So how do you feel about 14 cars?

[keysersoze]

Apparently the proposed boycott has gotten his attention.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...141101?rpc=401

He wants the big teams to agree to give away the millions they contractually earned to help the cash-strapped teams. Yeah, Hecklestone, I see them doing that. I mean, wouldn't we all?

[Tazio]

He wants the big teams to agree to give away the millions they contractually earned to help the cash-strapped teams. Yeah, Hecklestone, I see them doing that. I mean, wouldn't we all?

Bernie is speaking out of both sides of his mouth, and is starting to feel the heat.

http://www.espn.co.uk/blogs/motorspo...ml?CMP=OTC-RSS

Bernie talks a lot of shit, but it is my opinion that the series will survive with a few tweaks.

[zako85]

With 14 cars you still have a whole lot more cars than says WEC's prime class, the LMP1. The last WEC race at COTA I was spectating for six hours even though I was watching only the top 6 cars, the two Audis, two Toyotas, and two Porsches. 14 cars competing with each other is just fine by me (though, at this point, I would revert to the old system of granting points only to the top 6 cars). Almost no one cared about what happens to Marussia, HRT, or Caterham. These three simply made the Q1 of qualifying sessions really REALLY boring and also served as obstacles for other cars to go around in the race.

[Zico]

I want 26 cars FFS.

I know it won't happen, but I want it

Imo 18-20 cars on the grid is about right and could probably be acheived safely with an equality minded budget shake up. With 26 cars I'd be a bit worried that filling up these spare spaces with even more low budget teams/mobile chicanes which would be to the detriment of safety.

[Bagwan]

So , did I hear Bernie say that he would match any money that they could claw back from the teams ?
Did I really hear that ?

Weak moment for Bernie , or shrewd business move ?

We have reports that there are offers for Caterham and Marussia , or would be if things were fixed .
And , everyone is saying , apart from those at the top who just want a bigger pie to accommodate the minnows , that they want a re-distribution of wealth .


In saying that he is maybe to blame , Bernard has just called out the big guys , to receive their part of the blame as well .
The first of the big teams to comply will look as though they are shaming the others into complying with the rethink .

At least , they should all be really thinking about this .
It is inevitable , I think , and the gauntlet is thrown .

The best way to reply , if RB , Merc , and Ferrari have the foresight to see it can't work this way , would be to reply positively , and most importantly , together .
Pigs can , in fact , fly , if you attach enough balloons to them .
Nothing is impossible .

There are a number of ways this could all work out , but it's perhaps never before been so obvious that the whole thing could fold without more of the pie going to those farther down the grid .

[N. Jones]

Imo 18-20 cars on the grid is about right and could probably be acheived safely with an equality minded budget shake up. With 26 cars I'd be a bit worried that filling up these spare spaces with even more low budget teams/mobile chicanes which would be to the detriment of safety.

I second steve - 13 teams, 26 cars.

[Jag_Warrior]

He's old. He's filled his pockets (and those of his worthless offspring) with money. And more & more, as the years pass and longterm issues arise, he sounds increasingly like Andrew Craig. The old CART fans here will know exactly what I mean by that!

14 cars my @$$!!!

[Duncan]

Today with 15 cars for most of the race it was rather lacking...

I have to say that it's pretty striking just how small the gap really is in terms of performance between the fastest teams and the slowest, despite a huge gulf in the level of resources they respectively have to throw at the problem. It took the Mercs, what, 40 laps to lap Gutierrez in the Sauber, and for the whole race you had Lotus, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Ferrari all tangling for places. Really great stuff from the "slow" guys.

I'm with Steve too. 13 teams, 26 cars. It really shouldn't be that hard to figure out once everybody is sufficiently motivated.

I take Bernie's statements to be just positioning. It's what Bernie does. Every issue is a deal to be done, and every word that comes out of his mouth is an angle. Hopefully he can actually earn some of the money he makes and get something done. Caterham and Marussia are all but done without immediate intervention, and Force India is apparently right on the edge also.

[Mark]

Aren't we seeing the shaking out of the financial crisis here? F1 has managed to insulate itself for a time, but reality catches up with everyone.

Back in the day F1 was able to get by with tobacco money so you wouldn't see this sort of issue, but today it's not so easy.

[SGWilko]

14 cars is the minimum before the FIA have the right to effectively tear up the 100 year deal and start with a clean sheet is it not?

There may well be a 'cruel to be kind' agenda here to knife BCE in the back and finally get rid!