Brit GP from Silverstone to Donington

[WhiteBlue]

CVC being the commercial rights holder cannot be excluded from marketing the races I think. That has always been a commercial right and they will not contemplate to have that taken away. Nevertheless I feel that the FIA can claim the right to specify what kind of continental distribution and type of track they want to specify. There is nothing wrong in my mind to develop this framework of mixture of races. They have the sporting authority and should develop the framework together with the teams.

[mcdenife]

They have the plans for more than a year and have been buying property in edition to the original park. I guess they know what they do. As for the access road or roads why would it be payed for Silverstone from taxpayers money to attract racing business and then not for Donington at a much smaller amount?

you know they have been buying property in the area? That is news to me. Silverstone is totally different from Donington given the industries/services/jobs and many commuties/towns/villages in that corridor that benefitted. In essence, it was an easy sell. So why should tax payers foot the bill if the main beneficiary of any road expansion would be F1 (or motoracing) and its fans?

[Conceptual]

CVC being the commercial rights holder cannot be excluded from marketing the races I think. That has always been a commercial right and they will not contemplate to have that taken away. Nevertheless I feel that the FIA can claim the right to specify what kind of continental distribution and type of track they want to specify. There is nothing wrong in my mind to develop this framework of mixture of races. They have the sporting authority and should develop the framework together with the teams.

Hey, the CVC can still promote and get sponsorship for these races, but the sponsors do not pick what tracks are competed upon now, that is BE choice alone.

I think moving from what is out there now, to a general knowledge worldwide auction system would generate much more money than is there now, and the CVC can simply cement GP sponsorship, and add that revenue to the money that the highest bidding track has committed to.

I think it is a business model that would not only work, but generate ALOT more noise about F1, increase its media exposure, and bring in more revenue.

At $150/barrel, I'm sure that the middle eastern countries in a bidding war would outstrip the current income of a non-competitive selection process.

Bernie just has to limit the middle eastern races to 2, because any more dates would dilute the bid.

Does anyone else think that this would work?

Chris

[Scuderia_Russ]

Been speaking to various motorsport stakeholders recently and I hate to say it but I think next year will be the last British G.P!

[donskar]

Scuderia_russ, could you please elaborate?

Been speaking to various motorsport stakeholders recently and I hate to say it but I think next year will be the last British G.P!

You mean no Brit GP at ANY course? I'd be disappoineted, but NOT surprised!

[Scuderia_Russ]

The British G.P. will never be held at Silverstone again while a) Bernie runs F1, b)The B.R.D.C. run Silverstone or c)all of the above. Donington will never raise the finance needed and complete the work needed in time and the space on the calendar will be going somewhere else. Bernies has veiled hating the B.R.D.C. as hating Silverstone. Hence many within the sport can see the reality that next year will be the last British G.P.

[Conceptual]

The British G.P. will never be held at Silverstone again while a) Bernie runs F1, b)The B.R.D.C. run Silverstone or c)all of the above. Donington will never raise the finance needed and complete the work needed in time and the space on the calendar will be going somewhere else. Bernies has veiled hating the B.R.D.C. as hating Silverstone. Hence many within the sport can see the reality that next year will be the last British G.P.

Going to another middle eastern country?

Chris

[WhiteBlue]

In this case I believe that Bernie is serious about Donington and that CVC is behind the finance. They will not be in it for a long time though. As long as they meet the FIA requirements they determine themselves how good the facilities should be. So as long as Donington adds a lot of value as a property and Hamilton pulls the crowds the venture can work. They will obviously try to maximise revenue and cash flow by debenture scheme and going public early. Perhaps some of the building cost can be financed by leasing schemes as well. We will know pretty soon if the thing is on track. They have to start some work in October to keep the schedule. For Bernie's personal satisfaction it is much better to show the BRDC a success than make a simillar amount of money elsewhere. There is no question that Donington requires much more investment than Silverstone, but if CVC is in charge that money can be found much easier than by the BRDC.

[Scuderia_Russ]

Believe it or not this is not about money. It is about a personal vendetta of Bernies against the B.R.D.C. I won't go into why.

[WhiteBlue]

Believe it or not this is not about money. It is about a personal vendetta of Bernies against the B.R.D.C. I won't go into why.

so the more fun he will have if the GP is held 80 miles from their doorstep, showing the world how it can be done.

[Conceptual]

I find it tough to believe that it is a personal vendetta without any statements to back that up.

From what I see and read, Bernie wants money, period. And without any sort of auctioning system, Bernie alone knows the numbers that are available, and makes his decisions accordingly.

Don't get me wrong, I am sure that he makes some noise by "shopping around" to simply squeeze more cash from the venues, but a personal vendetta would completely diminish his standing and reputation with venue organizers around the world.

Eventually leading to ALL VENUES refusing to host a GP for a season. You could name every track that meets FIA F1 racing standards on a napkin. It isn't too far of a stretch for them to reach out together, organize, and choke off Bernie's options.

When people act with vengance, people retaliate with vengance. I don''t think that Bernie is dumb enough to allow a personal feeling to interrupt his job description, he has played the game long enough to know that it hampers long-term relationships.

Chris

[Scuderia_Russ]

I don''t think that Bernie is dumb enough to allow a personal feeling to interrupt his job description,

That's what I thought too.

he has played the game long enough to know that it hampers long-term relationships.

Chris

Certain members of the B.R.D.C. forgot this though a couple of years back, hence the loss of the G.P. from Silverstone... and that is all there is to it.

[WhiteBlue]

.. Eventually leading to ALL VENUES refusing to host a GP for a season. You could name every track that meets FIA F1 racing standards on a napkin. It isn't too far of a stretch for them to reach out together, organize, and choke off Bernie's options...

Chris

I do not see how this theory is holding water. There is a market for GPs and Bernie knows the market better than any other person. The one thing he managed to do very successfull right from the start of the first concord was squashing the power of the race promoters. In actual fact the concord was a marketing strategy against the race promoters and the TV buyers from day one. Bernie isn't likely to forget that and bring those people back into powers. He has dominated them for 27 years by creating a secrete market place where everyone has to dance to his tune. They got used to it so much, none of them woud likely risk their precious races by an attempt to boycott.