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[andrew]

Its a great circuit and deserves to stay-flush valencia and catalunya into the sea instead!!
And like you say, you have the amazing Istanbul itself to extend your stay and enjoy.
The Turks will only get more interested in F1 if the GP stays and is marketed well. It wont happen overnight.
Bernie is a gready sod!

I disagree. The track is average, except turn 8, which is hardly a unique feature anyway. Valencia is poor but Barcelona is a fantastic circuit and produces great racing.

The track probably is marketed pretty well but Turkey is I think primarily a football nation and F1 is not a big thing there. Hardly MrE's fault. It's the sporting culture in Turkey. Maybe a Turkish driver may attract some attention through blind patriotism.

It is not MrE that is the greedy sod. It is the teams. What MrE gets for himself and CVC's investors is not unreasonable for a major sporting event. It is the teams that demand year on year more cash that is making the sport more expensive so invariably ticket prices have to increase. Also, the less people that go, the higher the ticket prices to make ther race worth bothering with. If Turkey wants an affordable F1 race then the Turkish people better start going. Pretty simple really.

But if this track goes it is no loss. With fantastic tracks like Imola and the A1 Ring/Red Bull Ring going without a GP, Instanbul Park doesn't matter.

[LewEngBridewell]

The track is average, except turn 8, which is hardly a unique feature anyway. Valencia is poor but Barcelona is a fantastic circuit and produces great racing.

How you can say that Turkey is average yet Barcelona is fantastic is totally beyond me. You must be joking, but I'm going to rant about it anyway.

Valencia is pretty dire, so at least we agree on that front.

But Barcelona is bloody awful, it's for me the worst circuit on the calendar. There's hardly anywhere to pass apart from the start-finish, and even then, it's now more difficult with that crap chicane they added at the end a few years back. The race was only made exciting this season by the new regs, which have been a godsend for circuits like Barcelona. The most outstanding moment was Senna and Mansell fighting down this straight ages ago, but nothing has topped that since at this circuit.

As for Istanbul Park, you have so much scope for passing (unlike Barcelona) and it's a challenging one to drive (unlike Barcelona). The lap starts with that awkward, unsighted, off-camber corner, then you've got the infamous Turn 8 which many a great racer has got wrong, and then that amazing back straight which is so great for overtaking and finally you've got a heavy braking turn-in-and-hope final bit, which gives further overtaking opportunities down the start-finish.

It's the sort of circuit the drivers can really attack. To prove it... the majority of them love it.

[racechick]

Its a great circuit and deserves to stay-flush valencia and catalunya into the sea instead!!
And like you say, you have the amazing Istanbul itself to extend your stay and enjoy.
The Turks will only get more interested in F1 if the GP stays and is marketed well. It wont happen overnight.
Bernie is a gready sod!

I disagree. The track is average, except turn 8, which is hardly a unique feature anyway. Valencia is poor but Barcelona is a fantastic circuit and produces great racing.

The track probably is marketed pretty well but Turkey is I think primarily a football nation and F1 is not a big thing there. Hardly MrE's fault. It's the sporting culture in Turkey. Maybe a Turkish driver may attract some attention through blind patriotism.

It is not MrE that is the greedy sod. It is the teams. What MrE gets for himself and CVC's investors is not unreasonable for a major sporting event. It is the teams that demand year on year more cash that is making the sport more expensive so invariably ticket prices have to increase. Also, the less people that go, the higher the ticket prices to make ther race worth bothering with. If Turkey wants an affordable F1 race then the Turkish people better start going. Pretty simple really.

But if this track goes it is no loss. With fantastic tracks like Imola and the A1 Ring/Red Bull Ring going without a GP, Instanbul Park doesn't matter.

Yes Turkey is a footballing nation.But they could become a motor racing nation. What about Bahrain?
And other tracks in countries with no interest in motor sport apart from a few rich elite?
Bernie absolutely is greedy and the teams get a fraction of the money they generate. Bernie has more money than he knows what to do with and still wants more. And there are question marks on how he did the deal with CVC.

'Barcelona is fantastic' You cannot mean that!! Its marginally better than Valencia and not a patch on Istanbull park. I nearly went to Valencia the first time it had a race....soooo glad I didnt bother! I did go to Istanbul park...soooooo glad I did. MEGA!

[andrew]

Yes I am deadly serious about Barcelona being a fantastic track. The problem is the teams know it far too well as they test there. I am also deadly serious about Istanbul Park being instantly fogettable.

