F1 in Lower Slobbovia. Why?

[SameGuy]

On the announcement of Formula 1's 2010 calendar being ratified yesterday and seeing that the hugely popular Montreal race will likely be back after a year's absence, one has to wonder why Turkey is still on the calendar.

Sure, Bernie owns the circuit there, but how is that any excuse? Montreal averages 340,000 fans for the race weekend, and the live TV audience for the race in 2008 was the third largest of any sporting event in the world, right behind the Superbowl and FA Cup Final. Turkey? 28000 people showed up for the entire weekend. It was an embarrassment.

So. Why Turkey, Malaysia, Korea, China, Bahrain or Singapore?

[alunfennell]

The simple answer is Money, the concord agreement signed by the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) and the Teams under FOTA (Formula One Teams Association) a few weeks back gave more Control and dispearsment of advertising & Television revenue to the teams represented by FOTA.

In simple terms more money for the Teams Less money for the FIA & F1 controlled by Bernie Ecclestone who is the Formula One commercial rights-holder.

How this effects where races are held is another simple answer Ecclestone is trying to get all race circuits back on the calendar that were canceled to maximize revenue since corporate spending around F1 has virtually stoped.

Yes you are right the figures for the Turkish GP are the worst recorded but as long as the Turkish Goverment and Turkish Television pay to for F1 it will continue been hosted there, interesting enough I would say Valencia will be the one to be droped over the next few years and in Germany a full reintroduction of the old Hochenhime circuit or be it moved to the longer track at Lauritzring !

Personaly I feel F1 is turning into a WWE show with Bernie Ecclestone and Mosley pulling the strings, this year has been staged in away to get new teams interested in joining since Brawn, RBR & now Force India all doing well ! where in the last fifteen years have we seen all low budget teams all doing so well ? and the big names wilting .........

[Stuart 0366]

It is an unfortunate state of affairs when one man has so much control of something so big but until Bernie see's the light and steps down we can expect more of the same.

The unfortunate thing is there are very talented drivers out there that are not being given the chance on the big stage because the top drivers now have to fight for places in the lowly teams thereby not giving the young guys a chance to get in.

I have always loved Formula 1 but I am finding myself watching more bike racing and touring cars than I used to because of the situation in Formula 1.

Bernie must go...and soon!

[alunfennell]

I totaly agree !

Even when new drivers are selected to enter F1 we get the likes of Bourdais, Nelson Piquet Jr & Alguersuari not taking anything away from them but there are far better Drivers in the pool for selection !

Ferrari could have very well have given Masa's seat to Senna Jr who the world is waiting to sit behind a F1 car instead of trying to put Schumacher and then Bador followed by stealing Fiscella from Force India.

Away from that Bernie Ecclestone next big move is getting Jean Todt to replace Max Mosley who by all accounts reads from the same book as Mously and what Mously can't do now will surly be passed to Todt to inforce! with Flavio Briatore out of F1 and with him been the main voice of FOTA ! Teams will be under the thumb with the FIA untill they get someone to steep forward and take what was Briatore role for the Teams and Drivers.

Hopefully Someone else will get Mously's role with in the FIA and Ecclestone eventually loses some of his grip on F1, its not right to have one man bleading the Sport dry by holding the commercial rights which by all accound should be held by the FIA and the Teams as is the case with the rest of Motor sport.