Ecclestone: Europe 'good for tourism, but not F1'

[Dare]

Another low blow At the European races.I'd love to visit Europe  
and any F1 race there.Asia,I don't think so




F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone has warned that Europe faces loses many of its current races.


Bernie Ecclestone has warned F1 fans that their sport will increasingly move away from its European heartland, with venues in other areas of the globe still willing to invest for spots on the calendar.

The F1 ringmaster was quoted by the Spanish press that, in his view, the make-up of the season could change so much that there would only be five races left in Europe, with the rest of what could be a 20-race schedule situated in Asia, Africa and the Americas. There were nine races in Europe this season, and each of the twelve teams are based on the same continent, but Ecclestone points to the loss of Turkey in 2012 - after confirming that the race would not be revived to replace Austin - as significant to the way the tide is turning.

"I think, in the next few years, Europe will be left with only five races," Ecclestone told Marca, "I think Europe is finished - it will be a good place for tourism but little else. Europe is a thing of the past."

Although the current financial meltdown is affecting much of the world, it is particularly noticeable in Europe, and Ecclestone is hardly short of alternatives, with one - if not necessarily two, American races due to join the schedule by 2013, and others lining up to be a part of a world tour that has gained the likes of Abu Dhabi, India, Korea and Singapore in recent years.

Although not every new addition has worked out - Turkey and Korea come to mind - Ecclestone listed Russia, which is due to debut in 2014, and former hosts such as Mexico and South Africa as the most likely to the schedule in the coming years, with Autosport also reporting that a return to central America has influential supporters elsewhere.

Carlos Slim Domit, whose telecoms billionaire father is already a backer of the Sauber team, insists that Mexico deserves a spot of the calendar as soon as possible.
Slim Domit is currently working with entertainment company CIE to bring F1 back after an absence of nearly 20 years, and believes that the likes of Sergio Perez and rising star Esteban Gutierrez can help lead that campaign.

"I embrace the idea and believe that a new race for Mexico is what, in colloquial English, is referred to as a 'no-brainer'," he wrote in a column for FIA in Motion magazine, "Mexico has long been close to F1, closer to it indeed than it has been to many other racing series that have visited the country. The rise of a new generation of Mexican racers has only served to boost the interest in F1 [and] the potential of these young drivers has reawakened interest in F1 beyond hardcore fans. The huge crowds who flocked to see Perez's F1 demonstration in his home town earlier this year attest to a new-found popularity for the sport that should be capitalised upon.

"Linking races in Canada and the US with a Mexican round would perfectly consolidate Formula 1's footprint in North and Central America and provide a viable bridge to the race in Brazil," he said.

Slim Domit confirmed that the country wasn't short of potential venues for F1's return, including the most recent possibility in the tourist resort of Cancun along with others, such as in the 'second city' of Guadalajara.

[Jericoke]

It is true that if people outside of Europe are willing to build nice race tracks, it is incumbant on European venues to keep up.

On the other hand, I think that the lack of success of non-European races means that the line of venues to replace the traditional European ones is thinning out quickly.

Bernie will race where ever the money is.  Europe isn't paying up.  Asians are.  For now.  (Remains to be seen if Americans (north, central and south) are willing to pay.)

[Alianora La Canta]

Bernie, you do realise F1 is in the tourism industry? You just contradicted yourself, dear.

[Scott]

Bernie, you do realise F1 is in the tourism industry? You just contradicted yourself, dear.

Yeah, and if you need a great place to stay on the way to Monza...just call 

F1 is Tourism...I think I might need to put that up on our website 

[lkjohnson1950]

Bernie doesn't care about fans, or tradition, or the value of the venue as a circuit, or the wear and tear on the teams of traveling, or the actual attendance.  All Bernie cares about is the money. It's no secret that the traditional venues are having difficulty paying Bernie's fees, and he has sewn up nearly all the ancillary sources of revenue. With governments refusing to take Bernie's advice and support the races, he will go where the money is. The sooner he is gone, the better it will be for those of us who love the SPORT.

[Jericoke]

Bernie doesn't care about fans, or tradition, or the value of the venue as a circuit, or the wear and tear on the teams of traveling, or the actual attendance.  All Bernie cares about is the money. It's no secret that the traditional venues are having difficulty paying Bernie's fees, and he has sewn up nearly all the ancillary sources of revenue. With governments refusing to take Bernie's advice and support the races, he will go where the money is. The sooner he is gone, the better it will be for those of us who love the SPORT.

Whenever this comes up, I have to ask:  who would better replace Bernie?

Someone who hews too much to tradition risks not expanding the fan base, and without an expanding fanbase, the sport will whither and die (see open wheel racing in North America)

Someone who doesn't mind losing money on races will soon find the vault is empty, and the sport will need to make cuts.

Bernie may not be a purest, but it's more than likely anyone who replaces him will be MORE interested in the bottom line than the sport as compared with Bernie.

Keep in mind the current costs that CVC have reflects the inflated prices to cover the debt incurred buying FOA rights the last time Bernie left F1.  In fact, Bernie leaving F1 is what jacked up the prices so much.  Can we afford for him to leave again!?

[Scott]

Really, the commercial rights are nothing but thin air.  Form a different series with a different name, sign new track and sponsor contracts and the F1 commercial rights are worth a big donut.

