273 replies to this topic

[metz]

From Autosport

The German Grand Prix has been officially removed from the 2015 Formula 1 calendar by the sport's governing body, the FIA.

It will be the first time since 1960 that the German Grand Prix will not feature on the F1 schedule.

The Nurburgring was due to host the race on July 19, but talks with the track's new owners collapsed over the winter.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said in January that he expected to close a deal with Hockenheim, but the venue gave up hope of hosting the race earlier this week.

On Friday, the FIA World Motor Sport Council announced that the race had been dropped from the calendar because "the CRH [commercial rights holder] and promoter did not reach agreement".

 

Reality sets in.

[metz]

Can the British GP be far behind?

[maximilian]

An absolute disgrace.   

 

No French GP was bad enough.  Before that, striking Imola off was already bad.  Now this.   And still plenty of BS talk about ditching Monza, Spa, and the British GP every year.  And I'm probably forgetting others.

 

An absolute disgrace.

[DinocoBlue]

What a shame.

 

And its a pity that none of the other German circuits could have been given the chance to host (all the obvious issues aside).

[Gilles4Ever]

"Ecclestone has also said he will not renew Italy's deal when it expires next year, claiming it was been "disastrous" from a "commercial point of view"

[SanDiegoGo]

Can the British GP be far behind?

 

italy and britain are still the only countries to have hosted a formula one race every year since F1 began. how long will that record last when aberbabberstan is willing to cough up $30m for a race at the drop of a hat.

[Timstr11]

Making way for the Azerbaijans and Crooketstans of this world who are willing to pay Bernie high fees to host a gp. Public funds they misuse to entertain the rich in those countries.

[P123]

So long as CVC get their cut that's all that matters.

[ANF]

"Ecclestone has also said he will not renew Italy's deal when it expires next year, claiming it was been "disastrous" from a "commercial point of view"

Excuse me while I shoot myself.

[DutchQuicksilver]

F1 is dying anyway, so this doesn't matter. In a few years, no more European GP's, but only GP's in the Middle East with no spectators and empty grandstands.

[DaddyCool]

I get that Bernie at the tender age of 84 doesn't give a **** about F'1s future anymore and he just wants to cash out before he quits, but at this rate F1 will die way before he kicks the bucket.

Edited by DaddyCool, 20 March 2015 - 19:24.

[loki]

Probably making room for South Korea again and New Jersey....

[registered]

In Germany the number for the hosting fee was reported as 15 Million Euros.
So Giedo van der Garde could have his own race

[JohnPackham]

My startline grandstand seat (three day ticket) for the Catalunya MotoGP cost me 58,50€. The same seat for Formula 1 is 440€. The sooner Ecclestone goes the better.

[Henri Greuter]

Matters like this (killing off classic races for the sake of CVC making money with events in Criokistan, Bastardania etc), cars that get more ugly and ugly, rules that promote unequality among the teams in rewards and on the track and so on...

 

is it strange that by now I think about hoping for F1 to collapse and implode under its own force ASAP so something can be set up to start all over anew and with a better leadership and future?

 

 

Henri

[Risil]

I get that Bernie at the tender age of 84 doesn't give a shit about F'1s future anymore and he just wants to cash out before he quits, but at this rate F1 will die way before he kicks the bucket.

 

He cashed out long ago, when he sold F1 to professional casher-outers.

[registered]

My startline grandstand seat (three day ticket) for the Catalunya MotoGP cost me 58,50€. The same seat for Formula 1 is 440€. The sooner Ecclestone goes the better.

WEC at the Nürburgring is 35€ for the weekend with access to all the grandstands and paddock...

[Raikkonen94]

Sigh.. That's a shame. Fortunately we're going to a great venue like Azerbaijan next year, right Bernie?

 

[Force Ten]

Well, we need to only get rid of Belgium too with Silverstone and we'd be all set. Could have Valencia back though, that would be extremely interesting. Barcelona, Monaco, Valencia and Hungary, for European Grands Prix. Yay!

[03011969]

Scheiße

[Disgrace]

Well, we need to only get rid of Belgium too with Silverstone and we'd be all set. Could have Valencia back though, that would be extremely interesting. Barcelona, Monaco, Valencia and Hungary, for European Grands Prix. Yay!

 

Yeah, about that...

[jonpollak]

Ganz Scheiße

 

Jp

[Force Ten]

Yeah, about that...

Overwhelmed with sadness. I am, I am!

[Timstr11]

Probably making room for South Korea again and New Jersey....

 

I doubt it because governments of more advanced countries like South Korea and the US provide very little or no resources to CVC. Maybe a bit of facilitation, but no more than that.

I gather that funds for these races are raised privately and therefore difficult to find.

[totgate]

F1 will not survive in it's current form. Let it die asap and hopefully something good will come out of all this. I can't understand how these supposedly intelligent people involved in F1 can let go away like this. But good riddens, out with the old and in with something, better more spectacular, cheaper and force the manufacturers to stay away....

