Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
Media group News Corporation has officially confirmed it plans to look into a joint takeover of Formula 1 with an Italian investment company that has close links to Fiat.
Is this part of the Ferrari Bernie game plan against FIA 2013 engine rules?
FOM is 90% owned by CVC and JPMorgan, is it not? That should pave the way to it being susceptible to a hostile takeover; if someone was rich enough to buy those two parties out, no?
CVC says it's NewCorp (Rupert Murdoch) and that the possibility of a buy-out is "friendly." Also that F1 is "not for sale."
Ferrari take over? Time for the tin foil hats again.
Enzo Ferrari was a great man. But he was not a good man. -- Phil Hill
Ferrari involvement and teams involvement in the sports ownership is real bad news.
F1 is not EPL where the rules of the game do not change. There are way too may areas in technical aspect of the sport which will need consent of the different teams with different agendas.
FOTA is already in loggerheads with 2013 rules, a change of ownership to the teams will only complicate things even more. Adding 12 more Bernie Ecclestone into the sports ownership is a nightmare for all F1 fans.
F1 is heading the same way as CART. An organization which failed so miserably towards the end as the team owners could agree to nothing.
I'd rather the teams had an ownership stake than Sky, that's for sure. If Sky get it and take it to pay-to-view (even if they allow fee-to-air "live replays" after the event) then I, for one, shall not be watching F1 any more.
It's interesting that the most interesting time in F1 for the last 20 years is probably the time when the teams are involved, through FOTA, in the process of making the rules. We've had several close seasons with quite a lot of good racing going on through the field. I don't think the teams' ownership of the sport would make that worse - they're astute enough to know that they have to keep lots of fans on board to keep revenue up.
I'd be happy for the teams to come up with a wide set of 2013 rules e.g. you can have a big capacity V8-12 or you can have a small turbo. Then if Ferrari want to race big V engines they can. Whether they can win that way is then up to them. Likewise aero - let the teams run more underbody derived downforce with limited wings if they wish - this should allow more wheel to wheel racing without the fear of losing the precious front wing.
Open end the rule book and then help the poorer teams to compete e.g. cheap/free engine/gearbox supply deals. Let Ferrari et al spend $200m on developing their car if they wish but they have to give 2 back-marker teams their drivetrains. Then the poorer teams can spend their limited resources on pure car development not engine/gearbox purchases.
If you are more fortunate than others, build a larger table not a taller fence.
