I wounder if that's true: We've never got any sponsors out there and the television has never taken off - we have more viewers in Malta than over there." http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=121743
If they wanted a popular USGP, it should've been in Daytona. Pretty much same track layout. Banked straights and flat in-field track. At least Daytona has a beach for visitors and the airport is right next to the track. 50 mins away from Disney in Orlando, too.
Agreed about Bernie's attitude. On the other hand, he's a businessman. The USGP has never had any significant sponsors and there is virtually no US TV viewership. In the big scheme of things, there is very little interest in F1 in the US... compared to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, we're a nation of NASCAR.
Even in Indianapolis, which seems like a good venue to me although some are fairly critical of it, the crouds are the largest in the series. I know he's playing tough guy poker, but the comment about only grief from America is total BS. Like the good folks of Indy pulled the field last year.
I almost agree with Bernie too, i dont think its fair on the fans in countries that have high viewing figures to not have a race, but for there to be a race in a countrie that on the whole does not follow or care for the sport ! I would much rather see anthor south american or african GP.. I mean even schumi has said that one off the only places in the world he can go on holiday (vacation) where he is not recognised is the USA, i do believe he has even been having a holiday there with his wife and friends since sliverstone !
Not sure about that: F1 is increasingly becoming a series of the big Euro car manufacturers. True we don't have Renaults in the US, but I'm sure BMW, Merc and Ferrari are happy to demonstrate their technical superiority in the biggest market for their road cars. I can only hope Bernie is acting the way he is because he has an alternate venue inside the States (Vegas?). BTW: Has anybody an update on how the construction of the Mexican GP track in Cancun is coming along? If they axe USGP, that'd be the next alternate (aside from Montreal of course).
Renault=Nissan and i think Renault is considering re-branding the team as Nissan. US Market is important for car makers. But Max & Berny are playing little team friendly game, pretending they don't care about manufacturers and racing will be just as fun with 9 more Super Aguri teams.
when you hold all the cards, you make the rules. see: bernie in f1 and tony geroge in indianapolis. im sure that tony george is no fun to work with either. both sides know they dont have to negotiate because f1 in america has been less than a financial windfall for all. its a make break deal with both sides walking off feeling like they won. can you imagine being in a meeting with tony george and bernie? id rather be deaf...
Well maybe this will just motivate Tony George to finally work to reunite CART and IRL and get back at having that series growing here in the US. I personally think Indy is the best venue in the states for the race as far as reaching to grow the view base. I don't know to many non-F1 fans that would shell out $300 a ticket to watch F1 in Vegas. Seems to me having it at Indy actually helped gain viewership. F1 also does NOTHING for the fans like the other American racing series that is why its not as respected here. NASCAR and other series have their drivers appear as accessible people that the fans can relate to. How many americas relate to DC, Alonso, or even MS. Fact of the matter is F1 is marketed to Europeans in the manner of the drivers are high and might kings and there is a very structured attitude and ranking system. Sort of like society in Europe both inside and outside of corperations. Here on the other hand NASCAR is marketed as the drivers and teams being the common day every man. Ah well I am done I dont know what I am talking about anyway and am just calling it as I see it. If F1 wanted to be sucessful in America they would have to take some lessons from NASCAR. Even though most complained about CBS's coverage of the races this year I think they have been very good at turning what is a glorified lapping day into something interesting to the common racing fan. Just my 2 cents.
I do hope they work this out. I have to say that Bernie's attitude is horrid. Screw him, but I do not want to lose the USGP. Don't care where it is, but I want a USGP to always be on the schedule.
Interesting comment. Sadly I have to agree with it. This is the direct result and goal of Bernie's work. He has publicly said he wants F1 to be elitist, not just technologically, but also from a get in touch with the drivers perspective. F1 hasn't always been like this. It is a trend that started in the nineties, which is no surprise as that was the time when Bernie really got in charge of things with TV rights etc.
If F1 could generate some racing (you know, where cars pass each other on the track because one can go faster than the other) we'd be a lot more enthusiastic about it. Frankly, after 45 years of attending on and off USGPs at Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Detroit, Phoenix, and the initial Indy GP, I'm willing to devote a couple of hours of TV time to it, but I won't even drive 2 hours to Indy to go watch a procession of cars circle a boring track. F1 used to be a great racing series but it hasn't been interesting since the mid '90s. The Eurotrash comment is geared towards those sybarites from across the sea who won't admit this (or more likely, don't know it).
Very, very well put. Who wants a processional? Passing by virtue of Pit Stops, I don't even care if I miss a GP these days.
In this case, my eurotrash comment was directed at one particular micro-man and his comments. However -- the US will get along fine without a GP. The reasons that there's no television audience is 1) it's a boring series 2) everyone who's interested is at the track.
Oh Please... that is a comment from a coddled narrow minded kum-bi -a person. Americans are just as proud of their heratige as the English, Scotch, French, German etc.... each of these nations at one time or the other were top dog in the world...get over it... as for F-1 its only about putting on a show and charging as much as they can for it... Hungary & Turkey dont have much in the way of motor sport heratige ... so Ecclestone can go over there and beat the hell out of the promoter, govt, and fans cause there is nothing else... as for the USA not having a F-1 Heratige... we were one of the longest holders of an annual GP we have a history from 1959 to 1981.... and for the longest time was the richest GP in the world... Colin Chapman, and Jim Clark would not miss it...cause it paid the most... if you do any homework on the sport the FACTS are that the USA has a golden F-1 history just as deep as England, France and Monaco... the USA has every right to host a gp, but we dont deserve to be treated like some stupid cowboy, that has no idea what F-1 is or our brains are too small to comprehend all the "sophisticated" technology.... most of it was developed in the USA back in the 80's! Lets agree that Ecclestone is a greedy Mother.F%#&^r... and will be grabbing for $$$ till he dies!!!! he could care less if they are dollars or euros... its all the same for him! the one who looses are the guys who write on this board... the real fans! Just my Humble Opinon ... but the American bashing is not called for!
Hey hang on what american bashing? so ya think its ok to bash the europeans? and who metioned anything about "top dog?" You realy should open ya eyes and see how the world sees America dude, and get over ya selfs. But no doubt you wont, but whats new. The attitude of the world needing the US is so miss guided. Yea and i know this responce may start a flame the Brit thread but again whats new Apple pie and mom and all that bolloxs
In any case, I don't think that open-wheel cars are very popular in the States, compared to other forms of racing. Anyway, there are two rival series already (Champcar & IRL), and I can't see the US public being very exited by the 'once-a-year' F1 show, where there is no American household names. The promotion of F1 at the USGP has been badly handled for years. There were horrible streets circuits in the past (Detroit, Long Beach), one GP in a car park (Las Vegas), and now a race using part of the Indy circuit clockwise with an uninspiring infield. No wonder F1 is not catching at Indy: the car run through turn 1 almost 100mph slower than an IRL with no wheel-to-wheel racing, and the tires can't take it!
