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    F1 - 2010

    Will it happen?

    #2
    F1 - 2010

    Judging by the names involved...

    "If you build it, they will come" ...etc.

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      #3
      F1 - 2010

      I'm sure it's no coincidence that this has happened as the teams are gathered at Silverstone; which, of course, has been dropped from next year's schedule...

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        #4
        F1 - 2010

        And you'd better believe that that cunt Murdoch is sniffing round somewhere...

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          #5
          F1 - 2010

          How plausible is this, logistically speaking? If FOTA starts a new championship, surely they have to start negotiating with tracks and organising dates extremely rapidly. And if FIA stand in their way and refuse to allow them the dates that have already been arranged for next season's GPs (and I'm guessing those dates are already fixed), then it's going to be really hard to get this sorted.

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            #6
            F1 - 2010

            That's the primary sticking point, together with the alleged fact that Ferarri, Red Bull and Toro Rosso are contractually bound to participate pursuant to a side agreement (which Ferarri claims is null and void, having already been abrogated by FIA).

            That said, there are other possible tracks (Silverstone, Montreal, Imola, Austria, the one of Hockenheim/Nürburgring that isn't "on", etc.) and the possibility of other dates (though to the extent the tracks are controlled by FIA-affiliated parties (as Monza is), that is going to be harder).

            Another major question is what the details of Ecclestone's contracts with the TV companies and other major sponsors provide. Are they obligated to pay for any FIA-approved event called "Formula 1", or do they have outs that could be triggered if the likes of Ferarri, McLaren, Renault, BMW, etc don't participate?

            My gut tells me that they are going to work out some last minute compromise, but it is getting late.

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              #7
              F1 - 2010

              I'm sure there'd be at least one, and maybe as many as three, races in North America, if 'FOTA 1' goes ahead. Their tracks could simply be ready reasonably promptly and the publicity would be good for the fledgling formula.

              I reckon alot of the tracks we haven't seen since the 70s and early 80s could make a reappearance. Brands Hatch would be nice to see again, but I doubt it'd pass safety regulations. Ditto Clermont-Ferrand.

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                #8
                F1 - 2010

                Sky have tried already to break into the car-racing market, with the "A1" championship or whatever it's called. It seems to attract about as much interest as beach football.

                Official recognition as a "world championship" still means an awful lot, to fans of most sports. It's what distinguishes the ICC World 20-20 from a Stanford Series, for example.

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                  #9
                  F1 - 2010

                  I don't think that analogy works here, given that there is no question whatsoever that the quality of a FOTA championship would be higher than that of "Formula One" without the FOTA teams. The imprimatur of a sanctioning organisation that has lost the respect of many F1 fans simply isn't worth that much.

                  This is more like the challenges faced by the tennis establishment at the beginning of the open era.

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                    #10
                    F1 - 2010

                    I wonder if FOTA are consulting with some of the people involved with the Indycar/Champcar split. That would seem the nearest comparison. I'm not saying that they should advise, FOTA - it'd just be a case of 'relating their experiences' to them - hopefully with the aim of avoiding certain pitfalls if they do break away.

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                      #11
                      F1 - 2010

                      I'm sure that they have given a great deal of thought to what happened in the US and will do whatever they can to avoid that kind of trauma.

                      A major difference here is that no one track in F1 has anything like the weight that Indy did/does in open-wheel racing in the US. The closest thing one could get to an equivalent split in F1 would be if Ferarri tried to go it alone, and they seem to fully understand that it isn't in their interests to do so.

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                        #12
                        F1 - 2010

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                          #13
                          F1 - 2010

                          Too early to tell if FOTA will succeed in getting rid of Moseley.

                          And even if they accomplish that, it isn't going to be easy to get Ecclestone to give them a bigger slice of the revenues.

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                            #14
                            F1 - 2010

                            Sounds like Max Mosley is stepping down and everything's going to be tickety-boo next season...

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                              #15
                              F1 - 2010

                              Looks like a complete climbdown by Mosley.

                              No fixed budget cap, 2009 rules, no lawsuit against FOTA and no Max running FIA.

                              Now for Ecclestone to reinstate Silverstone, and to begin the discussions with the teams over possible revisions to the revenue split.

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                                #16
                                F1 - 2010

                                They're still arguing. Maybe they all need to be told what to do by an admirer of Hitler. Or the son of a fascist. Hmm, wasn't Son Of A Fascist by Chicory Tip?

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                                  #17
                                  F1 - 2010

                                  BMW throw in the towel.

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                                    #18
                                    F1 - 2010

                                    As do Toyota.

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                                      #19
                                      F1 - 2010

                                      I thought that might happen.

                                      I'd like to think it might mean that Lotus could snap up Kobayashi, rather than use Sato. Kobayashi looked promising from what little I saw of him and seemed to already have a wiser head on his shoulders than some of the drivers that Japan has produced. However, I expect the contract with Sato is already sealed.

                                      Speaking of Lotus, what do others here make of their return? I'm split about it. I loved - worshipped - Lotus as a child, but this seems a bit 'artificial' to me. I'd love it if - should major sponsorship be as hard to come by for them as it was for Braun - they painted their cars in British racing colours: dark green and gold/yellow. However, whatever colours they use, I fear for their long-term safety if such manufacturers as Honda and Toyota can't deal with the costs.

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                                        #20
                                        F1 - 2010

                                        Looks like Renault could be next

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                                          #21
                                          F1 - 2010

                                          Suddenly Force India might be among the veterans of the pit lane, next season!

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                                            #22
                                            F1 - 2010

                                            A moderately surprising statement from a surprising source.

                                            A few things, though:

                                            Do Ferrari only feel able to speak out without censure now that Jean Todt (formerly 'one of them') is in charge of the FIA?

                                            The phrase 'major car manufacturers' seems to imply only such marques as Honda, Toyota and Renault but not necessarily McLaren, Red Bull, etc. Ferrari are somewhere in the middle ground, being what could be called a minor manufacturer of some pretty major cars.

                                            Finally, they used the phrase "those in charge of F1", which points the finger at Ecclestone, rather than the FIA.

                                            Ecclestone to be toppled next, perhaps?

                                            (In case anyone is wondering, I used to have issues with Ecclestone, too, though those have waned somewhat in recent years.)

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                                              #23
                                              F1 - 2010

                                              This isn't the first time the car manufacturers have pulled out and it wont be the last. They come and go with the economic times, always have and always will. F1 will revert back to a privateer dominated grid for a while now before the big car companies come back in 5 or 6 years. I'm quite looking forward to seeing it going the privateer route for a while.

                                              I don't say that to run down the manufacturers, they have done a lot for the profile of F1 over the years not to mention being engine suppliers to smaller teams.

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                                                #24
                                                F1 - 2010

                                                Blimey! I didn't see this one coming!

                                                They think it's uber alles! ...It is now!

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                                                  #25
                                                  F1 - 2010

                                                  I gather they'll run as Mercedes.

                                                  The last Mercedes GP car:

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