Hmmm..... I dunno - For a couple of reasons; - PF1 isn't the most reliable source IMO. - History tells us an "agreement in principle" with the Pygmy doesn't mean very much at all! IIRC, Donington had more than that, and we know how that worked out. I certainly hope it's true, but can't help thinking they should have STFU until they had a completed contract in hand. It also reads (albeit between the lines) that he's given them something of a discount - While "we" all love Spa, that's just not his MO as we know. Fingers crossed anyway, Cheers, Ian
Actually I think that is precisely his MO: He demands what he knows he can get. I'm pretty sure Spa pays a good deal less than e.g. Abu Dhabi. Everybody knows how difficult it is for Belgium to support this race, which is why it is always in question. But Bernie also knows that he needs some "real racing" left in the calendar or he is dilluting the historical/entertainment value of F1. He won't be giving a carte blanche to Spa, but I'm sure places like Shanghai/Singapore/Bahrain subsidize a must-have place like Spa. I'm also sure Bernie kicked himself in the aftermath of the Indianapolis negotiations where they were only 6 millions apart. Had he not been so greedy, the entire struggle to get Austin and/or NY GP up and running could have been easily avoided and F1 would have had a continous presence in the States. Bernie is greedy, but no fool.
Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that's not the case though - I reckon Indy, France and a few others would beg to differ. +1 I hear you, and certainly he's prepared to negotiate. OTOH, as long as he makes the teams many $, I don't think either he nor they give a damn where they race - Sanctioning fees are the biggest revenue generator, followed by TV. TV fans don't really care where it's happening - Stands empty in China? Doesn't bother me. Ass end of nowhere in Korea? So what? Race in Russia? Cool..... It remains the World championship. Now, OTOH, Sports Illustrated had a little piece last week where they claimed, without citing source; Now, if I were, eg, Spa, I'd be major league pissed...... *If* FOPA ever get their act together (doubtful) things could change. +1 on the first, and while he likes the idea of Spa, Monza and the other "historical" tracks, if they don't make him money he'll move on. Times change. That "struggle" isn't his problem though - They'll either get 'er done or not. The calendar is (or at least seems to be) overflowing. Understatement of the year right there! Anyone who thinks otherwise is an even bigger fool! In his defense eek:!) his task as the ring master is to maximise return for his investors; Nobody can argue he's not doing a great job there! Us dedicated fans may not like it, but as you said, "c'est la vie". Cheers, Ian
