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[grant977]

Damn these fools what the heck are us Americans supposed to do now. I am going to have to go to Europe next year to see a race. First the US Grand Prix and now this. I was almost happy to lose indy beacause it was such a terrible track in the false hope that the USGP would be held somewhere better. But, to loose Canadana an excellent track is a absolute tragedy.

I hope Spa or any other classic track is not next.

[darwin dali]

[IceManpjn]

Canada dropped from '09 calendar

I don't know what to say other than something with an excessive amount of profanity.

Those - can their with until it bleeds.

That looks about right.

[tommifinn]

The most interesting thing is - the organisers from Montreal did not know anything at all. They thought they have a race until yesterday. And the contract is valid until 2011.

I think it's time to rebuild all tracks to have a start and a podium in direction of Mecca.

[Ferrarista]

Incredible...Bernie does it again!

[liquidmetal]

going to new locations is ok .... but not at the cost of the traditional races .... wtf made those bloody f***ers decide to drop canada?

[scousers on tour 2008]

what a f***ing joke Canada has had some of the most exciting races,its affordable to go to and you dont get sand in the crack of your ar*e like you will in the middle east.
what next Monza,Germany and oh yes the UK

[Denthúl]

Apparently, Canada weren't paying their fees...

I don't know how reliable this is, but if it's the case, you can't really argue.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20846.html

[McLaren Fan]

Apparently, Canada weren't paying their fees...

I don't know how reliable this is, but if it's the case, you can't really argue.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20846.html

Well, it's what you could call educated supposition. It's not really a surprise that the track may not have been able to keep up its fees. To me, it's always been absurd that one has to pay to host a race, and even more absurd are the costs you have to pay. That's one of the reasons why Silverstone has been annexed.

[Denthúl]

Apparently, Canada weren't paying their fees...

I don't know how reliable this is, but if it's the case, you can't really argue.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20846.html

Well, it's what you could call educated supposition. It's not really a surprise that the track may not have been able to keep up its fees. To me, it's always been absurd that one has to pay to host a race, and even more absurd are the costs you have to pay. That's one of the reasons why Silverstone has been annexed.

You have to pay to host a race, yes, but then money is brought in through the sponsorship that is placed all around your track. In addition, the fact that you've got the race there means that you will have people attending: paying for tickets, food, parking etc. and of course any other things you may sell. Also, there's potential for agreements with local hotels to bring in accomodation. So yes, you're paying for the rights to host something, but you're doing it so that you can bring in money because of the race being there.

[McLaren Fan]

Apparently, Canada weren't paying their fees...

I don't know how reliable this is, but if it's the case, you can't really argue.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20846.html

Well, it's what you could call educated supposition. It's not really a surprise that the track may not have been able to keep up its fees. To me, it's always been absurd that one has to pay to host a race, and even more absurd are the costs you have to pay. That's one of the reasons why Silverstone has been annexed.

You have to pay to host a race, yes, but then money is brought in through the sponsorship that is placed all around your track. In addition, the fact that you've got the race there means that you will have people attending: paying for tickets, food, parking etc. and of course any other things you may sell. Also, there's potential for agreements with local hotels to bring in accomodation. So yes, you're paying for the rights to host something, but you're doing it so that you can bring in money because of the race being there.

That's not all true, I'm afraid. The venue has no control over sponsorship etc.. Ecclestone handles all of that and gets all of the proceeds from it. Ecclestone even gets a cut from the race programme! That's the reason why Formula One tickets are so expensive, for ticket sales is basically the only way the tracks get money by hosting the race - in the West anyway. In fact, a lot of venues lose money hosting Grands Prix. Hockenheim lost £3,000,000 this season! The Nürburgring lost some money last season as well. This is why the German Grand Prix has to alternate venues, for neither track can afford to lose money each year just for holding a Formula One Grand Prix. Formula One will help the local economy, but that's just a side effect of Ecclestone's agreements with the venues. I feel there has to be symbiosis between Ecclestone and the tracks. Ecclestone is getting tens of millions pounds/dollars from circuits like the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and is being allowed to put on a Grand Prix at a venue of his choice, but the tracks are getting nothing in return. As said, many are, in fact, losing money. On top of this, the unreasonable costs the tracks are subjected to are being passed down to fans and no money is going to grass-roots motorsport. The only countries willing to pay Ecclestone his tens of millions are in Asia. They have money through things such as oil, and/or have strongly-developing economies and want to display their new wealth to the world. We don't need to do this in the West and more liberal-minded, so feel that forking out millions to host Formula One is not worth it, for the money could be used to combat injustice, poverty etc.

[thepitlane]

I think this is an absolute disgrace.
Canada over the years has provided some of the most memorable F1 moments.
Bernie once again has opted for the £££'s instead of trying to sort out any problems that the track had this season.

