British GP axed for 2005

[Nordic]

I heard the other day that the US Pro Ice Hockey players are all on strike.

The season has been canned, What amazed me was the statment that most of the team owners say they will lose less money by not playing than if they did.

[Kpy]

so the main 2005 motoring event will be the LMES race

YES, YES, YES !!!

Thanks a lot Bernie !  

Er, well no it won't Gilles. Both the Goodwood events (Festival of Speed and the Revival) attract crowds in excess of 100,000 - The FOS figure was 153,000 in 2003. I rather doubt that the crowd for the LMES Silverstone round was much over 30,000. Perhaps someone who knows can tell us.

[Fax]

Yes, the NHL has been losing its ass in recent years, tv ratings & attendance are way down but players salaries have gone through the roof.  The owners want concessions in the new contract with the players union but the union won't budge. It'll be a long, dark, cold winter for hockey fans.  Several years ago the NFL players went on strike, the owners hired scabs and played anyway, they ended up breaking the union.  It was the best thing to happen to pro football over here, the league installed a salary cap and now there's tremendous parity in the league.  Small market teams can compete with the big markets.
John

[bird]

And We All Hate Bernie.

(not that I believe for a second that the BGP won't happen, but that spineless, moneygrabbing, ugly, evil, disgusting, little gimp of a man wants Telling)

[Bobblehat]

I did wounder what the reaction from my fellow CAers would be when I saw this last night on the telly.

For us living around Silverstone its a huge blow. It is reconond that the GP is worth about 25 million to the local area, hotels resturants transport etc. The knock on efect is going to meen higher prices for the club events like Bentley Drivers, Aston Martin VSCC plus the BTCC and LEMS. Its going to make it harder for Silverstone to raise money to develope the track too.

Just as an aside I was in Shanghia, for 2 weeks befor the Chinese GP, and I have to say there was no-one seemed that intrested that Bernies circus was coming to town. Yet they say it was a sell out.........

Im of down to the pub were I am sure that the conversation is going to be along the lines of. "that Berni is a greedy f***** s***, lets watch somthing else"

[ian murat]

so the main 2005 motoring event will be the LMES race

YES, YES, YES !!!

Thanks a lot Bernie !  

Er, well no it won't Gilles. Both the Goodwood events (Festival of Speed and the Revival) attract crowds in excess of 100,000 - The FOS figure was 153,000 in 2003. I rather doubt that the crowd for the LMES Silverstone round was much over 30,000. Perhaps someone who knows can tell us.

it appeared to be more like 3000 it really wasn't well attended for a reasonably high profile race, perhaps more will be put into marketing it.


Though, as Plamer's (MSV) tracks may not get F3 and BGT due to track hire fee dispute with SRO, Silverstone may have that series to share with Donington.  At least drivers wouldn't have the excuse that they didn't know the track  when they spun off

[Stu]

Hello all, sorry about my absence and thanks to those that were asking about me.
 Anyway Bernies a little greedy, slimey toad. Its got nothing to do with the facilities. Look at the facilities at Spa.  He's obviously spat his dummy out and f**ked them off. Hard to believe that most of the teams are based here. I would'nt get sick of kicking that pint sized sh*t.

Rant over

Stu

[Lawnmower Man]

It interesting to read some of the comments here.  I think we have to ask is F1 going to continue as a "sport" or is it a circus.  Lets face it apart from the GP attendance at motorsport events is very poor.  I think I'm right in saying that most of the F1 teams are British and certainly European.  I can see the day when the only GP in Europe that you will be certain to rely on will be Monaco.
                                                                               
So far the real fans have been shut out and priced of GP.
                                                                               
My first F1 race was the Internation Trophy Race as Silverstone in the 70s when the likes of Fittipaldi, Stewart and Hill where racing.   You could pay a bit extra and get over the bridge into the paddock and actualy watch the mechanics working on the cars. In fact you could get in to the paddock during the evenings without paying. The mechanics would even talk to you.
                                                                               
