Canadian GP dropped for 2009 - WTF??????

I thought the track at Indy was just fine, it was the city and everything around the track that hurt the event

 

The hotel and airline reservations are being cancelled as we sit here, its a dead dog now.

 

What F1 is overlooking is the underlying motives of developing countries pouring money into F1. Why does Asia and the Mideast want F1? Because it is hip. And it is hip because it is the rage in the parts of the world that set the trends. Monaco. Italy. France. Spain... These developing countries want to show that they are up on style, pure and simple. They want the pomp and circumstance. How ever you want to spin it, they want to show the west that they can dance, and they want an invitation to the party. The fact remains that despite any economic crisis, the US and Europe still set the fashion trends. Other than rugs, tell me what comes out of the Mideast that has style? (Sorry, not trying to offend the folks in the Mideast, but it's true. Same thing is true in America, we want European stuff)

Problem is, if you lose the history, if you lose European and North American involvement, it just becomes karaoke. And the manufacturers - which is the real foundation on which F1 is based - see that. They are ultimately not going to stay involved if you lose Europe and NA. I don't care how much of a potential market share China and Russia and India have as far as selling tickets and selling cars. They are going to want to follow what the west does. People in China want American cars (yes, it is true) because it is cool. People in Russia want Ferraris, not Russian sports cars.

Look at the Olympics. Look at how much China did, just to show the world they were a player. Singapore and F1 is the same way. The lights, the circuit, the money spent, just to show the west what they can do.

Then look at those lights. Why were they there? So EUROPE could see it on their schedule.

BMW is going to be in ALMS. If the popularity grows, which will be the bigger marketing benefit? Running a 500 million dollar car in China, or a 50 million dollar car in the US and Europe? Same with Toyota, they will be teamed with Penske to take on Audi and Peugeot. If they roll out the new Lexus sports car and promote it in the US, what will the point be of running a mid-pack car for ten X the cost in Russia?

No wonder Max wants to cut costs. He is going to have a tough time keeping his customers. Because I'll be watching M3s race Ferraris and Porsches - LIVE in Sebring, instead of watching F1 in Montreal.

 

F1 is following the money, and from a business side of things that is what you are supose to do. its not about the fans, the fans will come to a race, and the fans will like what you tell them to like. but in North America; F1 has no one to partner with to produce a race. just look at how poorly the USGP was marketed the last few years it was here.

 

Didn't the USGP have huge attendance? So how was it poorly marketed?

I think the problem is more that Bernie expects that whatever country he goes to will kiss his ass and roll out the red carpet for F1 royalty. But in the USA, we don't treat people that way, especially racing drivers. Fans expect interaction with the drivers and to be able to see them and learn about them, etc, the way they do it in NASCAR. Bernie only wants A-list celebs to be there and the plebian masses must be kept away from the royals. That sort of thing doesn't really fly in the USA, and when you consider how stupid two races at Indy were (one where Schumi and Rubens switched lead at the end, the other where only 6 cars started), it's not like Bernie really has any leg to stand on to sell the race to the USA, and has no leg to stand on to demand a high price for the race, telling the track they should be able to recoup that from the fans.

So, Bernie is just following the $$$, but he's ignorant of the very real importance of the USA to the manufacturers. This is their largest market (for Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota and Honda - all of them save Renault, actually), and they need North America. Bernie has screwed up big time with this one, IMO. Now there is only one race in the entire Western hemisphere. Good job, dip$h!t!

 

At what point does an angry mob of manufacturers go pounding on Bernie's door and demand that he get this worked out?

 

F1 didn't exactly fill the stands at Indy. But then, Indy with the stands half empty still has higher attendance numbers than many Euro races.

But full stands look good on TV, and Bernie isn't counting noses -- I think his deals are lump sums.

Rumor has it that what bothered Bernie is that the posters for the end-of-may Indy 500 weren't gone before the june USGP. Bernie didn't like the reminder that F1 was only one player at Indy; that the world didn't revolve around him at the historic track.

Look at the trend: F1 is leaving the old historic racing venues, and going to where the Elbonians build the track specifically for F1.

Bernie is settling for being the big fish in the little mud puddle.

(What's that term again? Break-away series?)


I, for one, would like to see the manufacturer's series return to its origins: 250GTOs, TR60s, Birdcages, D-types, etc., weren't one-off open wheel machines built to spec. They were world class racing cars, that could run on real tracks like Laguna or the Glen.

I'd like to see the Enzos running against GT3s and DB9s for the "world championship" for cars, rather than for computer games on wheels.

(I'd like to like the ALMS series. But when you mix prototypes with vunderbugs on the same track at the same time, it looks too much like rush hour. Overtaking based on when the back marker gets in the way has too much of the element of luck.)

 

This is how money gets distributed in the world.
We pay through the teeth for oil, they pay through the teeth to look cool.
I say a track in Saudi Arabia.