[AJFIN]

I would get rid of Monza, Spa, Barcelona and Silverstone. How awesome would it be to see a night race on a street circuit in Qatar, Brunei, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia or Oman? Or why not all of them?

[Risil]

Why not indeed!

[ninetyzero]

Fear not F1 fans, I'm sure they'll be lots of new Grand Prix to replace the old European ones; Held on boring tracks in corrupt hell-hole countries. North Korean GP is only a few years away...

Edited by ninetyzero, 20 March 2015 - 20:02.

[Andy35]

I do have to say though that the modern day German GP was hardly on a par with Monza or Spa ......

 

I actually prefer Sepang to watch, it's actually got some character gained over the years now and the track makes for good action both on bikes and cars.  You can now throw stones and tomatoes at me.

 

Having said that of course I am from the UK and not Germany so might feel a lot different if it was Silverstone. Mind you they have changed that so much that's like a new track now.

Edited by Andy35, 20 March 2015 - 20:11.

[pdac]

They should get out of Europe completely. It may have a glorious history, but that was the past. The eastern world is the future. You can bribe everyone to get anything there.

[Paco]

Canada will be very soon to follow suit... The costs are simply to astronomical and without governments putting in high amounts into their tourism budget, unviable. Old venue and classical track governepments won't be able to keep fronting the majority of the bill.. Especially with declining viewership and bad press...

So just a matter of time before certain tracks may have to hold 2 gps or f1 calendar will go down to a more reasonable amount of races.

[Jon83]

Sad news. 

 

A German manufacturer leading the way, a recently crowned 4-time world champion and most likely a German driver fighting for the title but no Grand Prix.

[Paco]

They should get out of Europe completely. It may have a glorious history, but that was the past. The eastern world is the future. You can bribe everyone to get anything there.

The east is the future until China's recession hits, Middle East is already feeling the oil pinch..

Until we see some of those Chinese billionaires pony up and startup 4+ teams in addition to FI staying in.. I don't buy into the notion the east is the future. I haven't seen anything to suggest it. Toyota ran away pretty fast, zero owners from china or sand oil countries.. The countries don't deserve more races till several show up and run teams like Europe has.

Edited by Paco, 20 March 2015 - 20:47.

[Paco]

Sad news.

A German manufacturer leading the way, a recently crowned 4-time world champion and most likely a German driver fighting for the title but no Grand Prix.

But everything is great with the current state of f1 didn't you hear .... Insert sarcasm. What a great start to the 2015 year formula 1 has had.

Edited by Paco, 20 March 2015 - 20:46.

[Dolph]

Yeah, about that...

 

A little grass isn't going to stop a grand prix. They'll just trim it.
 

[Fastcake]

As I said in another thread, there are arguably five Grands Prix that are the core of F1. Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as the home countries of so many drivers, constructors and supporters, and Monaco, as one of the most prestigious and unique races in motorsport. There are other Grands Prix too that should be on the calendar, like America and Brazil, but those first five are the essential ones. Now losing France was a blow, but with the other ones still on and the reinstatement of Canada and the US in the years that followed, it wasn't too bad.

 

But now we've lost Germany and France? With Italy potentially in danger as well? This is awful.   

 

I don't think you can find a single voice not up in arms over this tonight.

[redreni]

Some long overdue good news for the Nurburgring. The track's contract with Bernie has threatened its viability for far too long. The sad reality is if you're a racetrack owner in Europe, having a contract with Ecclestone is a complete mug's game.

 

This is not good news for the F1 teams, though. One race less means less revenue for everyone, and if Bernie adds an extra flyaway event next year to replace this race, that just adds to everyone's costs.

 

And however desperate CVC may be to squeeze bigger and bigger hosting fees out of promoters, if you ask me, it might be better for F1's image, and therefore the value of CVC's product, to be holding events that people actually want to turn up to. It might help in this regard if F1 hosted more races in regions where the sport has a strong following, particularly Europe, and charged hosting fees that enabled the promoter to pitch the general admission tickets at a reasonable price and fill the grandstands and the grass banks. F1 might thereby present itself as a healthy, popular sport rather than a soulless marketing event held in windswept secure compounds in middle-Eastern deserts in which there are more FOM cameras than spectators.

Edited by redreni, 20 March 2015 - 21:00.

[Paco]

Great, another Tilke track in the Middle East is going to be announced I bet. Or Maybe North Korea wants a race in their fake city.. Now Olympics are done, maybe Putin will spends his billions and host a gp in Russia..

[Paco]

Some long overdue good news for the Nurburgring. The track's contract with Bernie has threatened its viability for far too long. The sad reality is if you're a racetrack owner in Europe, having a contract with Ecclestone is a complete mug's game.

