the most likely solution is for Barcelona and Valencia to begin sharing the Spanish Grand Prix.


I would have loved to keep Spa , and drop one of those boring races like bahrain or turkey .. Your thoughts ?

[Nando]

I like it.

Just like the Nurburgring/Hockenheim deal.
We will eventually see Valencia and Catalunya alternate as well.

Have to make room for New Jeresey, Russian track, South Africa etc.

[SiLo]

It's a stupid idea. How can you alternate possibly the best track in the calendar?

Valencia should be ditched, as should Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. Hockenheim should go back to the old layout (but keep the new sections in the last sector, just get those straights back).

Turkey can stay because we have had some pretty entertaining races there recently. Brazil should now be increased to the original size because that was a monster of a track back then.

Didn't think much of the Indian grand prix either. When will someone make tracks like brazil and spa? when the cars have to shed downforce, the racing is usually more entertaining!

/rant. Take all this with a pinch of salt guys

[raymondu999]

not having Spa on any GP calendar is sacrilege.