Bernie Ecclestone Says He's Ready to Sell Formula 1 for $8.5 Billion
Miami Dolphins owner agreed on the sale price and is in partnership with a Qatar Sports Investment. They are one of the two parties interested Sale price of F1 has been agreed - Bernie Ecclestone
Selling the commercial rights won't do anything to make everyone at the FIA pull their heads out of their asses. ...a bad time to buy anyway. FIA's commercial rights holder for WRC sold it to a company for a bag of Doritos.
Lets crown fund the whole thing.... I propose that I become the CEO of F-Chat F1 series. I'll run it for 10 years for only $20M per year.
FIA under Jean Todt has been a slothfest. I can't see one positive action ever come out of the FIA under him. At least (and I am pushing down bile as I say it) Max Mosley was more active and wanted to get some positive action like budgets. At least he tried to do something But I think the issue is more than FIA - given that it is a committee (Pirelli, teams, Bernie, FIA, CVC) that decides everything under the aegis of "market research" and none of these idiots are thinking about the sport but themselves, nothing happens. Kinda like a parliament. F1 is on the decline - sad to see it happen before my eyes.
The real power in F-1 is FOM. ( Bernie ) CVC is just really the holding company. They will do what Bernie tells them to do. with him closing in on 90, its probably time to get out and hand over the train wreck that is to come when he dies. The FIA is powerless - other than they can stop sanctioning the sport, but then they have to pay back all the $$ given to them by FOM, and then they just become a worthless name... seriously - who really ever heard of the FIA or (CSI as it was in the 50's & 60's) before F-1, the FIA was founded by a number of "club" guys - mostly nobles, who had lots of money, and wanted to go racing. it was an organizing club more than anything.... Prince Metternich ran the FIA - CSI when F-1 was established ... it was a good old boys club. regardless - if FIA stops sanctioning the sport - so what? FOM / CVC will just make their own series... IRL ran without FIA approval... so what. Its nice, but really its pretty worthless. It's like having a constitutional Monarch... but at least with a monarch, there are some "reserve" powers - the FIA was de fanged by Bernie long ago. they are totally powerless. Bernie and Balestre are the ones who developed the FIA ... with Bernie ultimately winning. Todts desire to make it something else is admirable, but really it has no teeth, and cant force anyone to do anything ... even in racing. It does set standards of protection for cars and race wear...I guess that is good. Bernie is where its at, and that is where it will stay till he dies.
Just posing a question to provoke some thought . . . Was F-1 better when Max "Das Fuhrer" was in office?
I didn't watch pre-Max, but if you look at the quality of racing down the field (setting aside MB's dominance), it has been way better since. I think it has more to do with DRS and Pirelli tires than anything to do with Todt. Quali was pretty race result before unless it rained.
£6bn to not even own it outright, that has an 85 year old CEO, teams have far too much say, sponsors are leaving, drivers spend most of their time complaining about one thing or another, you have a rival that is cheaper to enter and more long term technology driven in Formula E, a useless governing body, falling viewing figures, uninspiring race cars, tracks going bust and are mostly dull anyway, and you will inherit a company that is incredibly behind in terms of web presence and monetizing that opportunity. Sounds like a real bargain.