This is not good news for the F1 teams, though. One race less means less revenue for everyone, and if Bernie adds an extra flyaway event next year to replace this race, that just adds to everyone's costs.

Yup.. Well with so few cars on grid, everyone can collect earnings and no longer further penalizing back markers from not collecting due to lowly finishing positions, that should cover the travel costs ..sarcasm inserted again.

[alframsey]

I'm gutted we won't have Germany this year... It's such a good race whether it be held at Hockenheim or the Nurburgring. A sad dad time.

[Antonov]

someone should revive a break-away series having a mainly European calendar (Watkins Glen, Fuji being exceptions). 

 

The break away should go on all tracks the FIA doesn't want to hold F1 races on.

[wingwalker]

I'm 100% behind both tracks decision not to take part in this BS, since they're officially expected to loose money by hosting an F1 race. Seriously, just think about it for once second. So wrong.

[Nemick]

This wasn't what I had in mind when advocating cutting costs.

[Henri Greuter]

Can anyone imagine the outcry if Monaco will be dropped as well because not enough of the money spend going to BE and CVC?

or, dare to whisper it,

 

Everyone involved agreeing it is not a track that suits real racing any longer.....

 

 

 

 

Henri

[JHSingo]

*Slow cap* Way to go F1, way to go.

 

It's scary how well Paul Stoddart's interview from 2005 sums up F1 today.

[OO7]

"Ecclestone has also said he will not renew Italy's deal when it expires next year, claiming it was been "disastrous" from a "commercial point of view"

"No money, no honey!"  

 

To be frank I'll be surprised if this isn't sorted.  There is just no way I can see Monza not being firmly penciled into the racing calendar for the foreseeable future.

[D1rtyHarry]

At the rate it's going at the moment there will be little left on the calendar that still resembles the historical beauty of F1. It'll just be slow, hoover sounding V6 engines (not using too much fuel) driving around Tilke car parks. And I think most F1 enthusiasts can agree that is certainly the least interesting aspect of F1 currently.

Still, if they want to keep doing a disservice to themselves I am sure there will be someone else just around the corner just waiting to host all these amazing circuits (not Hockenheim obv).

[Paco]

"No money, no honey!"

To be frank I'll be surprised if this isn't sorted. There is just no way I can see Monza not being firmly penciled into the racing calendar for the foreseeable future.

I disagree. If an event can't make money.. If governments are strapped and don't see the point and Bernie has made it abundantly clear he has an obligation to makes bags of money... Easy for the Italian government to piss off.. I'd be more surprised should the event even make it onto next years calendar ..

[JHSingo]

To be frank I'll be surprised if this isn't sorted.  There is just no way I can see Monza not being firmly penciled into the racing calendar for the foreseeable future.

 

Didn't we once think that about the German Grand Prix? And the French?

 

Honestly, with the completely idiotic, nonsensical way that F1 is currently being run, I think the best thing that can happen is for the thing to die and someone to start a brand new series from scratch.

 

It's depressing to see how F1 is at the moment. From extremely predictable races, to smaller F1 teams fighting for their very survival, to classic races dropping off the calendar in favour of tracks with empty grandstands, and viewing figures decreasing.

 

How the mighty have fallen.

Edited by JHSingo, 20 March 2015 - 21:27.

[Paco]

At the rate it's going at the moment there will be little left on the calendar that still resembles the historical beauty of F1. It'll just be slow, hoover sounding V6 engines (not using too much fuel) driving around Tilke car parks. And I think most F1 enthusiasts can agree that is certainly the least interesting aspect of F1 currently.

Still, if they want to keep doing a disservice to themselves I am sure there will be someone else just around the corner just waiting to host all these amazing circuits (not Hockenheim obv).

Fully Agree .. F1 was about history and aggressive engineering and driver aggressiveness... Now conservativeness, politeness and removing any trace of history and the new Asian world and yet shocked fans are revolting...

As for someone else, doubt it. The future is speaking and car racing and especially open wheel racing isn't growing and only getting smaller. North America NASCAR, Indy still declining rapidly, Europe stagnant or losing viewership, Asia idk but imagine the same..

Who? F1 old breakaway group quickly saw the futility in trying do it on their from scratch...

Frank and co. Are getting up in age and probably don't have the patience or interest from starting from scratch..
Dennis and co.. Well he already walked away once and can't see him as well having the patience..
Ferrari don't seem to be the front office of old and way more corporate... It's not Enzo's road car pay for f1 anymore..
Eddie Jordan, Jackie Stewart, Prost, stoddart etc. I can't see going at a new version...

Plus, what's the guarantee it would be any better.. Honestly only work with a way younger pigheaded bull with a better vision then Bernie.. Getting anyone group to meet and agree is impossible..

So who'd be at the helm... Risk to rewards just to high..

Edited by Paco, 20 March 2015 - 21:37.