Future GP venues / Calendar Discussions

[Jiji_the_cat]

French GP from 2013   

According to French newspaper Le Figaro a deal will be signed later this month, with Paul Ricard set to host the event from September 1 2013. It will then alternate every year with Spa. The paper adds "all that remains is for France's Prime Minister, François Fillon to give it the green light".

I think alternating venues is going to become the norm in F1 for many countries.

[Ian G.]

Yeah,alternating Venues will probaly become the norm. judging by the number of circuits in line for hosting future GP's,certainly a boom time for F-1 but also Oz. will probaly have to fight hard to keep it here.
I think the French GP will be a annual event again somewhere down the track,lots of forces & National pride at work.

[Oldtony]

Don't think it is boom time for F1.
Currently there are more circuits trying to get out of F1 than get in.
Valencia: they are looking for an exit clause in its contract, or at very least going to an alternate years thing with Barcelona. No further government money available and the real estate barons who pushed it and the Americas Cup through are not going well at present.
Korea: On very shaky ground with the government suggesting that if the private finaciers don't meet their promised part of the deal Bernie can't rely on the taxpayer to bail them out.
China: On a year by year drip feed. If the Chinese government says no it would be interesting seeing Bernie trying to enforce any contract he thinks he has.
Canada: The moles are saying that the Montreal deal is more of a performance linked deal than an outright contract, if the popularity drops there is an out clause.
Germany: Nurbirgring and Hockenhiem sharing and both face huge losses on the F1 event, particularly Hockenhiem which doesnt have the income stream generated by VLN and the Nordschlieff that Nring has to subsidise it.
Spa: As indicated wants to go back to alternate years shared with France.
Brazil: Sao Paulo very reluctant to spend the money to upgrade what are fairly old facilities. There is a lot of money in Brazil at the moment (for the same reasons we are doing well) but no prospect of the National Government getting involved as they are spending big on the next World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
Bahrain: You know what is happening there.
Lots of talk about the US but even Austin is still striking hurdles and New Jersey is still only a pipe dream. India has had its first year but has to establish itself as an ongoing viable proposition and has considerable political opposition. Russia looks likely, but depends very much on the present people staying in power. Mexico and Argentina look the best of the future prospect, at least having some F1 DNA.
And of course how secure do you think Melbourn is if Bernie turns up demanding big dollops of cash to extend the contract.
No F1 is not booming as far as dealings with tracks is concerned. And to add to the worries Bernie has to negotiate a new Concorde with the teams, and CVC under its contractual arrangements has to do a total re-finance in 2015 or sell out beforehand.
Bernie is talking about an IPO float on the Singapore stock exchange. Be an interesting prospectus and due dilligence. Maybe 

[Ian G.]

Tony,you make some good points but that has been the case since the F-1 Title first started.Except for the core Euro. events the rest of the calendar was on a very shaky almost on a year by year basis,Venues used to come and go regulary since the 1950's particulary in the Americas where it was difficult for F-1 races to achieve any sort of permanent status.The obvious root cause was the cost of transporting the F-1 circus to a non-Euro. circuit along with providing accommodation for the FIA officials & Family and also providing minimum prizemoney pools.This cost was more than what could be generated by the Event itself particulary when the Oil Co.'s & major Car Co's. agreed not to sponsor individual F-1 races.
In any case i was looking  more at the other side of the Coin,TV Audience's,Spectator Attendance & Revenue's in general are at all time highs,there hundreds of articles on the net to confirm this.The problem is Bernie,as head of the Gravy Train, is screwing Promoters/Circuit Owners. to within a $ of their lives for the rights to hold a GP,this will continue until the waiting list to hold a GP vanishes for one reason or another.
F-1 is in great shape,not bad for a sport that was run by Big Tobacco for over 30 years and only now emerging from their control.

[Jiji_the_cat]

And then there were 2, Barcelona under threat.

Andreu Mas-Colell, Catalunya's minister for economy, in an interview with RAC1 radio, that it is not clear if the region can continue to justify hosting the F1 or  the MotoGP.

“We might reconsider if we can hold the F1 or motorcycle grand's prix. It is not clear to us that we can afford them in the current situation.
It is not the first thing we will reconsider. But at times we have to look very closely, line by line, at where we spend the money.
There are contracts that are more expensive to maintain than to break.”

[Jiji_the_cat]

The Bahrain Saga

We will campaign for … drivers and teams to boycott," said Nabeel Rajab, vice president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, "The government wants F1 to tell the outside world that everything is back to normal, if they come, they are helping the government to say [it is normal]. We would prefer it if they didn't take part. I am sure the drivers and teams respect human rights.

Seriously i think we were all expecting this. Everyone raised there eyebrows when Bahrain was included in this years calender. I can see the 2011 saga playing out all over again. The only difference this years is that there is no defined FOTA

[Oldtony]

Forget FIFA or Fota or Bernie.
When 
The people who will make the decision on Bahrain are the insurance company risk assessors.
No way anyone will be taking all those expensive people anywhere they are at identifiable risk in their insurers say no.
The European Governments might have some say as well.

