I have that feeling I'm going to be disappointed. I see a Bernie ordered cave. Smacks will be handed his script shortly.
We'll see. My friends seem to think this is BS. So, I just don't know. Glad I could make you happy! I hope to return the favor some day. But I ask, why didn't FOTA come back with a counteroffer? I thought they wanted to settle this. Apparently, they were lying? After all, there is so much to lose, and so much to gain. Personally, this move seems rather personal, not at all based on reason. With some logic, FOTA could have had their way. So I should assume there was more to this than met the eye? If anyone says they know, prove it. This is CART/IRL all over again.
Are these two the friends you are referring to? Sorry, I could not help myself Image Unavailable, Please Login
Not quite... Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW, Toyota, Brawn, Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso vs Williams and Force India Hmm...
I don't think it is. The difference is that all of the teams that anyone cares about are leaving for the new series. F1 will have 0% market share so there will be no divide.
Good. Bernie and Max can go ***k each other off. I'm sick of these greedy perverts. Less politics, more racing!!
They have. Many times. Once you realize your counter offers are being completely ignored, you decide to take your business elseware. You're right Ron. FOTA realizes there's apparently no reasoning with Max. ANOTHER counter offer would be just like all the others....a complete waste of their time.
FOTA was smart to make this move. It doesn't look personal to me. Max loves to show the appearance of being reasonable (like when he suggested conditional entries) and then, when everyone gets all lathered up about the posibility of a compromise he slams the door (like when he then said "go start your own series, we don't accept conditional entries"). His most recent letter hinting at another compromise looked like more of the same BS and I bet he would have tried to drop the hammer tomorrow. FOTA beat him to it. Ball's in his court now...
Awesome news I was hoping FOTA would not cave. I hope we get to watch in the states on a new channel "Formula TV" so we can get some decent coverage. I hate FOX and I'm no fan of Speed TV. Too much pinks and barret jackson auctions for my taste.
FOTA can make this work. They can have the control they want. Set their own rules and not be at the whim of some idiot who wakes up in the middle of the night with his "new vision". They can race in the markets that their parent manufacturers and sponsors feel is important. They can all race to the same track rules and not ones made up at the spur of the moment to "increase excitement". But most importantly they can equitably share in the wealth now being siphoned off by people who could care less about F1 other than its money making capacity and contribute nothing.
Sorry, beg to disagree. Seems like the FIA's latest offer included much of FOTA's input. This was the time for a counteroffer. The FIA compromised, now it was FOTA's turn. Say what you want, something is not right with this, we'll see. I am not sure what to believe at this point. I am disillusioned with FOTA and with the FIA.
FOTA never had a designated henchman to lead the rebels into battle. They've maintained the mantra of a willing return to F1 'when hopefully FIA and FOTA ideas will be brought together to form a solution'. They've never espoused a breakaway series until now, and it has been to their detriment, imho.
I agree. And the FIA don't have the equivalent of the Indy 500 to lure them back. I posted a hypothetical schedule of tracks in the other thread which would work just fine, and would include the crown jewel, Monaco (they already said they will go where Ferrari goes). Add in a few tracks like Spa, Monza and Suzuka when their current contracts expire and it looks great.
I'm hopeful this isn't just a strategic ploy.... I cant figure out if they're playing chess or checkers?
That's what they said about CART. So I disagree. Penske, Ganassi, Newman Hass, etc, all the major teams went CART. Mario swore they would never go with Tony. Today, there is no CART. But there is an IRL. I am not trying to take sides, all I want to see is a viable race series of exotic F1 cars. If Toyota, Mercedes, and/or Renault leave the sport, I really don't care to watch a 3 car 5 team series. I will go back to sprint cars.
Yes, except for FOTA's single most important issue. Why, what would have happened any differently than all the others? And they would have gone continued to go around in circles....brilliant. IMO, you seem to have been since this started.
I guess you forgot the teams that went CART, and the no-name teams except for a worn out AJ Foyt that went IRL. Very similar scenario. I also ask, of those 8 teams, how many do you really think will be around in three years? Then what? I know, three car, then four teams. That would not be a race series I car to watch.
That was my first thought as well, but there is one BIG difference. The only thing that kept the IRL alive was the Indy 500. The FIA does not have an Indy 500 type event that can attract sponsors/teams/fans. The 2010 FIA F1 championship will be a bunch of GP2/F3 teams competing with cars powered by the same engine, driven by mostly second tier drivers. No matter what happened to CART, the IRL always had the Indy 500 to entice the teams. There will be no foreseeable reason for teams to return to the FIA's championship.
Indy was the spike in Carts coffin. There is no similar cornerstone in F1. Its a true series not based on one race and if there were Monaco would be it.
If it IS real, I just can't imagine anyone who would pay to see a faux F1, anywhere. Maybe we should have a poll. On second thought, we prolly don't need one. If FOTA shows in NA, I'M THERE FOR ALL OF 'EM! You couldn't pay me to attend a Smacks and Ferret GP (unless airfare was included, I'd go shopping ).
Seems to me if you don't have the pervert and the pygmy skimming 50% off the top... If you don't have the pervert and the pygmy changing rules every year in the name of cost savings... If you don't have the pervert and the pygmy keeping races OUT OF YOUR MFG's/SPONSOR's KEY MARKETS... The sport would likely be much more financially viable.
Interesting how planetf1 and f1live do not have this news but autosport does. Everyone are soiling their pants now. Hey next year force india will the WDC and constructors championship or maybe williams. Hey Jaque Villneuve may come back to F1