The man is evil.  The only reason the rights were worth so much was because he was already screwing the teams so badly, and it made the income of FOM look volcanic.  If he had not set it up so criminally lopsided, then the CVC would not have had to borrow quite so many billions to buy them, forcing the income of F1 to be so ridiculously high that CVC (with Bernie as an employee now) had to sell F1 to only the highest bidders.   

[Jericoke]

The man is evil. 
   

Of course he is.

But he's the evil we know.  If he's gone... who would create value in F1?  I'd like to think that the history and prestige of the sport would be enough, but tell that to IndyCar.  The wrong guy in charge (no matter how good they might be as a person or fan of the sport), and who knows what happens to F1?

If Bernie goes, who takes over?  Who would do a better job of shepherding F1?  Some board of directors appointed by CVC?  I can think of a long list of people that I would love to see running F1, but in all honesty, I'm not sure any of them could bring in money like Bernie does.   (I'd like to think that there is more important issues than money in F1... but I'd also love to have a unicorn.)

[Scott]

If Bernie goes, who takes over?  Who would do a better job of shepherding F1?  Some board of directors appointed by CVC?

Why not?  A board is always a lot better than a dictator.  I think plenty of people could do a better job than Bernie.  Maybe not as one person, but certainly as a board of directors. 

[lkjohnson1950]

Actually, the right dictator is usually better than a board of directors. Apple foundered without Steve Jobs and blossomed when he returned. There is no reason the race fee should be 25-35 million. There is no reason Bernie should get all the money from trackside advertising. he even made the teams take down sponsor banners in the garages. There is no reason the circuits shouldn't share some of the side money with CVC, except Bernie's greed. Personally, I think he is trying to kill the European races because their fees are generally not as high as the Asian races are.

[John S]

Actually, the right dictator is usually better than a board of directors. Apple foundered without Steve Jobs and blossomed when he returned. There is no reason the race fee should be 25-35 million. There is no reason Bernie should get all the money from trackside advertising. he even made the teams take down sponsor banners in the garages. There is no reason the circuits shouldn't share some of the side money with CVC, except Bernie's greed. Personally, I think he is trying to kill the European races because their fees are generally not as high as the Asian races are.

I reckon that just about sums it up for me as well, Lonny.   

A golden goose is a very tricky thing to handle, Bernies husbandery skills have not let him down thus far but who knows how long him, or his goose, may last if he applies too much heat?   

[lkjohnson1950]

Bernie has contracts, signed or pending, for 23 races. He has interest of varying levels from 3 or 4 more places. He can only run 20 races a year. Something has to give. He is on record as saying that governments should back their GPs. European governments can't or won't do so, therefore they must go.

[Jericoke]

If Bernie goes, who takes over?  Who would do a better job of shepherding F1?  Some board of directors appointed by CVC?

Why not?  A board is always a lot better than a dictator.  I think plenty of people could do a better job than Bernie.  Maybe not as one person, but certainly as a board of directors. 

How much of a mess is Austin in?   And we're just talking about 3 personalities trying to write a contract.

Adding in more voices isn't going to make it easier to get a race done.

Certainly sports leagues with dozens of teams and venues with hundreds of games need a greater number of decision makers, but even they have a single comissioner or president with the final say.  With 20 venues/events, it's not that big a deal for one decision maker.

(All the same, who would you want on your FOM board of directors?  Stewart?  Jordan?  di Montezemolo?  Simply assign FOTA leadership to FOM leadership?)

[Scott]

True - any bunch of idiots can form a board of directors, especially if they own most of the shares.  But somehow I doubt CVC, or their bankers would really allow a board like that (mind you, they let Bernie run the whole show - however I think that must have to do with the terms of sale in the first place).  Of course you can point out horrible boards, and I can point out brilliant boards.  And I never said there shouldn't be a chairman, but there are so many ways to create and manage a really good board of directors, filled with specialists from industry, law, maybe entertainment and even a couple former racers.

Another fatal flaw in many boards is making directors for life.  Fixed terms, rotating chairman, outgoing directors appointing incoming directors - there are so many ways to remove corruption and greed from the equation.

Anyhow, we can debate this forever.  My suggestion about having more than one person replace Bernie is more due to my fear that there isn't a person out there who could hold the whole house of cards up by him/herself.  Bernie is evil - simple as that.  He's a real life scrooge who wouldn't help a struggling team, supplier, promoter or track owner unless the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future come visit him in his bedroom one night.   

[Alianora La Canta]

I think the first task for the Bernie replacement would be to massively simplify the financial structure. If it weren't for all the technically-necessary but nice-for-tax-reduction structures, the financial side of F1 probably could be managed by one person with common sense.

The calendar could be arranged by somebody else, ideally by declaring a fixed rate for lorry-away, sail-away and fly-away races, or else having an open auction between candidate races in particular areas. Terms and conditions would be better off being made clear so that everyone knows what they're getting into, people have more confidence in investing and therefore more profits are made - while giving "classic" venues a better chance of staying on the calendar (because they'd be able to plan more effectively and not be caught out by whims, caprices and unsustainable escalators).

I believe the spokesperson, general troubleshooter and leader of F1 should be a third individual. He or she would command the other two I mentioned, would need to be capable of taking advice from an advisor (who I suggest here should be a typical 12-year-old, chosen for one three-year-term and then replaced with another typical 12-year-old) and be very, very practical.

A fourth person might be needed to interface with CVC and any other similar entities, but this person should also be under the command of the spokesperson/troubleshooter/leader.

I think this structure combines the best of multiple types of expertise and avoiding the risks of committee catastrophe.