The Barca release is sort of another dommino in the Bernie line that is looking dodgy. It may be just a ploy to get the Spanish public used to the idea of sharing with Valencia but the state of the Spanish economy at present makes the idea of dumping expenditure attractive.
I go back to my earlier post, F1 may be talking up its TV exposure but the circuits who are footing all the bills to put the events on are starting to buck at supporting CVC for no demonstrable reason.

[Mothers Worry]

The people who will make the decision on Bahrain are the insurance company risk assessors.

No way anyone will be taking all those expensive people anywhere they are at identifiable risk in their insurers say no.
The European Governments might have some say as well.

That's a great point OT. Touche on the lateral thinking.

[bpratt]

Don't think it is boom time for F1.
Currently there are more circuits trying to get out of F1 than get in.

And of course how secure do you think Melbourn is if Bernie turns up demanding big dollops of cash to extend the contract.

It won't take much for Melbourne to get off the F1 circus.

Bernie only has to harp on the 'night race' crap, and how the circuit can not really handle a twilight/night race. We've been very lucky with lighting being just enough to do twilight. Turns 2 to 3 and 5 to 6 are extremely difficult to light up and a dangerous for F1 cars to race there if there's a lot of heavy clouds.

No night race means Bernie can pull the event away from Melbourne, and from Australia completely (unless this prospective Ormeau/Yatala circuit comes to fruition, as they planning on full on lighting for night racing).

So if Bernie comes along demanding night race AND more dollars, then bye bye AGP. 

[Ian G.]

Austin COTA is coming along OK again.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=361968360484382&set=a.361967867151098.102426.157330087614878&type=1&theater#!/photo.php?fbid=361967993817752&set=a.361967867151098.102426.157330087614878&type=1&permPage=1

[Ian G.]

Don't think it is boom time for F1.
Currently there are more circuits trying to get out of F1 than get in.

And of course how secure do you think Melbourn is if Bernie turns up demanding big dollops of cash to extend the contract.

It won't take much for Melbourne to get off the F1 circus.

Bernie only has to harp on the 'night race' crap, and how the circuit can not really handle a twilight/night race. We've been very lucky with lighting being just enough to do twilight. Turns 2 to 3 and 5 to 6 are extremely difficult to light up and a dangerous for F1 cars to race there if there's a lot of heavy clouds.

No night race means Bernie can pull the event away from Melbourne, and from Australia completely (unless this prospective Ormeau/Yatala circuit comes to fruition, as they planning on full on lighting for night racing).

So if Bernie comes along demanding night race AND more dollars, then bye bye AGP. 

Its on again,Bernie chasing the mighty $.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97734

[Mothers Worry]

Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that Barcelona and Valencia will alternate from 2013 onwards as a means of managing the financial outlays involved with hosting the race.

[DanielAquilina]

Probably a good thing for Formula 1 in general although maybe not for the Spanish People. I don't like both tracks so for someone like me I find that a pretty sweet move. Are they alternating the Spanish Grand Prix or the European Grand Prix?

[Mothers Worry]

Argentinian president Cristina Fernandez has hinted that a three-year deal had been agreed with Bernie Ecclestone's FOM, and that the race would take place in November, likely after the between the US and Brazilian rounds. A target of 2013 has been put forward.

[Mothers Worry]

An announcement that France will return to the Formula 1 calendar as early as 2013 is expected on Friday.

The race will likely alternate with the Belgian round at Spa-Francorchamps, meaning a return in 2013 would see Spa absent from the calendar next year.

No Spa? That sucks big-time.

[bpratt]

I'd hate to see the loss of Spa, particulary if goes to that pathetic Magny Cour track every second year.

[Mothers Worry]

French prime minister Francois Fillon has confirmed talks are underway and a preliminary contract had been presented for Formula 1 to return to the country, but nothing has yet been finalised.

The announcement made on Friday was a lacklustre one, with signs pointing toward a confirmed deal having been reached with Bernie Ecclestone for the Paul Ricard circuit to host an F1 race from 2013, proving a stretch too far.

Despite this, the project is progressing well confirmed Fillon: "We are working on the idea of hosting a grand prix every other year at Le Castellet," he said. "This idea has been agreed with by the Formula One authorities."

Reports suggest it will alternate on an annual basis with the Belgian GP, which is part of the reason a confirmed deal hasn't yet been finalised, with the organisers at Spa-Francorchamps yet to fully agree to the race share.

Fillon also stressed that the event wouldn't receive substantial financial backing from the government, despite a €2 million shortfall on what has been agreed between the organisers and Ecclestone.

[bpratt]

I can remember hearing a report from years ago that Paul Ricard circuit would be basically a sponsor only attended event, as there would be no general admission areas.

I do hope this never happens, but whilst Bernie runs the show, I wouldn't put it past him.

[Ian G.]

Bahrain in the News again.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9180063/Bahrain-protests-flare-against-F1-after-protester-dies.html

[bpratt]

Bahrain in the News again.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9180063/Bahrain-protests-flare-against-F1-after-protester-dies.html

So how many here think the Bahrain GP will go ahead this year ?

I really doubt they'll be able to go ahead with it, particulary with the negative publicity with these human rights violations.