Bernie Ecclestone Ready to Drop British Grand Prix
20 November 2009

Ecclestone told The Times last night that he has been in regular contact with the circuit and believes that Silverstone’s owners are trying to source additional funding to help them to settle the deal. But he believes that at the next meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council, in Paris on December 11, he will have to remove next year’s race from the calendar.

“The World Council will meet and we will just pull it off — we will have to,” Ecclestone said. “We’ll have no other choice, if we don’t have a contract. We shouldn’t have anything on the calendar unless we have a contract in place.”

Ecclestone said the race would be scrapped initially for only one year and no other grand prix would be scheduled in place of it next season, reducing the 2010 championship to 18 rounds. He added that he and Silverstone are close in negotiating terms but he is not convinced a deal will happen in time.

When asked whether losing the race was something he would regret, the 79-year-old billionaire said: “Of course we want a British Grand Prix. I’ve been spending an awful lot of time trying make sure it does happen, but there is no chance of an exceptional contract for Silverstone. Why should there be?”

Full story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/for...icle6924188.ece

This is gonna sway my enthusiasm for this sport. somebody please see sense...

Gutted if true, i know it's all about £ but how the hell do Spain get two Grand Prix, not only that but they're the two most boring races of the year

Breaking news: British drivers pull out of F1 2010 in protest at British GP being dropped from 2010 calendar. FOTA in crisis talks with FOM to resolve British GP issues.. IF ONLY

Do the organisers pay $30 m for each Spain race and $ 30 m for the Monte Carlo race or not?


If there are special deals for 'some' and none for British GP, EU can have lots of fun.


Bernie

Unreasonable!!!!

From what Hill is saying in that article, it seems that it's the long term deal that's the sticking point.

I can see why Silverstone are reluctant to sign up to the 7% escalator... especially when the UK is still in recession!

Perhaps Bernie gets a kick from gambling with the future of the major British circuits... he's already screwed up Donington!

Well, with the death of Tom Wheatcroft and Donington Ventures Leisure Limited under administration, Bernie could be lining up to buy the circuit and run the race there, hence the long term problems.
Administrator Nigel Price said he wanted a buyer "with vision" who could still bring Formula One to the venue.
This looks almost like a set up by Bernie from day one on the Dony deal.. He is that shrewd you know.
Silverstone will get it for another year and after that Bernie will have it at Donington which he will own.

Bernie's idea of a circuit is something that's a conduit for government money, not a business proposition .

Still, he must know the value of F1 will be affected by losing the British GP. A far/mid east series is no good for CVC or anybody else.

Just Bernie turning the screws on Silverstone a little, people going all nationalist with "team UK" but in the mean time the distinct possibility of no GP in the UK in 2010, evil but smart.

He has a point too because the definitive calendar for F1 in 2010 must be set at some point by the WMSC and only doing a deal for 1 year with Silverstone is just going to bring back the same tedious negotiations with the BRDC next year again.

Rhodie has a point in Bernie maybe buying Donington, in that case it would be better for him to drop the British GP for 2010 and emerge as a saviour by bringing the race to "his" Donington in 2011.

This suggests there's a fixed tariff for circuits and Silverstone would be asking for exceptional terms. In reality there's no such thing. The sooner this grubby old man leaves the sport the better.

Not a great loss to be honest.

I think a lot of F1 fans would disagree with you along with a lot of F1 drivers tbh.

I've been thinking of coming to the British GP, so it would be sad if there wasn't one.



But I also think the BRDC should not sign a deal with Bernie if they feel it is financially unfair to them. So I will support their stance and ask Bernie to look at the realities of such an organisation. Honestly, Bernie, do you think they can afford to pay as much as those in Abu Dhabi, fo example. Or in Malesia. Etc.

And I think the state should not have to be used - better keep them out of it. F1 is a private business and should not need governments to finance it.

Not many venues on the calendar that don't have government help.....

Not many venues on the circuit these days that are packed out for all 3 days either....

True. We must have our GP, and if that means government assistance than so be it...

What a twat that Bernie is. Keep milking em for all the got Bernie, one day the goose that lays the golden eggs will die.


**sigh** FOTA why didn't you get your balls together and breakaway?

Now he's saying Donington may still have it in 2010: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...one/8371266.stm



Seems like all we're doing is:

I don't think that even if the right investor comes in that the work needed at Donington could be finished in time for a 2010 race anyway... any chance of Donington still going ahead would be for 2011 I think.

It could be part of a bargaining chip with Silverstone. Bernie says if there's not a British GP next year then there will still be room for it on the calendar in 2011. Perhaps mentioning Donington again could be a way of saying to Silverstone... sign the contract because if you're not careful and the right people take over Donington you could lose the chance to host the race again.

