Premier 1 Grand Prix Series ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[jvilleneuve2000]

I have just read a very disturbing article on the itv-f1 website.

"A friend of Bernie Ecclestone has unveiled plans for a new racing series that will see cars decked out in the colours of major football teams.

If the idea is approved by the FIA, Premier 1 Grand Prix could kick off in 2002. There would be 12 races, 11 in Europe and one in South America, and fierce competition is assured because all the cars would have exactly the same specification."

Competitors in the series will drive identical Dallara single-seaters with 4-litre Judd engines. There will be two races at every meeting, which will not clash with Formula 1 grands prix. Cars will use slick tyres and there will be no fuel stops.

Gianpaolo Dallara, whose company would build the cars, said: “It is a very exciting project which we are tackling with great enthusiasm.”

Football teams will pay for cars to compete in their colours. The clubs invited to participate will be chosen on the basis of a six-year analysis of their performances.

If the plans for the new series are to get the green light, they must be backed by UK motorsport’s governing body, the MSA, and submitted to the next meeting of the FIA world council in October.

The only good thing is that it wont be held on GP weekends. I would be in favour of a new racing series, but why do they have to associate it with football????. I just hope that it dosent become so popular that it splits F1.
It will be good to see if the FIA world council aprove it, and even if they do, what circuits are they going to race on. I dont think Bernie would be happy if some of the current GP circuits held races.
Why football???????

[angst]

Why football?? - MONEY££££££££££$$$$$$$$$$$
Who else has the money in Europe and South America? I suppose they'll be hoping they can merchandise yet more on the punters and get fans to come and watch their teams. Personally I think it's a **** idea.

[Peter Mallett]

I think I'm right in saying that Bernie E owns the rights to the "Clubs World Cup" or whatever its called. He's desperate to get his pay per view digital scam up and running on an international basis. Where is this system most prevelant? On tv stations which have the rights to major football championships, of which the English premiership is purported to be the biggest. Ergo, Bernie gets his race cars in front of football fans who form the biggest sports audience in the world. (Correct me if wrong on that Premiership point).

BTW. KC has already posted this in "All Other Classes".

Don't think it would damage F1. Thats being tried by experts. However. Who would the drivers be?

[Minardi fan]

I too would be all for another racing series, but I DON'T WANT IT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH FOOTBALL.

Damn you Bernie and your $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

[jvilleneuve2000]

I think i have just about got over the shock off reading the article. I have got a few questions,
Do you think it will rival F1?, and do you think it will get suport from motorsport enthusiats?, or are the rest of you sickened by the idea just like me?
I just cant understand why????, next there will be a new football league where the teams are named after GP teams!!!!.

[jvilleneuve2000]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[botsquad]

i say bravo, a really top idea.
i would also hope the drivers will all be somehow related and named either dale, joe, or elvis.

[fatbloke]

Like there's not already enough bullsh1t series in the world already - what a crock of shyte!

[Super Tourer]

It certainly won't rival or affect F1 , in the same way that IRL hasn't affected Cart.

It looks like a load of rich people trying to get rid of their money faster than normal.

But having said that with only 22 seats in the world available in F1 and of those only 2 or 3 coming up at any one time to drivers outside F1, where do drivers go...

I've always thought that the FIA should have made much more of F3000 than they have, as it seems a lot of drivers have to spend several years in F3000, because there is nowhere else for them to go...The mega quick guys will only spend a couple of years in F3000 before F1 beckons but we are talking about 1 driver per year.

I thought that F3000 should have longer races with pit stops and not just be seen as a feeder formula.

Premier series won't affect F1 as car makers will not be involved, but it may provide somewhere for drivers to race at a level inbetween F3000 and F1, which is probably needed.

Not sure about the football angle, it looks a bit contrived to me, are football fans F1 fans and vice versa....

[Jim Clark]

I mean, to be precise,...Who cares? I sense much insecurity. Butch up, chil'ren.

[jvilleneuve2000]

I am not bothered about another racing series, it is just that it is based around FOOTBALL!!!!

[Andy H]

from today's Evening Standard:

All go for football-motor racing hybrid

The cream of the Continent's football clubs have been sounded out to form a money-spinning European champions league - on the motor-racing track.

In a bid to cash in on the enormous television audiences and vast marketing potential of soccer and Formula One, the likes of Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have been approached to become associated with a new high-speed competition.

Graham Kelly, former FA chief executive, is one of a back-room team who have worked for the past 18 months to prepare Premier 1 Grand Prix for the launch of a-The plan, brainchild of Essex multi-millionaire Colin Sullivan, is to stage cer-12-race championship in 2002.

events involving up to 30 look-alike Formula One cars in the colours and livery of the top football clubs from England, Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Holland. The races will take place on alternative weekends to the Grand Prix at venues around Europe.

Property developer Sullivan, a West Ham supporter and keen motor-racing fan, is a long time acquaintance of F1 entrepreneur Bernie Ecclestone, who has not, as yet, objected to the new project. But it is Kelly, with his roots in football, who has acted as a go-between. He said: 'There has been a positive response from the clubs. It is an opportunity for them to become involved in new revenue schemes which are increasingly scarce.

'We have researched among football fans in England and 38 per cent of them said they were interested in Formula One, so there is a ready cross-over between the two sports.' Kelly would not reveal the names of the Premiership clubs approached but said: 'We have taken the top four in all countries based on their achievements over the past six years.' That puts Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool among the main contenders for what could become a golden ride to a whole new source of merchandising.

[Minardi fan]

I'm with Jv2000 on this one - I'd be all for another racing series, but NOT to do with football! It's just a big cash-in.

[Jim Clark]

...What I actually mean is, ignore it and mayhaps iy will not exist. If it does come to pass, again, ignore it. Why worry? Why give it your time of day? Relax....Viva la F1!!!

[Ed-f1]

It sounds like a blatant cash in to me but I think it will flop. Motor racing fans don't like the idea of it being associated with football and if you don't support a football team it would appear that there is little to interest you in this series. 38% of football fans said they were interested in Formula 1 but telling a poll your interested in F1 and paying money to go and watch races could be different things. Besides, this formula would probably not be as high profile as F1 (in terms of drivers etc) so I think even football fans who are interested in F1 would prefer to watch F1 anyway. So the audience would be what? Die-hard motor racing fans who are also die-hard fans of one of Europe's top football teams? Hmmmm

It's not going to clash with GP weekends but what about football matches? If it's aimed at football fanss it would make sense for it not to clash with when their teams are playing matches. The problem is that they play a match every weekend (apart from about 8 weeks in the middle of summer). So while this series goes racing it's target audience (football fans) are where? At the football! D'oh!

[Buckshot]

One thing that concerns me and I’m surprised no one has bought it up yet is the possibility of violence these football fans will bring to such events.

I heard a stand up comedian once say “I was in England once watching a riot and a soccer game broke out.”

Soccer isn’t as big down here in Australia so the only time the general public sees soccer is around World Cup time or whenever there is a riot.

Does anyone else shudder as I do thinking of this disrepute these marauding hoards of Soccer hooligans can bring to our motorsport ?

Can you imagine a hillside of Liverpool fans all of a sudden showering the Chelsea car flying past at 300kph with beer bottles or whatever else they can get their hands on just because he passed their Liverpool car ?

I remember reading a thread in here a couple of weeks ago about drunken fans at a GP and the problems that can cause – get used to it as this will become standard practice if this goes ahead.