USGP Gone

[JDS]

Yes, I knew he owned PR, it's just for some reason my Friday morning brain was telling me he owned Spa too .... oh well, obviously not enough bacon sarnie's this morning, best go and stock up .... 

[Piglet]

I don't know whether its true but the suggestion is that BCE does have some involvment in Spa.

The short term contract situation is I understand, the reason that the BRDC don't carry out the works at Silverstone to upgrade the pits/paddock complex.  Why spend £40million when the short man might take the contract away in three years - justify that to your investors!! 

[Gordonwr]

Yes, I knew he owned PR, it's just for some reason my Friday morning brain was telling me he owned Spa too .... oh well, obviously not enough bacon sarnie's this morning, best go and stock up .... 

I do know that he owns a large amount of land alongside the circuit, but not sure how much.

[mgmark]

Indy was always a sh*t idea all day long, Bernie got his wad and that was that. He's the greatest con artist we've seen for years filling his pockets with all the other suckers money.
Maxwell did a great job, Brown has done better raping the pensions but Ecclescakes stands on his own bar non. He's  a money grabbing shortarsed c**t, and he doesn't give a f**k, cos he has f**k*ng BILLIONS

The upside is that the octagarian Ecclestone will die sooner than we do the, freeking f**k*ng migdet c**t. He needs to buy a boat from a close (dodgy) friend just as Maxwell and do the honourable thing and SHOVE THAT BOAT RIGHT UP HIS TIGHT FECKING ARSE.

I bet his missus is wishing the day that he f**k*ng dies so that she can go shopping in ASDA rather than H A Rods 

Blah

Rusty,

I do wish that you would get off the fence and tell us what you really think........

MG Mark

[Chrisgr31]

Doesn't Bernies company promote the Spa race?  So he does have an involvement in it.

Correct me if I am wrong but hasn't the Indy race always had a bit of excitement in it, other than the year of the tyre issue?

However the dropping of Indy does make Silverstone a bit safer, and also means that there shouldn;t be an F1 race on the Le Mans weekend.

[chop456]

In Belgium a law was passed in 1997 banning all tobacco advertising and sponsorship from 1 January 1999 (including F1 sponsorship). Since January 1997, there have been five attempts in the Belgian parliament (between November 1997 and December 2002) to overturn the law, which all failed. However, another attempt last July was successful for the F1 lobby and resulted in a delay of the enforcement of the ban on tobacco sponsorship of international events such as F1 until July 2005. One characteristic of the Belgian Grand Prix is that the organiser is Ecclestone. He controls the company Spa Activités, which is mandated by F1’s governing body, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), to organise the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa Francorchamps.

The Ecclestone principle is simple: the profits for organising the Belgian Grand Prix are for Ecclestone, and the costs for maintaining the circuit are for the government of the Walloon region. Since 1977 the Walloon region invested some €44 million (US$50 million) in the circuit at Francorchamps. It may be prestigious to organise a Grand Prix, but it is a myth to believe that it is an economic success story for the region (at least in Belgium).

Huh.  As with most other things, I was unaware of that.

[JDS]

.... The Ecclestone principle is simple: the profits for organising the Belgian Grand Prix are for Ecclestone, and the costs for maintaining the circuit are for the government of the Walloon region ....

Only Ecclestone could get away with such a move as that 

[Christopher]

.... The Ecclestone principle is simple: the profits for organising the Belgian Grand Prix are for Ecclestone, and the costs for maintaining the circuit are for the government of the Walloon region ....

Only Ecclestone could get away with such a move as that 

It just sums up BE really. His only focus is on the money, be it from the circuit or the TV.

I cannot think of any act by him that could have been seen as primarily benficial to the sport, the teams or the fans.

Because of his wants and greed all others involved suffer and literally pay the price. (that is the picture we see of him, I cannot imagine it being so far from the truth).

I think the reason he gives Silverstone so much grief is becasue he is still pi$$ed off that the BRDC would not sell the circuit to him.

[nickliv]

F1 sometimes seems like tag team wrestling, but with cars. And not many fat men in leotards. It all seems to be a bit too stage managed.

[Lorry]

Commercially it can't be fun for Indy, but I think that if you're going to call it a world championship, missing out USA/North America is an issue, which is why the Canadian must be safe.  Three issues arise:-

1  Bernie was paid a third of the take to make money for F1

2  We all think he's a cnut and has gone too far

3  F1 seems awfully successful

[Rhino]

And i see bernie has said that F1 doesn't need a race in the USA!! it's my ball and i'm taking it home. (sound of dwarf stomping off)
Still They don't need it because they now have that delightful Victoria Becham.

[Boorish Grobian]

Agreed Jerry, in a perfect world F1 would still be visiting The Glen in October.  But that was then and this is now.  F1 is now more about making sure the posers get entertained and looked after.  And while the Seneca lake region is gorgeous, I doubt the sponsors bimbos would find the Glen Motor Lodge a happening place to go clubbing.  Looking forward to seeing Rossi, Stoner, Hayden, etc. plying their trade around the ancient Speedway.
Fax

[Matt Harper]

It's on Crash.net so I guess its legit.

I'm not entirely surprised, too much pressure for new fly away rounds for some of the rounds that are perceived as less successful to continue

Damn your filthy lies, Chop!!
Oh, hang-on, it's on crash.net - we'll let you off then.

Seriously, is anyone even remotely surprised by this? As said already - with two pathalogical maniacs conducting the negotiation, it was destined to be a three ring circus. The Brickyard wasn't/isn't the right US venue and I don't think too many would argue that F1, in it's current guise, is not all that attractive to the US audience. It gasped it's last wheezing death rattle after the tyre farce a couple of years back. Good riddance - it was a piss-poor joke in a market with so much motorsport choice.

As for Bernie Ecclestone - I agree that he is a bit of a ladies pee-thing, but he's also a visionary, predatory and opportunistic businessman - business people's predominant drive is usually making money - and Bernie seems to have a pretty good track-record in that endeavour. Making big money and also satisfying the paying public is not easily achieved. I don't believe he is 'good for motorsport', but I do think he's good at business (if that translates to financial success).

[wadespeed1]

Tony missed his chance to up the ante after the Michelin stunt. He should have opened the gates and let the drunken Hoosier former "Snake Pit" crowd at 'em. I'd would love to have seen carbon fiber bits paraded down Georgetown. Bernie owes TG at least one, Indy security saved more than one F1 a@# that day. That said, I look forward to Moto GP at Indy. That will be a great race and a fun crowd. BTW, it has been my experience that the girls at bike races are hotter than F1 or any other races I've been to. Maybe TG isn't stupid after all.