Bernie threatens Australia !

[driveace]

According to Australia,s Sunday Mail, Bernie has threatened that if the Baillieu government cuts its cash handout to the Australian F1 event,it could be taken away from Australia.Bernie said that unless taxpayer kept pouring in at least $55 million a year into the race,it will be taken away.Adding If we were having a divorce from our friends in Melbourne,we would probably be walking away from Australia .
Is it ALL about money to Bernie ?

[Tazio]

Doesn't Bernie find a reason to threaten to take away the Australian GP about every four or five years?
He is like a used car salesman that graduated to pimp

[MAX_THRUST]

Every year he threatens the same old tracks with this. Its all about the money. If all the tracks said fine stuff you, then he would soon run out of quality tracks with history, and that would take away some of the importance of some races. It takes years to build aup tradition and history, it just doesn;t happen over night. Take Korea, its not exactly steeped in racing history and for that reason it would never be as poplular as Monza, Silverstone, Monaco Spa etc.

Suatralia's contract runs out in a few years, bernie will not live for ever and then who ever takes over may have a different view. May Bernie stay in good health, I'm not wishing him ill will here.

[Dave B]

You could set your watch by Bernie's threats.

[TheFamousEccles]

Go ahead Bernie. Many of us are bored with this periodic sabre rattling. As much as I like F1, I wouldn't be too upset for the Victorian state government to spend the millions on schools and hospitals or more likely spend it on the rent seekers like the mining and retail industries, but that's a rant for another day and place...

Either way, bored now Bernie. Take your night race and go forth.

[ShiftingGears]

He should take it and leave.

[Hawkmoon]

Bernie's argument is that the race is so unprofitable that the government must keep paying or he will take away the race? Way to sell your product Bernie.

[schmenke]

It is not up to the FOM to decide the source of funding for a GP event.
The FOM signs a contract agreement with the event organiser whose responsibility is to secure funding.
The Australian situation is very similar to the Canadian GP event where it is only profitable if government funding is injected. The FOM does not deal directly with the Government of Canada, but with the event promoter, Octane Management, who secures funding from various even sponsors, private and public.

[steveaki13]

Bernie is just doing what he does, asking for more money or he else he'll go to the next Arab or Far Eastern state with billions burning a hole in their pockets.

F1 could do with Bernie retiring to a nice beach somewhere.

[DexDexter]

Bernie's argument is that the race is so unprofitable that the government must keep paying or he will take away the race? Way to sell your product Bernie.

It's not as simple as that. As I've stated many many times, lower fees mean less money to the teams and that's bad for F1.