Time for a palace coup in F1?

[oddlycalm]

Bernie seems to have managed to sidestep the various stretegies to form competing series, and F1 remains firmly within his grip. The issue isn't cost control, it's revenue control. As long as Bernie is keeping the lions share of the revenue from the operation of F1 it will be increasingly difficult for anyone to come up with the money required, hence the recent Ford announcement. At present the teams get to split 25% of the TV revenue between them, with 75% of of TV, sanctioning fees and everything else going to Bernie. At the rate Bernie is bleeding off the cash he is virtually ensuring the eventual death of F1, particularly as the sport is weaning itself away from tobacco support.

Even if a new group manages to come up with the money to purchase a team, or start one from scratch, trying to play catch up is beyond the scope of pretty much any organization at the moment. Look at how long it has taken BAR Honda to get on the podium on a regular basis, never mind winning racings, and Toyota isn't even a mid-pack player yet. If Ford and Toyota can't manage to move up from being back markers, what are the chances for anyone else?

Can you imagine meeting with a potential primary sponsor and telling them that you need a 5yr commitment of $150 million annually to see their logo running at the back for a couple of years followed by several years at mid-pack..... if lucky? :eek:

oc

[RTKar]

...a dictator, Bernie is...benevolent, he isn't ...his passing will make for an interesting time in F1. Wouldn't surprise me if some of the principals long for it...

[RichK]

I try not to get worked up over F1 politics, but the recent issues with Spa, Montreal & Silverstone really piss me off. It's the fact that the little troll doesn't give a **** about F1's history or tradition, or what makes a good race.

I think Jacques once said (paraphrased): "The sooner you realize that F1 isn't about racing, the better off you are".

[Michaelhatesfans]

...a dictator, Bernie is...benevolent, he isn't ...his passing will make for an interesting time in F1. Wouldn't surprise me if some of the principals long for it...
When I read your post I had a visual of a bloody Bernie looking up and gasping something like, "Et tu, Flavio???"

[RTKar]

When I read your post I had a visual of a bloody Bernie looking up and gasping something like, "Et tu, Flavio???"

I was thinking, "Beware the Ides of March"

[Rogue Leader]

I was thinking, "Beware the Ides of March"

March? too late for them, already dead under Bernie's watch :(

[stroker]

I wouldn't be surprised if BE has purchased the rights to the Month of March and gets royalties every time it's used...

:(

[oddlycalm]

I try not to get worked up over F1 politics, but the recent issues with Spa, Montreal & Silverstone really piss me off.Absolutely, losing a great circuit only to get some gravel pit in the Arabian desert or Shanghai is no bargain at all. Not to mention the grid is getting sparse.

My observation is that the business model is self destructive as it stands. It perpetuates control by a couple elderly gents while the ateam bosses are also getting long of tooth. I guess they plan on operating F1 from the cemetary in future seasons...? :confused:

oc

[krunch]

Bernie has to be the world's highest paid tobacco salesman and therein lies the problem.
He has no problem leaving the great tracks of the world to go to any country that is tobacco advertising friendly because it's all about the bottom line.

The actual racing is just the vehicle(sic) for the adverts.

I remember reading an interview with one of the top team bosses some time ago who believed that without tobacco money they would have to give up their windtunnel.
Couldn't help but think that less aeros would be a good think for the sport as well,but that's a whole other arguement

[jonovision_man]

Bernie has to be the world's highest paid tobacco salesman and therein lies the problem.
He has no problem leaving the great tracks of the world to go to any country that is tobacco advertising friendly because it's all about the bottom line.

The actual racing is just the vehicle(sic) for the adverts.

I remember reading an interview with one of the top team bosses some time ago who believed that without tobacco money they would have to give up their windtunnel.
Couldn't help but think that less aeros would be a good think for the sport as well,but that's a whole other arguement

I agree, you take tobacco out and there's less money in those top teams for development. Not ridiculously less - it'd still be very high tech R&D and I very much doubt we'd see an end to wind tunnels - but less. Good start at controlling costs is to cut them off on the revenue side.

Of course, Williams would be looking pretty fine... :)

jono

[oddlycalm]

One thing for certain, with the demise of tobacco money only a matter of time. With Bernie's stanglehold on the revenue, the chances of any new blood in F1 are near zero. Long term, no new blood is a death sentence.

In the past the opportunity for smaller teams to enter the sport and post reasonable results has led to credible field fillers like Jordan and Sauber. Peter Sauber and Eddie Jordan are considerably older at this point and there is nobody new oh the horizon.

Like most other forms of racing, F1 is currently suffering from unflattering comparisons with it's own past.

oc

[RichK]

I think "Bernie's stranglehold" is what will be adjusted to save F1 from it's present course. He always kicks down money when it's needed (Minardi ownership, reducing Silverstone deficit from $3m to $1.5m) at the last minute.

Once tobacco leaves, he'll simply adjust the numbers to keep the teams/manufacturers *just* satisfied enough to show up for the next race, and nothing more.

You almost have to admire the little ****! :laugh:

[pchall]

A palace coup?

I think only a transporter sized fuel/air bomb in the paddock could fix F1 now.

[Dirty Sanchez]

In the past the opportunity for smaller teams to enter the sport and post reasonable results has led to credible field fillers like Jordan and Sauber. Peter Sauber and Eddie Jordan are considerably older at this point and there is nobody new oh the horizon.Christian Horner is on the horizon.

[Railbird]

I was thinking, "Beware the Ides of March"

Very clever RT


I doubt that Allen, Robin or Graham would go along with him, but I can't help but think Max is ready to give it a go.