 

No matter how you look at it, this and the Mosely/Ecclestone idiocy to implement standard (spec) engines in a Manufacturer/Team-based series, is the end of Formula One.
Removing Canada, as well as the U.S. from the calendar simply illegitemtizes the series as a world championship, and without this platform, (and the validity to back it up) F1 no longer becomes relavant as anything other than another race. The history, as well as the original definition of the Formula World Championship is being removed from the equation, and that simply is squeezing the soul out of something that had history, meaning, as well as excitement. At its worst, most convoluted rules, no-passing, controversy-laden version, it was still a real world championship with international manufacturers, bringing their own ideas to international venues, in a real test of who could do what. Now, its becomming just another attempt at high-octane entertainment without any substance. Why back Ferrari? Not because of their excellent engineering, Italian racing history, or team tactics. No, its because they have the "pretty red cars"!!!

Anyone who would watch F1 when all the "teams" are running the same engine, is just a NASCAR fan who doesnt understand anything about racing, and is only interested in entertainment. Now, thats fine if thats what you want. I dont mean to sound condecending. However, lets be clear about what constitutes manufacturer competition, and what does not. I can give a flying f***k about what team wins in NASCAR. Chevy, Ford, Toyota, etc... they are all just stickers on the same package.

Meanwhile, we all follow Max and Bernie as they steer F1 into nothingness. Some of us might continue to complain, and bemoan the injustice of it all, while watching the next third-world street circuit race at night, on the TV strapped to the ass of one of the many "lemmings" following Max and Berine over the cliff. I for one will not follow whatever the Bernie and Max show have to offer. To paraphrase, "If it looks like formula one, and smells like formula one, it must be formula one". Well, this is no longer recognizable to any of my my senses, and I refuse to be just a consumer.

 

Seems like Bernie & Co. are in the business of selling prestige and legitimacy to emerging nations.

 

Well, it was never hugely marketed. You kinda had to know about it to find it. And the news media outside of Indianapolis or Speed TV don't even mention it. Bernie's concept of marketing is based on what he sees in Europe where a GP is a national event. The US is way too big for that and the fanbase way too small that this would happen. So yes, in that sense Bernie's expectations are unrealistic.

The bigger problem is that Bernie is looking at the USGP from the wrong angle: For once he should forgo profit maximization and instead think about his customers, the teams who all represent a car manufacturer. Obviously that is not how Bernie thinks, but the teams should hammer that thought into his noodle brain.

 

New article:

 

Bernie forgo maxing profits?

 

Gotta disagree. The USGP was wonderful. I am not sure where some of you went, but the downtown was terrific. Drivers, owners walking around, lots of great restaurants, even a strip bar, the USGP at Indy was a great time.

Certainly an infield road course is not ideal, but after watching Valencia and Singapore, the Indy track was much better. At least there was two places to pass, not just none.

Bring back the USGP to Indy, please!!

 

Bernie? As in Ecclestone???? I have a few extra reality drug pills, will give them to you when I see you next.

 

Well, the reality is, that Bernie run the USGP as a bargain: It used to cost Tony about 8 million USD, which is way below what Bernie normally asks for. After 7 years he got tired of it and didn't extend the deal.

But make no mistake, while $$$ is what makes Bernie's heart tick, the guy realizes when he is cornered: If the teams would all exert enough pressure on Bernie to bring the USGP back for the sake of their sponsor/car manufacturers, he'd do it. But if the team managers are playing lazy fat cats who don't care because the car manufacturers guarantee them their budget anyway, then it won't happen.

 

Looks like I won't be watching F1 next year. Too many races in the middle east = no race interest for me. Singapore and Valencia were pretty boring as well. Sigh.

 

Speed carry F1 next year ? I'll be surprised.

 

I was in Montreal the last few days when this news broke, and people are almost unanimously PISSED! From overheard chatter at a coffee shop on Sherbrooke to the letters to the editor in this morning's paper, this decision is not sitting well with Canadian citizens at all.

Much like a girl is a much less attractive proposition when she has dumped you, but comes crawling back, I don't know if Canada would even have F1 back into its living room at this point... quite a slap in the face.

Sadly, it may be that the Circuit GV of the future will be home only to sparse second-tier racing events and inline skating weekends http://www.24inline.ca/race.php .

-Tad

 

There's another factor that's occurred to me: It's hard enough to get good drivers from the US, Japan, Australia -- places where you can race and still sleep at home. F1 is getting younger and younger drivers, as older guys want to see their kids once in a while.

The only real attractions to F1 for drivers who have domestic options is that (a) it's leading edge technology (but they're turning it into a spec series), and (b) the chance to race at historic venues like Spa, Imola, Sliverstone ... oh wait.

Not only are they losing the factors that attract fans, they're going to lose drivers, too. What's the point of living out of a suitcase to drive in just another spec series on boring tracks out in the sand where you can't pass?

Ide is going to look like a top driver compared to what F1 will be getting.

I still think Bernie wants F1 to die before he does.


F1 is an adventure ....
... for those who remember the "Colossal Cave" adventure game of the '70s:

"you are in a twisty little maze of passages, all alike"
and
"there's a vicious little troll in the room with you"

 

Proving once again believe nothing that man says

 

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