You can rant all you like but nothing you can say will make me change my mind.

As for MrE being greedy, sure he gets his slice of the pie (only right) but let's face it anyone who says they would act differently than him is either a liar or they would be a hopeless businessperson. He owns the rights to F1 so he can charge as much as he likes. If he wasn't getting vast amounts of cash from each event, he wouldn't be doing his job would he? Besides, the event organisers agree to pay huge amount to host an F1 race. They sign a contract knowing the costs and implications. As with any contract, if you sign without fully understanding all you'r obligations and wotnot you deserve to be ripped off.

All big business has a seedy side. The shenanigans with CVC are just the tip of the iceberg, but in business you do what you have to do to survive and be successful - you don't get anywhere worthwhile by being nice and ethical. I don't believe for a minute that the teams get a fraction of the income generated by a race event.

[racechick]

Well Id be nice if I ran F1. It'd be great if I ran it!! And I wouldnt be greedy.And Catalunya and Valencia would go!!. Spain could have jerez.

[andrew]

Well if I ran it, the calander would comprise of Barcelona, Spa, Monza, Imola, A1 Ring, Montreal, Donington Park, Mangy Cours, Suzuka, Spa and Interlagos and it would be as if Carlsberg ran F1 and I would be very well off indeed. In fact, I would buy the moon and make it a reserve for the Hamiltonians to call their own (there is one catch - no internet access. Bwahahahahaha!!!)

[racechick]

You cant run it then. Silverstone off catalunta on No way Jose!

[andrew]

You cant run it then. Silverstone off catalunta on No way Jose!

Spoilsport!

[LewEngBridewell]

Well if I ran it, the calander would comprise of Barcelona, Spa, Monza, Imola, A1 Ring, Montreal, Donington Park, Mangy Cours, Suzuka, Spa and Interlagos

Andrew, I just can't fathom some of your choices... Barcelona????? Magny-Cours??????????? Donington instead of Silverstone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you actually been watching F1 over the years???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

I just hope you never run F1, the sport would be a disaster....

[elfinitty]

Well, im not sure about the track arguement, but i guess if theres poor attendance then its always going to be in danger of being dropped, most of the fans there were from Russia / Germany and other european countries, there were very very few turks there which surprised me.

The track is well outside istanbul, not even in the same province and the access to it is very poor, organisation of coaches was abysmal, and the tracks location was bitterly cold, even with the sun beating down, but all that pails into insignificance when you can spend a day or two in istanbul proper, a magnificant city thats well worth the visit, its just a pity F1 wasnt more popular in turkey.

Hey,we have been to the same GP.And i was so surprised by having less attendance of Turks too!As i said for several times it will take a bit time for motor sports to be popular in Turkey.We didnt have driver,track,even not good broadcasting of races until near future.But now we do have and kids are interested in motor sports,since they have that culture when time passes there will be more interest.

It was blazing hot when I went to watch there, people sheltering under the stands to get out of the sun between races. Now if you want cold go watch at Silverstone!

Its only an hour from Istanbul- theres no way they could have put it IN Istanbul! The coaches out were very easy to get, all lined up near the blue mosque and only about 20p. There was a problem with the drivers getting lost but the fans sorted them out. This was 2006, i was kinda hoping they'd sorted that bit by now. I was expecting access to be much more difficult. Its a greast circuit and deserves to stay-flush valencia and catalunya into the sea instead!!
And like you say, you have the amazing Istanbul itself to extend your stay and enjoy.
The Turks will only get more interested in F1 if the GP stays and is marketed well. It wont happen overnight.
Bernie is a gready sod!

Wow,from blue Mosque how you managed to get there in 1 hour?!I live in a destiny quite close to there and it took half an hour.I agree that access was good they even had bus tours to Istanbul Park.And this track is so much better than Spanish ones,plus Abu Dhabi or Singapore.Without rearding its my country i dont want it to stay away from races!Our people in charge of this who still insist on paying 13 m dollars are guilty as well as Bernie!!

Plus,weather in Istanbul gets really cold when it gets cold.Though i had never seen this low temperature in May until this year.But i cant compare it to England or somewhere else in North since i have never been those places

I disagree. The track is average, except turn 8, which is hardly a unique feature anyway. Valencia is poor but Barcelona is a fantastic circuit and produces great racing.

The track probably is marketed pretty well but Turkey is I think primarily a football nation and F1 is not a big thing there. Hardly MrE's fault. It's the sporting culture in Turkey. Maybe a Turkish driver may attract some attention through blind patriotism.