In the 80's they put up the fence so that even if you paid extra you couldn't get anywhere near the cars.
                                                                               
In the 90 the prices went absolutely stupid.  My theory is that this was bought
about by "Corporate Sponsorship".
                                                                               
So you get a situation were a large portion of the people attending an F1 that get access to the best places are not directly paying for the privilage.
Then there is the TV, most people watch F1 on the telly and that's another money spinner.
                                                                               
Personaly I haven't been to a GP for 12 years.  It's better to watch it on the TV anyway if I can be bothered.
                                                                               
F1 will continue and no doubt thrive.   The F1 teams are small hi-tech organisations who primarily want to make money.  Raceing is simply the way they do that.

I understand Williams for example have a small museum, but as a member of the public you can't go round it.  You only get to see it if you use the Conference Facillity they have.

Motorsport as such doesn't rely on the fans/enthusiasts it's more the other way around.

t.

BTW.  Can I have Bernie for my Microwave?

[Chris (Liverpool Boys)]

I used to be abig fan of F1 but have not whatched a race now for at least 7 years if not more.

It's like whatching paint dry sometimes. But I agree with Stu it won't have anything to do with facilities it all comes down to money not only in F1 but in everything these days companies are looking to get thelast penny of profit they can look at offshoring!!. Thats basically what the poison dwarf is doing going where he gets most money.

[Chris24]

Just a thought on the British GP being axed.
I may be wrong as F1 bores me, but is there not a rule in place that states that F1 teams can only test a certain number of days at a race track that is on the calendar. If this is the case then I wouldn't think that Silverstone being axed would bother people like Williams, McLaren, BAR, Jordan, etc as they would then have a GP track that they could do unlimitted testing on without having to travel too far.

PS. Your damn right it is going to be a long winter if the NHL doesn't play. I was looking forward to watching 3-4 games a week, now that the Rugby League and Motor Sport seasons are about to draw to a close.

[Nordic]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2876&item=5127888055&rd=1

Anyone want a Bernie?

[old car]

Can not think of a good reason why anyone would want him.

[Perdu]

>BTW.  Can I have Bernie for my Microwave? <

If you mean can I take a 240vAC power plug and insert it somewhere soothing then switch on  and let it rotate for 15 minutes, I'd think most of us would regard this as a perfectly good idea...

Hey though look on the bright side. Without the British GP I have yet another perfect excuse to play in a noisy, convivial exciting French field for the best part of a week in June every year.


Bill

[Lawnmower Man]

>BTW.  Can I have Bernie for my Microwave? <

If you mean can I take a 240vAC power plug and insert it somewhere soothing then switch on  and let it rotate for 15 minutes, I'd think most of us would regard this as a perfectly good idea...

No Perdu,  To put in my microwave.   Last year I took a microwave oven  to Le Mans and cooked a few CDs and one or two dud light bulbs.  Very pretty it was too.  

I don't know but I heard that if you put a live Hampster or similar in a Microwave they explode.    Not  wishing to be cruel to animals I've never tested the theory.   I just thought Bernie would make a suitable substitue.

t

[Perdu]

>BTW.  Can I have Bernie for my Microwave? <

If you mean can I take a 240vAC power plug and insert it somewhere soothing then switch on  and let it rotate for 15 minutes, I'd think most of us would regard this as a perfectly good idea...

No Perdu,  To put in my microwave.   Last year I took a microwave oven  to Le Mans and cooked a few CDs and one or two dud light bulbs.  Very pretty it was too.  

I don't know but I heard that if you put a live Hampster or similar in a Microwave they explode.    Not  wishing to be cruel to animals I've never tested the theory.   I just thought Bernie would make a suitable substitue.

t

OK Tom, I think your plan A is even better than mine... But do'nt forget that Bern is so full of .*...* that the surrounding area might be covered in a nauseating blanket of "ooohaah"


BIll