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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.
Bosses of leading car manufacturer teams in Formula 1 admit it is a big blow that there will be no North American race in 2009 and expect the issue to be raised at the next FOTA meeting.
This week’s surprising announcement that the Canadian Grand Prix had been axed from a revised 2009 calendar means the sport will not feature a Canadian or US round (including Indianapolis 500) for the first time since the inception of the world championship in 1950.
BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen said the news was a major disappointment for the German carmaker and believed it was important for F1 to keep a foothold in North America while it worked on finally trying to crack the United States.
“Obviously we are not happy about not being in North America,” he said at Fuji on Friday.
“The US is the most important and biggest car market for BMW and I think for the industry as a whole.
“It has always been difficult to set foot into the US but Canada has always been a very Formula 1 supporter and the race in Montreal.
“I have seen the race in Montreal as an operational base to get a second race up and running in the US, and so we would, rather than drop the Canada race, use it or expand the operations in North America to have a Canadian plus at least one US race.”
Honda CEO Nick Fry said the Canadian GP decision had also been bad news for the Japanese firm and added that he expected the matter to be raised during the next Formula One Teams Association discussion.
“On Canada, we are hugely disappointed – it's difficult to emphasise by how much,” he said.
“Honda is very successful in Canada, we make cars there, the local company there is hugely enthusiastic about Formula 1.
“We have large numbers of guests from America and from Canada. We sponsor the event, we would like to see it back on the calendar as soon as possible and I …that I think it will be a major topic of conversation among the teams at the next meeting of the teams.”
Toyota president John Howett added: “We are sad because it's a great race, we like to go there.
“I think one of the targets of FOTA is to actually ask the commercial rights holder to really establish a strong foothold in North America, particularly the US, with a race which showcases Formula 1 well, and is, if you like, economically beneficial to Formula 1 as a whole.
“So I think this is one of the core discussions FOTA wishes to have because it is a very important market for our sponsors and for Formula 1 and hopefully in the next one to two years we can establish a proper race in the United States which is good for all of us.”
The United States GP at Indianapolis lost its place on the calendar this year following an eight-season stint after circuit bosses failed to reach agreement over a new deal with Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
And while Indy boss have repeated on several occasions their desire for F1 to return to the Brickyard, there have been suggestions that Ecclestone may seek an alternative venue for any US return.
In 2006, Legault stated that an agreement maintaining the Canadian round of the championship until 2011 had been reached with Bernie Ecclestone.
I wonder what Bernie's excuse will be? He lost it? Or used the back of the hard copy of the agreement to play a game of Noughts and Crosses on it.
I knew his hit-back at Di Montezemolo yesterday was too good to be true.
In 2006, Legault stated that an agreement maintaining the Canadian round of the championship until 2011 had been reached with Bernie Ecclestone.
I wonder what Bernie's excuse will be? He lost it? Or used the back of the hard copy of the agreement to play a game of Noughts and Crosses on it.
I knew his hit-back at Di Montezemolo yesterday was too good to be true.
Its simple. He likes money more than anything else!
anyone out there see the fact that canada is dropped because the csca wanted m.m. *censored* gone/along w/the aaa of the united states.also the postscript about germany's adac/england's rac.let's see no race in canada-the u.s.a.-move the silverstone race/slap germany's hand.these two clowns gotta go-for the good of the sport.the silverhaired s/s says he likes the idea of common engines??? how will that sit w/m-b/ferrari? what about their pride.let alone honda,toyota et al.is he to old /senile to see this? think about it.a f1 fam-race attendee every year since 1964-also af1 artist/am i pissed.
From F1 Live:
Bernie Ecclestone on Friday said it is not inconceivable that Canada could win back its spot on the Formula One calendar.
The F1 chief executive recently cancelled the Montreal race's contract for 2009 and beyond.
"We tried our best, but they have not kept up their obligations for the past three years," he told Auto Motor und Sport in an interview.
"Until this point they have paid only 50 per cent of the money they owe us. I wouldn't say that Canada has no chance to return, but first they have to pay," the 77-year-old billionaire said.
Since the Canada axe, organisers of the Magny Cours race have called off the 2009 French Grand Prix for financial reasons.
"They had one more race than we were expecting," Ecclestone revealed.
"We don't have to worry," Bernie said. "There are four of five new people who are just waiting to get a Grand Prix."
© CAPSIS International
Source: GMM
Hang on a moment. Ecclestone has changed his tune within the space of hours, this is not like him!
- By darwin daliYeah, not very active here, unfortunately. Is it […]
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