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[andrew]

I wonder if MrE has greased Virgin/Marussia's palm with silver? A French driver on the grid will maybe help bring back the French GP which is seemingly one of MrEs many desires.

Why would Ecclestone want France back on the calendar when he is commissioning more and more races in Asia and the Americas? That goes totally against BE's train of thought on location!

France have been wanting a GP for a while now. Stick a local interest on the grid and the demand becomes more pressing and the event is more marketable which in turns generates more $$$$s.

That's all well and good but something has to give and many of the circuits/countries have many years remaining on their contracts... unless his Bernieness has a get out cause (which is probably does, knowing the old coot), he won't be able to breach the contract without mutual consent of the representing country! More than 20 races is never going to happen, the teams won't allow it, if many more tracks are added, it'll because a year round sport!

Bahrain will be on its final warning it it goes ahead. There's your gap, but as you say I think there would be get out clauses for MrE should he get a better offer, which is fair enough.

[scotty]

If a byproduct of this strange move is that we get the French GP back (preferably at Magny Cours/Paul Ricard) then i'm all for it!

[andrew]

Alain Prost had a crack at getting the French GP back a few years ago after his team collapsed. If I remember rightly, it was local politics that were the stumbling point.

[myownalias]

Bahrain will be on its final warning it it goes ahead. There's your gap, but as you say I think there would be get out clauses for MrE should he get a better offer, which is fair enough.

Somewhat unfair on the developers & organisers to have the race stolen away from them before it suits Bernie's needs better, especially as many countries have designed and built Grand Prix circuits from scratch and often don't host any other race series, so the only source of income for some of these circuit owners is the F1 Grand Prix'

Which could be another reason that countries/cities/venues won't want to be involved in F1, often these bespoke circuits need to run for the allotted contract period to break even.

[bud]

They shouldn't be building circuits from scratch if they only get used once a year... usually this is why places have street races as its a one off event. For example Austin on the other hand would be used throughout the year by other categories.

[darwin dali]

They shouldn't be building circuits from scratch if they only get used once a year... usually this is why places have street races as its a one off event. For example Austin on the other hand would be used throughout the year by other categories.

That's why NJ is the safer bet as if anything goes pear-shaped, there won't be million-dollar F1 ruins in the middle of nowhere (Korea comes to mind) burning a hole in investors' pockets.

[myownalias]

Pretty much every circuit that has been added in the last 10 years has been bespoke, built from scratch circuits in countries where F1 isn't that popular, all these events have been sanctioned with the single intent of lining Bernie Ecclestone and CVC's pockets, it's not what is best for Formula 1...

[racechick]

Pretty much every circuit that has been added in the last 10 years has been bespoke, built from scratch circuits in countries where F1 isn't that popular, all these events have been sanctioned with the single intent of lining Bernie Ecclestone and CVC's pockets, it's not what is best for Formula 1...

[andrew]

Pretty much every circuit that has been added in the last 10 years has been bespoke, built from scratch circuits in countries where F1 isn't that popular, all these events have been sanctioned with the single intent of lining Bernie Ecclestone and CVC's pockets, it's not what is best for Formula 1...

It's all about what is going to generate the higher revunue. A shiny new circuit or a tatty old one that's had a lick of paint. New circuits suit the fans in the new area and the local economy of that area, MrE and the teams so it is good for F1 plus spreading F1 into new areas is not a bad thing.

[myownalias]

Pretty much every circuit that has been added in the last 10 years has been bespoke, built from scratch circuits in countries where F1 isn't that popular, all these events have been sanctioned with the single intent of lining Bernie Ecclestone and CVC's pockets, it's not what is best for Formula 1...

It's all about what is going to generate the higher revunue. A shiny new circuit or a tatty old one that's had a lick of paint. New circuits suit the fans in the new area and the local economy of that area, MrE and the teams so it is good for F1 plus spreading F1 into new areas is not a bad thing.

14 - 16 tracks in Europe plus Australia, Brazil and Canada and Japan, all will be filled to the rafters year after year, motorsports in general in not that big in Asia with the exception of Japan, so it really makes little sense in going to markets where motorsports is a distraction rather than a passion, how can these places have higher revenues than motorsport nuts countries in Europe, more people attend European GP's, more Europeans buy merchendise, if your talking about revenues for FOM, then yes, Arabian and Asian countries have the most money to pay Bernie's extortionate fees, these countries are also not so worried about making a loss with half empty grandstands on a Saturday/Sunday afternoon... they are just interested in the prestige of holding an F1 event!

I would like to see France (Paul Ricard/Magny-Cours), Austria (A1 Ring), and Portugal (Estoril), also restore the pre-2001 spec Hockenheimring, the Tilke butchered version is dull and go back to having the European GP at Nurburgring (or even better, let the F1 cars loose on the Nordschleife), in addition to Europe, how about a return to Buenos Aires, Argentina and Kyalami, South Africa. There are already plenty of countries/circuits that could easily be brought upto F1 standards with a passionate motorsport following.

Hmm, we seem to have gotten a little off topic...

[darwin dali]

Right - lets get back to talking fresh meat