I think quite rightly Silverstone is going to stick to their guns on this, and not agree a contract that will destroyed, the dodgy FOM and FIA give favourable terms to Monza and prepared to give two GP to spain. Now with two british WDC and some of the biggest crowds I hope bernies going to get burnt by this. The Govt owned RBS should just remind CVC of their debt.

How is he going to get burnt? He'll take the Briitsh Grand Prix away and everyone will complain, but he made it clear that the future of the race depends entirely on the BRDC's actions. Bernie will pull it and he'll be quite right to do so. He can't back down simply for Silverstone, because if he does it for one, he has to do it for all. So every circuit on the calendar will be trying to cut better deals and races will fall in and out of favour. There will be no stability or continuity within the caledar for years.

It's all well and good that Silverstone refuses to back down, but it's going to come at the cost of the British Grand Prix. But then, from my observations of the bulletin board, most of you people are only happy when you're complaining about something.

Bernie has been doing this since the 80s.

There will be a British GP next year.

I have a simple solution should the British GP not go ahead next year, and it is this....
Everyone who follows F1 in Britain should refuse to watch any GP broadcast out of protest. The BBC lose viewership, threaten to pull the plug on F1, and then we see how St.Bernard reacts...
We all know that if the British tabloids are onboard with such a backlash they can work wonders with the casual F1 viewing public`s opinion. The majority of F1 teams are based in Britain and thus will take a very dim view on the lack of a British GP.
I know it won`t happen, but what if....?

If the BRDC want the race then they should come up with the money. Bernie's right, why should they get special dispensation. Jesus, the whining by the brits in here is making my ears bleed.

I don't share you're enthusiasm unfortunately

It seems Bernie has a personal problem with the BRDC

And we know he isn't the sort of person you want to piss off, he's a stubborn git

It's a forum you idiot, we're all free to go where we want. The BRDC should sell the circuit to someone who can provide the public with a race if they can't afford the going rate!

Well, I am not a "Brit" but can understand that if the British GP is lost to the world because finance supercedes tradition and passion, it is only a matter of time before Spain, Germany, Italy etc. follow in favour of newer faceless tracks with little or no tradition... As soon as these new hosts realise the true financial obligations in the long term they may have second thoughts about the longevity of their contracts. IMHO, the majority of the newer destinations are hosting F1 for a short term vanity exercise. Brazil, to my mind will be soon under threat, and even though I am not particurlarly a fan of this GP it will be a serious loss to the "show"...

Supply and demand. It's called economics 101!

Give me Interlagos over Valencia and Barcelona any day

Thanfully we arn't like you who wants F1 destroyed so Bernie can line CVC pockets and not give a stuff about your own country having a race or not and prefer to watch a GP with no crowds in places like Korea.

No offence meant or implied, but you are welcome to F1 economics 101....
I will gain back every second weekend to spend with family and friends and you will gain a racing series which suits your tastes... Everyone wins!

You should try getting off the island once in a while, the world is a lovely place.

Seriously if you want nostalgia go to the TNF.

I agree unreservedly, while Interlagos is in itself an unbeleivable track, the GP weekend has never been popular with the teams, drivers and visiting spectators.
I would mourn its loss from the calendar even though I am not a fan of the particular weekend.

Nationalism didn't work in the 1940s, it won't work now. It's a business environment. NZ has more F1 world champions per capita than the UK, but we'll never have a Grand Prix here. Either Silverstone plays the game or it doesn't. I'm sick of hearing whinging about why this track deserves a race more than another, otherwise we'd just be racing on the old Nurburgring, Indy, Le Mans, Bathurst and Kyalami. But there are practicalities in this world, and one of them is money.

I've being to plenty of other places thank you. And maybe if you didn't make statements like " Jesus, the whining by the brits in here is making my ears bleed." then you'd get a better reception, but you get back what you give out. The British GP is important to people, this thread is about that, if it isn't important to you and you couldn't care less then there really isn't any reason for your comments.

Bernie has eyes like you and me... compare what Abu Dhabi has done starting from zero, while some grass was moved about over at Donington..

Bernie is trying to have people move their collective arse a little, so that the dichotomy isn't too embarrassing.. some people (in the desert) are ready to give that much for F1 and some others think they should simply have it for nothing..

Basically people should have started whinging when these new venues started being projected and then actually being built... what followed was inescapable..

There's plenty of reasons for my comments and its because I have an opinion, such a shame you don't like it.

