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[Gaz]

For now Australia has a GP - I was listing Aussieland just as a preventive measure

They just signed a new deal so i think its pretty safe but on behalf of Australia i thank you for your concern

Every team that actually makes an effort to put together an F1 operation should be allowed in and given a chance. The more the merrier - that will give Honda, Williams and Force India (did I just list those 3 teams in one and the same context?? ) the opportunity to shine
Who are you to declare which manufacturer 'deserves' to be in F1?

well I see F1 as the pinnacle of motorsport, what have Hyundai done in the motorsport world to deserve a spot in F1? They cant even make quality family cars and what F1 doesnt need is just another car make entering F1 just for the image so they can sell shitty family cars!

They've been building their own cars for 34 years, their own motors since 17 years - the Genesis is not bad at all...
What has Force India done to 'deserve' a spot in F1? Oh I forgot, they're sluts and switch engines like panties.

You can see why they switched engine because Torro Rosso got the new Engine and Force India didn't so they were being screwed by Ferrari.

They have every right to be in F1 if they have bought there place and race.

if Hyundai want to enter F1 theres space for them but i'd like to see Pro-drive/Aston Martin rather than them.

[deMuRe]

China is one of the last opportunities for the Teams' sponsors to make some money, it's a huge emerging market, I'm sure they will fight tooth and nail to keep the F1 cars going there.

Perhaps it's just the Government fishing for a discount...

[bud]

China is one of the last opportunities for the Teams' sponsors to make some money, it's a huge emerging market, I'm sure they will fight tooth and nail to keep the F1 cars going there.

Perhaps it's just the Government fishing for a discount...

such a huge market should not have thousands of empty seats

[Gaz]

China is one of the last opportunities for the Teams' sponsors to make some money, it's a huge emerging market, I'm sure they will fight tooth and nail to keep the F1 cars going there.

Perhaps it's just the Government fishing for a discount...

such a huge market should not have thousands of empty seats

yeh but no one can afford to go there paid so little i bet

[deMuRe]

China is one of the last opportunities for the Teams' sponsors to make some money, it's a huge emerging market, I'm sure they will fight tooth and nail to keep the F1 cars going there.

Perhaps it's just the Government fishing for a discount...

such a huge market should not have thousands of empty seats

Might take time to catch on, they need a quick local driver. Our local Chinese restaurant delivers quicker then you can say "Cantonese Spare Ribs", any of those drivers should be able to take Lewis on...

[Gaz]

China is one of the last opportunities for the Teams' sponsors to make some money, it's a huge emerging market, I'm sure they will fight tooth and nail to keep the F1 cars going there.

Perhaps it's just the Government fishing for a discount...

such a huge market should not have thousands of empty seats

Might take time to catch on, they need a quick local driver. Our local Chinese restaurant delivers quicker then you can say "Cantonese Spare Ribs", any of those drivers should be able to take Lewis on...

Yeh an Indian and Chinese Drivers are needed F1 to give it more appeal especialy with China slipping away because i'd rather have it then nothing at all.

And an Indian GP comming soon which could be another empty seat affair?

[7UpJordan]

Yeh an Indian and Chinese Drivers are needed F1 to give it more appeal especialy with China slipping away because i'd rather have it then nothing at all.

And an Indian GP comming soon which could be another empty seat affair?

And that's why Vijay Mallya has said he wants an Indian driver in his team by the time the Indian GP makes its debut on the calendar. I imagine he has his sights set on Karun Chandok who was in GP2 last year. I wonder if Narain Karthikeyan is still knocking around?

[McLaren Fan]

I wonder if Narain Karthikeyan is still knocking around?

Please, no! He was bad enough first time around!

[7UpJordan]

I wonder if Narain Karthikeyan is still knocking around?

Please, no!He was bad enough first time around!

Looks like he should stick with A1GP then. Was he seriously that bad? Worse than Albers and Friesacher? I missed the 2005 season as I hadn't got back into F1 yet.

