Bernie jumped off the boat ?

[K-Pu]

There's no 1€ note.

But if you mean that you got 10 x 10 euro cents and you split it 2 to 8 than you get 20 cents vs 80 cents!

Touché. I was thinking both in dollars and euros, and then I say stupid things. I´ll have to take my medication .

[Valve Bounce]

I'd take a "sleazy Flav" over a "crazy Max!"

(Besides, they'll be better at marketing F1 shirts with Flav in there - he has experience!)

Yeah! but some would point out that Max is better at holding the whip hand.

[dwboogityfan]

I cannot believe the amount of people on here criticising Bernie. He has almost single handedly made F1 into the great sport it is today. Without his vision F1 would not be the second biggest sport in the world (behind soccer). I for one will be sorry when Bernie is no longer involved in F1.

[jens]

I cannot believe the amount of people on here criticising Bernie. He has almost single handedly made F1 into the great sport it is today. Without his vision F1 would not be the second biggest sport in the world (behind soccer). I for one will be sorry when Bernie is no longer involved in F1.

Well, the problem is that we must adapt to changes time brings to us and past accomplishments don't really count here. For example I think that Bernie was a great team boss at Brabham. The team was competitive and they introduced several interesting "things", like for example new approach to race strategies in 1982 - fueling for only half of a distance to make a pitstop after midrace.

But with every passing year BE's involvement, demands, self-interest and CVC debts are getting more and more harmful for the health of Formula One. And with aging his mind doesn't seem to be that bright any more either. New blood is badly needed.

[ioan]

I for one will be sorry when Bernie is no longer involved in F1.

A the French say: Tant pis!

[nigelred5]

I suspect Bernie could sell out or walk away from his 20 or 25% ownership and leave CVC holding a worthless bag of excrement since it's gonna be all but worthless as soon as the FOTA teams turn a wheel in anger. Max and the FIA are screwing up Bernie's pie. He's not the one with the draconian budget cut proposal on the table. I feel no sorrow for Bernie, but he's not exactly the one screwin the pooch here. It's in his best interest for things to stay exactly as it is. If he were to leave F1 and run the FOTA, there's no way in he!! the FOTA would ever give Bernie the level of control or the financial stake he has had in F1.

[wmcot]

I cannot believe the amount of people on here criticising Bernie. He has almost single handedly made F1 into the great sport it is today. Without his vision F1 would not be the second biggest sport in the world (behind soccer). I for one will be sorry when Bernie is no longer involved in F1.

It's time to move past Bernie's "vision" of F1 (a huge cash cow for him!) and move into a period of F1 where teams (private and manufacturer) have a say and are not dictated to. It's time for the teams to receive a fair share of the revenue instead of Bernie using it to pay off his debt.

[wmcot]

If he were to leave F1 and run the FOTA, there's no way in he!! the FOTA would ever give Bernie the level of control or the financial stake he has had in F1.

Yeah, the teams are too smart to run a series to fill Bernie's pockets. He might actually have to earn his money!

[Daniel]

It's time to move past Bernie's "vision" of F1 (a huge cash cow for him!) and move into a period of F1 where teams (private and manufacturer) have a say and are not dictated to. It's time for the teams to receive a fair share of the revenue instead of Bernie using it to pay off his debt.

Bernie's just annoyed that the teams have realised that they could actually go it alone and make MONEY out of a series. if Ferrari, McLaren, Renno, Toyota and BMW all go across and they have the best drivers and some classic circuits then I don't see how it's not going to succeed. What does having a dozey old dwarf in charge give the series that anyone else couldn't?

[SGWilko]

What seems blatantly obvious to me is that Bernie has tasked Max with introducing a budget cap, so that the teams can be given less money, so Bernie can help CVC pay off their debt a lot quicker.

Teams know this. Teams also know that, with a well run series, at lots of popular and diverse tracks they can;

Give the fans lots of circuits at affordable ticket prices.

More fans = more merchandise sold at circuits.

More tracks and bigger attendance = happy sponsors.

More attractive series = more manufacturers and independents joining.

I really don't see there is a way back now. FOTA NEED to do this, and make it work. Luca has the know-how (World cup '90), Flav and Ron have the nous and connections. ALl they need are people like King Juan Carlos and Prince Albert etc to shout their cause, and people will take note.

I for one am excited at the prospect of a FOTA series. There WILL be NO rival series if they go it alone, because as it is, there are not enough teams that can actually produce a car, let alone a competetive one.

A possible track sponsor, and welcome returnee could be Michelin...