Fine, again, go start a thread to get rid of the British GP if that is what you want, we are fans of a sport, A SPORT, FANS of F1, ofcourse we want our own GP protecting, if like you and Senna don't care then we lose and get featureless GP that produce boring races.

I think Coulthard described it as a 'toilet', not like DC to mince his words

Honestly though i can't think of many boring processional races there, plus they have some of the most passionate fans in the sport

If races like this are lost and mediocre tracks like Bahrain (where the $ is of course) and Valencia are kept it'll be a shame, but Bernie has to do what he feels is right for the sport, one thing he isn't is sentimental

I just think its very sad statement for a supposed F1 fan, that he couldn't care less about his own countrys race.

Where on earth did "going other places" come into it?

Perhaps that the world is grounded in what's called economic reality is a good reason. The fact of the matter is Bernie can give races and take races away from whoever he wants. It's sad that F1 is in such a situation, but they're the same rules for everyone. But Bernie is a businessman, and if having a race Silverstone is unviable or unsuitable for him, then he has to make the call. Truth be told, I am tired of hearing about Silverstone and Bernie, and I thought it was settled when it was given to Donnington, which it wasn't. Let's be clear, this is a Formula One World Championship, not the "We're obliged to have racing in the UK, even if no one can come to a deal and there are no other suitable tracks" series. I would love to see a return to the Silverstone/Donnington deal of 1993 given that the two German tracks are in dire straits, but without the petty Bernie/BRDC bullshit that always seems to come with Silverstone.

E: Good thing I saved your post.

"Fine, again, go start a thread to get rid of the British GP if that is what you want, we are fans of a sport, A SPORT, FANS of F1, ofcourse we want our own GP protecting, if like you and Senna don't care then we lose and get featureless GP that produce boring races."

I don't want to get rid of it, but you seem to think that it has some special position that places it above economic reality, in the midst of a recession no less. Formula One is still Formula One without Silverstone, and if you can't see beyond one racetrack then you are more a fan of it than the sport you claim to follow.

Actually, of late, I have been spending a little more time on TNF than normal....
That doesn`t mean that my opinions are old or outdated, it just means that I have a more wide ranging interest in Grand Prix racing as a whole rather than an F1 with a sprinkling of Tinkerbell`s fairy dust courtesy of the Disney corporation...
Come on... surely, regarding your avatar and name on this forum, you cannot deny that F1 is about passion and history? Didn`t the great man himself (a true hero of mine too) make a personal pilgrimage of sorts to the Jim Clark museum and sign the guestbook?

edit: Did the great Senna also not have regular communication with Fangio up until his own untimely death?

This is a thread called British GP 2010, you will find talk about Silverstone here.

Bernie is there to screw the venues over so he can line CVC pockets, get rid of the older tracks to go to the places that will pay more, but have no F1 followers.

Thankfully there are people whos passion for the sport don't want to see that happen.




Thats backward, it is bernie who is asking for unreasonable future payment esacaltors in a recession, it is Silverstone who is quite rightly telling him that is not economically viable, it is Silverstone who are making proper business decision. It is bernie who is after destroying the sport taking F1 out of its heartland.

As much as it pains me i've got to agree

Good post btw

Can you explain to me why Monza and Monaco never have any problems? The only reason Hockenheim and The Ring are in trouble is because their promoters are having issues. Despite repeated attempts, we still have no Russian Grand Prix, and I'm not sure what's happening with the Indian track. The American experience showed that Bernie is happy to avoid a market, no matter how big, unless the promoters are prepared to play ball. Business is business, and I don't see Bernie abandoning ALL the classic tracks to line CVC's pockets - although that's his job, no matter what. Like I say, there are many other sentimental tracks that deserve a place alongside Silverstone, but they aren't being given races because they don't make the grade. Hell, the French invented the car and they don't have one.

I couldn't give a rat's ass if there's no British Grand Prix because it makes no damn difference to me where the cars race. There's a great quote from Martin Holmes about the WRC, in which he says he doesn't care if it's electric cars racing in Antarctica, as long as it stays true to the WRC idea of cars that people can relate to racing on roads as fast possible, then it'll still be rallying. It's the same with F1.



It's not backwards. CVC have to make a return. No one is forcing Silverstone to sign an onerous contract, they can say no, which they're doing. Good on them. Practical reality: F1 is a global sport, it belongs to more than just the United Kingdom, and while it may arguably be the heartland, I'd hate to see the sport bankrupted because of sentimental irrationalities.

You do realise those two tracks get special rates? They don't give Bernie massive amounts of money other tracks do, they might even get the races for free.



Forgive me for being blunt but why waste your time in a thread about a subject you don't care about?