It is not MrE that is the greedy sod. It is the teams. What MrE gets for himself and CVC's investors is not unreasonable for a major sporting event. It is the teams that demand year on year more cash that is making the sport more expensive so invariably ticket prices have to increase. Also, the less people that go, the higher the ticket prices to make ther race worth bothering with. If Turkey wants an affordable F1 race then the Turkish people better start going. Pretty simple really.

But if this track goes it is no loss. With fantastic tracks like Imola and the A1 Ring/Red Bull Ring going without a GP, Instanbul Park doesn't matter.

Barcelona better than Istanbul Park?But how??!I agree with respond of Lew to your message.And F1 isnt YET a SO MUCH big thing here but i believe it will.Theres so much potential.As i explained before.People could make ads or something else for making F1 more popular but they didnt.We fans offer it but they havent heard us.

Still,this track doesnt deserve to be out of the calendar and fans here dont deserve their country to be out of the calendar.

[Hammer278]

Well if I ran it, the calander would comprise of Barcelona, Spa, Monza, Imola, A1 Ring, Montreal, Donington Park, Mangy Cours, Suzuka, Spa and Interlagos and it would be as if Carlsberg ran F1 and I would be very well off indeed. In fact, I would buy the moon and make it a reserve for the Hamiltonians to call their own (there is one catch - no internet access. Bwahahahahaha!!!)

.....Well you and Bernie are doing an equally good job.

[andrew]

Well if I ran it, the calander would comprise of Barcelona, Spa, Monza, Imola, A1 Ring, Montreal, Donington Park, Mangy Cours, Suzuka, Spa and Interlagos

Andrew, I just can't fathom some of your choices... Barcelona????? Magny-Cours??????????? Donington instead of Silverstone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you actually been watching F1 over the years???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

I just hope you never run F1, the sport would be a disaster....

All these are good tracks which have produced good racing in the past and will again if the cars are ever sorted.

Barcelona better than Istanbul Park?But how??!I agree with respond of Lew to your message.And F1 isnt YET a SO MUCH big thing here but i believe it will.Theres so much potential.As i explained before.People could make ads or something else for making F1 more popular but they didnt.We fans offer it but they havent heard us.

Still,this track doesnt deserve to be out of the calendar and fans here dont deserve their country to be out of the calendar.

As I have said Istanbul Park has one good corner, which is hardly unique to this track. Other than that it is one of the dullest tracks on the calander and is totally forgettable. The way I see it, the Turkish people have had their chance to host an F1 race, most of them were not interested for whatever reason, the track is making virtually nothing so give the race to a location where it will be well attended. Pretty simple business planning and sound common sence.

[racechick]

Well if I ran it, the calander would comprise of Barcelona, Spa, Monza, Imola, A1 Ring, Montreal, Donington Park, Mangy Cours, Suzuka, Spa and Interlagos

Andrew, I just can't fathom some of your choices... Barcelona????? Magny-Cours??????????? Donington instead of Silverstone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you actually been watching F1 over the years???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

I just hope you never run F1, the sport would be a disaster....

All these are good tracks which have produced good racing in the past and will again if the cars are ever sorted.

Barcelona better than Istanbul Park?But how??!I agree with respond of Lew to your message.And F1 isnt YET a SO MUCH big thing here but i believe it will.Theres so much potential.As i explained before.People could make ads or something else for making F1 more popular but they didnt.We fans offer it but they havent heard us.

Still,this track doesnt deserve to be out of the calendar and fans here dont deserve their country to be out of the calendar.

As I have said Istanbul Park has one good corner, which is hardly unique to this track. Other than that it is one of the dullest tracks on the calander and is totally forgettable. The way I see it, the Turkish people have had their chance to host an F1 race, most of them were not interested for whatever reason, the track is making virtually nothing so give the race to a location where it will be well attended. Pretty simple business planning and sound common sence.

Give them chance!!!! People dont just get interested overnight. And it doesnt just have one good corner. I watched from the last two corners 12, 13 and 14 i think they were, the wiggly bit before back on the pit staight. It was great there for overtaking, well it was for lewis' car anyway (2006) From last to 2nd. magic!! just about a car a lap. The track has changes of height as well which makes it interesting. It was nice to see massa beat Alonso and Schumacher too.

[andrew]

Give them a chance? They've had since 2005!!

[LewEngBridewell]

Give them a chance? They've had since 2005!!

Attendance at Barcelona was crap until Alonso turned up.