Is Italy next to go?

[anfield5]

Read a piece that stated that Ecclestone in his infinite wisdom has stated that he will not renew Italy's agreement to hos a GP when it expires next year.

Surely even 'the poison dwarf' isn't that stupid (or money driven) that he would sacrifice Monza for a race around a carpark in Azerbaijan?

I have supported F1 since the 70's, and have a great interest in the history of it, but I have to say this WILL end after next season if this horrid, money-grubbing little turd continues to destroy F1 as he currently is.


F1 without Germany and France is bad enough, F1 without Monza (or Imola maybe) is unthinkable, and isn't F1.

[driveace]

The Dwarf has been good for F1 ,but has grown very greedy,and even when he is a Billionaire ,it does not end there .He is ruthless,as well as arrogant ,and will kill the sport he built up

[Doc Austin]

We can't keep losing traditional venues.

[anfield5]

The Dwarf has been good for F1 ,but has grown very greedy,and even when he is a Billionaire ,it does not end there .He is ruthless,as well as arrogant ,and will kill the sport he built up

Granted when he first took over F1 was in a bit of a mire, and his business savvy saved it and moved it forward. But a good business man knows when to move on, unfortunately 'the poison dwarf' can't see the world like that.

My fear is that if he continues to erode F1 just to make money for himself it will vanish. Maybe it is time teams and fans alike voted with their feet. Possibly it is also time for a breakaway series (but only if all of the major players are involved)

[Koz]

I guess he wants leverage for more of teh monies?

He did say Spa would be axed a few years ago, didn't he?

[BDunnell]

Granted when he first took over F1 was in a bit of a mire, and his business savvy saved it and moved it forward. But a good business man knows when to move on, unfortunately 'the poison dwarf' can't see the world like that.

My fear is that if he continues to erode F1 just to make money for himself it will vanish. Maybe it is time teams and fans alike voted with their feet. Possibly it is also time for a breakaway series (but only if all of the major players are involved)

I truly believe F1 in Europe is dying. TV viewing figures are dropping, interest from enthusiasts waning. The sport seems desperately out of step with modern times and those in charge are doing nothing to alleviate the problems — quite the reverse. I hope all of those, generally people with an exaggerated level of respect for big business, who blather on about Ecclestone still 'knowing best' are pleased with themselves. The man's been a dinosaur and a liability to the best interests of the sport for years now.

[anfield5]

Is it dying in Europe because the traditional European events are being farmed off to any nation with a dictator and a cheque book? Or are races being moved because interest is dying off?

From this side of the world it looks like the former. Many real fans see the history as being an important part of the sport (and any other sport for that matter). It is kind of like in Football in England when Wimbledon moved to Milton Keynes - loyal Wimbledon supporters simply washed their hands of the club, and most MK locals had no interest in supporting them either. Although Wimbledon as a club had supporters from MK before they moved.

[Rollo]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/m...-10134493.html
“If staging grands prix are all about the almighty dollar rather than the fans, then it will go to those countries that put up the cash to support them. We have seen the circuit expand to Russia and Bahrain, while Qatar will probably become involved. These are nations that put cash up front.”
- Patrick Allen, GM of Silverstone, as quoted in the Independent, 25th Mar 2015

Everyone looks at the success of football and the deals that were nutted out at the creation of the Premier League and very quickly forget that before 1989, football was an almost non-existent thing on telly.

Formula One on telly in the early 1990s was mainly on free-to-air across Europe and it was then that pay-TV networks eyed the potential for monetisation; which is where we are now.
The BTCC remains on free-to-air because they'd rather been seen by eyeballs than cashed up subscribers. Formula One though, would rather shake its viewers upside-down until the cash falls out of their pockets.

Prediction:
Italy will go by 2017.
Formula One will die the same death that Indy Car did, in 2020.

Bernie will still be happy though.

[Doc Austin]

Possibly it is also time for a breakaway series (but only if all of the major players are involved)

Because that worked so well for Indycars.

[Rollo]

Because that worked so well for Indycars.

It worked tremendously well for the Premier League when all 22 clubs broke away from the football league.

If all of the teams left at once, it would mean that Bernie would be holding nothing at all.