I'm sure with a bit of investment the track could have been sufficiently upgraded, the sad truth however is the money is in Asia right now and there is no place for sentiment or history when there are millions of pounds on offer in a country that wants to gatecrash the F1 party.

Bring on Abu Dhabi the next "great new track"

[McLaren Fan]

From F1 Live:

Theissen keen to see Montreal return

More light has been shed on the cancellation of the 2009 Canadian Grand Prix.

The local Montreal radio station CJAD claims the race's promoter, F1 Grand Prix du Canada, owes the Bernie Ecclestone-led Formula One Management some $10m.

The arguments make no sense to BMW Sauber team boss Mario Theissen, however, who expressed disappointment with the loss of the last North American stop on the calendar.

"The North American market still is the biggest one, not just for BMW," he told reporters at Fuji Speedway on Thursday.

The German said the development is also a backwards step for efforts to reinstate a US grand prix, after Indianapolis chiefs and Ecclestone failed to reach an agreement for 2008 or 2009.

"The intention should be not to step out of this market but just the opposite - to use Montreal as door opener for a future US race as well," Theissen added.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

[McLaren Fan]

From F1 Live:

Canadian close to F1's governing body has scotched hopes that the decision to axe the Montreal race may not be final.

Bernie Ecclestone is well known for using tough tactics in negotiations with F1 venues, but this is not an example of the 77-year-old supremo hatching a ploy, according to Roger Peart.

"It was voted on by the FIA and that's really the end of it," said Peart, President of the FIA's circuits commission. "It's a done deal," he told The Gazette newspaper.

"It's sad news for Montreal, it's sad for racing in Canada, and I don't think anyone can do anything about it."

It is believed the reason for the split is contractual, despite an agreement to stage the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve through 2011. Peart suggested that the reason for the situation is commercial.

"I'm surprised but not completely," he said. "Not completely because the commercial side of the sport is moving on to more glamorous venues.

"I don't mean the city of Montreal as far as that, but the facilities themselves. Some (facilities) like Montreal are not world leaders anymore, so it's a purely commercial matter, unfortunately."

Ecclestone later confirmed that a "contract problem" spelled the end for the event. The English language Montreal radio station CJAD, however, said the F1 Chief Executive would not give further details.

The 77-year-old Briton expressed his desire to see his sport return to North America in the future, but insists that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has 'for sure' lost the race for 2009.

E.A, Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

If the venue was not paying their fees, then, I suppose, Ecclestone was in his rights to cancel the Grand Prix for next year. That said, it's disappointing that he axed the race so quickly. Perhaps a solution could have been found if the track, Canadian government etc. were aware of bad the situation had become. There was a chance that this great Grand Prix could still have been on the calendar next season, but Ecclestone and the FIA did all that they could to make sure that it would not be going ahead.

[Denthúl]

From F1 Live:

Canadian close to F1's governing body has scotched hopes that the decision to axe the Montreal race may not be final.

Bernie Ecclestone is well known for using tough tactics in negotiations with F1 venues, but this is not an example of the 77-year-old supremo hatching a ploy, according to Roger Peart.

"It was voted on by the FIA and that's really the end of it," said Peart, President of the FIA's circuits commission. "It's a done deal," he told The Gazette newspaper.

"It's sad news for Montreal, it's sad for racing in Canada, and I don't think anyone can do anything about it."

It is believed the reason for the split is contractual, despite an agreement to stage the race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve through 2011. Peart suggested that the reason for the situation is commercial.

"I'm surprised but not completely," he said. "Not completely because the commercial side of the sport is moving on to more glamorous venues.

"I don't mean the city of Montreal as far as that, but the facilities themselves. Some (facilities) like Montreal are not world leaders anymore, so it's a purely commercial matter, unfortunately."

Ecclestone later confirmed that a "contract problem" spelled the end for the event. The English language Montreal radio station CJAD, however, said the F1 Chief Executive would not give further details.

The 77-year-old Briton expressed his desire to see his sport return to North America in the future, but insists that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has 'for sure' lost the race for 2009.

E.A, Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International

If the venue was not paying their fees, then, I suppose, Ecclestone was in his rights to cancel the Grand Prix for next year. That said, it's disappointing that he axed the race so quickly. Perhaps a solution could have been found if the track, Canadian government etc. were aware of bad the situation had become. There was a chance that this great Grand Prix could still have been on the calendar next season, but Ecclestone and the FIA did all that they could to make sure that it would not be going ahead.

A lot of people are talking about Bernie helping the circuit out in the past by keeping their costs lower and allowing them to get away with facilities that weren't as good as other tracks and, indeed, the issues with the track itself.