[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

Chinese GP likely to stay beyond 2010

By Pablo Elizalde Monday, November 24th 2008, 09:39 GMT

The Chinese Grand Prix is likely to stay in Shanghai beyond 2010, according to race organisers.

A circuit official had said recently that organisers were weighing up whether or not to extend their contract beyond 2010, amid poor ticket sales.

"We're doing the assessment. By next year we should be able to give you an answer," Qiu Weichang, deputy director of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, said.

"We want to create a win-win situation, for our side and for Bernie (Ecclestone) and the F1 organisers as well. If this is something we can do, and our cooperation is very happy and smooth, we will consider it.

"Of course we would like at least to break even. But there are two factors, one is the assessment the other part is the win-win situation that we can create."

However, Leon Sun of organisers Juss Events, played down the comments, saying they had been probably misunderstood.

Sun believes the Formula One race is good for China.

"I've spoken to Mr Qiu and he never said the Grand Prix was going to leave China," he told Reuters.

"I think it's probably some misunderstanding in translation. I would say it's likely it will stay after 2010. Formula One has only been here for five years. To build a spectator base is not easy, it's a long term operation.

"We think Formula One is a very good product, a very good event for Shanghai city so at least from our company's point of view we want to continue promoting and building the event.

"Research shows there are more and more race fans in China, so I don't think we will say no to the Formula One Grand Prix."

More like Ecclestone has been on the phone offering them a smaller fee.

[Denthúl]

I wonder if Narain Karthikeyan is still knocking around?

Please, no!He was bad enough first time around!

Looks like he should stick with A1GP then. Was he seriously that bad? Worse than Albers and Friesacher? I missed the 2005 season as I hadn't got back into F1 yet.

Karun is better than Narain, no doubt (though he needs another season in GP2 at least) but Narain hasn't done too bad since leaving F1. He has a couple of A1GP wins to his name and a pole position, too. Probably not a championship-winning (or even race-winning, in Formula 1) but he could put himself on the podium if he had a car like the McLaren or Ferrari, so if Force India could build something spectacular by the time of the Indian GP, it's a possibility at least.

[headless]

I wonder if Narain Karthikeyan is still knocking around?

The first Black F1 driver I can remeber.

[texasmr2]

I wonder if Narain Karthikeyan is still knocking around?

The first Black F1 driver I can remember.

No his ambition was to become India's first Formula One driver. I also do not consider Lewis to be F1's first 'black' driver because he is bi-racial, black and caucasian, and not born from a black mother and father but that is just my personal outlook.

[Gaz]

I wonder if Narain Karthikeyan is still knocking around?

The first Black F1 driver I can remember.

No his ambition was to become India's first Formula One driver. I also do not consider Lewis to be F1's first 'black' driver because he is bi-racial, black and caucasian, and not born from a black mother and father but that is just my personal outlook.

What does it matter anyway?

[MCL2k6]

Regarding Chinese GP... The place was pretty desolate on Fridays and Saturdays. There was nowhere near as much people around the track than it would've been at some of the "historic" venues.
Let's just take the example of Hungaroring 2008.
I was at the track for all 3 days, and there were many people around, even for FP sessions, not to mention Quali and the Race (when you could barely find 1 square meters of space).
Perhaps the biggest issue in China is that they are relatively new to F1, the locals don't know the sport too much yet. Also, they don't really have neighbours with F1 knowledge over there (apart from the Japanese maybe). And for the Europeans it's a bit too far away to go over for the race.
I wouldn't say that the track doesn't deserve a place on the calendar, but Bernie is moving away F1 from many great places, which is not good for the fans. We lost the North American races because of his unwillingness to cooperate.
British and German GP's are also pretty much under threat, so is the French GP.
This ain't good for the sport IMHO - and nor the fans - for which Bernie doesn't care too much until his bank account is getting bigger.