[Race] French GP set to return in 2013

[nicanary]

If only,if only.

China has the dosh - see previous posts. The Belgians are apparently unable to fund the sanctioning fee (aka wedding party costs).

[Knowlesy]

The dream is Bernie getting real and charging reasonable costs. I realise that this is madness.

As a money maker you can only admire the man. On any other level, err...

[JeremySmith]

Losing Spa, is like telling the pope he no longer lives at the Vatican...

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

The dream is Bernie getting real and charging reasonable costs. I realise that this is madness.

As a money maker you can only admire the man. On any other level, err...

As I questioned earlier, how do running costs compare today with how it used to be?

I bet the old starting-money wasn't the equivalent of $30m or whatever.We HAVE to keep certain tracks on the calendar, or the magic is lost. (Monza, Silverstone "for us", Spa).Otherwise the drivers might as well sit in a hangar somewhere and play it out on PS3s.

[bella]

since marbot was far too important to use the existing topic on this race, then i'll say what i said there too.

as a relative local, i'm pleased the gp will be coming to the area. again. we already have monaco. however. the circuit will need to do a lot of work to get the circuit to f1 crowd standards. the region of provence alpes cote d'azur is pretty affluent but i can't see the roads being improved. that's simply not going to happen.

it'll be the second grand prix within 4 or so months within 3 hours drive of each other. only spa-nurburgring is closer. another 3-4 hours drive from monaco is monza, and in the other direction barcelona is about 5 hours drive from ricard.

so it doesn't make much sense. they'd be far better throwing money at rebuilding the pit complex at magny cours - they now have the road infrastructure and clearly that's been money wasted by the government if they're not going to use it. everything is already there.

muppetry. but i'm glad to see a race back in france, even if the monaco gp is france really.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by johngee

We're all guilty (if that's the word?) of letting our hearts rule our heads by even having this discussion. The quality of circuits has absolutely no bearing on the distribution of races on the F1 calandar - it's all about the money - nothing else matters. If there was a credible financial package for a disused airfield in Iceland then we would have an Icelandic Grand Prix at the expense of Spa, Monza, Nurburgring or whatever venue doesn't have the money. There is absolutely no regard for quality or tradition and, if we think there is, then to paraphrase Murray Walker, "we're very much mistaken". Perhaps, one day, common sense and tradition will, once again, prevail but I'm not holding my breath.

I totally agree with that and what makes it worse is these venues like Turkey never produce the crowds, make a loss and as the years go by wonder why they are paying Bernie through the nose, until they finally decide they've had enough. It makes GP racing unsustainable.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Money....

Eccelstone's extortion more likely.

What keeps the balance between Europe and the rest of the world is money of course. But its more complex than a simple sanctioning fee, its viewership and people who watch F1 are mostly European and that's what prevents Mosley's old threat of evacuating F1 from Europe [save for a race or two] from coming to pass outright. Asians and the Middle East are more interested in F1 as a way of announcing to the world that they are part of the Western club. Their publics on the whole aren't interested in racing. Eccelstone thought the sport would take root like it did in Japan but that hasn't happened and won't either.

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Eccelstone's extortion more likely.

What keeps the balance between Europe and the rest of the world is money of course. But its more complex than a simple sanctioning fee, its viewership and people who watch F1 are mostly European and that's what prevents Mosley's old threat of evacuating F1 from Europe [save for a race or two] from coming to pass outright. Asians and the Middle East are more interested in F1 as a way of announcing to the world that they are part of the Western club. Their publics on the whole aren't interested in racing. Eccelstone thought the sport would take root like it did in Japan but that hasn't happened and won't either.

This is exactly how I feel too. Some people have applauded BCE for promoting the sport worldwide, but I've always had my doubts whether the world wanted it. Do we have any viewing figures for these newcomers prior to the new tracks , to prove that there was a demand?

[Knowlesy]

Only financial figures.

[nicanary]

I've just thought of a new version of the "Hunger Games" - Bernie v. Simon Cowell. The winner gets to fleece the public in all spheres of entertainment.

Seriously, though, I KNOW that F1 is expensive to participate in, and that BCE was trying to help the teams with all of this, but too much seems to have disappeared into Geneva vaults. It's become a grotesque monster that can't be slowed.

[strider]

I'm not sure if anyone has linked to this already, but here's a story that came out on Friday: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98483

The man carefully avoids the specific possibility of alternating with Spa, but that's obviously at the back of his mind. It would be a disaster.

I watched the ELMS race from Le Castellet this afternoon. The circuit(s) are all one surface, some of it painted as track, the rest as run-off. The whole thing is bizarre.

I have been there before the transformation and seem to remember driving up a hillside to get there, so access would be a problem.

For me Magny Cours remains the preferred alternative.

[wolfhound]

I have just read Joe Sawards article on a possible GP at Ricard, apparently FOM's fee is €20 million and if there are 100,000 paying spectators that is €200 each before any other costs are added. To me it does not make any financial sense.

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/...ion-in-france/

[bella]

slight mistake in that article - there's at least one if not 2 small grandstands at the final corner, and a long (but only about 10 row high) one opposite the pit complex. i presume they'd build temporary stands over the top of those though. all costs which magny cours wouldn't have to cover, of course. ricard needs overhauls such as media accomodation (tiny), extra vip accomodation, lots more parking on the outside of the circuit (the airport would be needed for the vips i presume - they won't want a countryside tour of the "real" south coast of france)...

it's mad really. the region has far more to worry about. i fully expect our council tax to include a 'community sports' supplement or something for 2013...

(edit: marginally off topic, but i find it amusing that these f1 journos get all stroppy about f1 bloggers who don't go to every race but are perfectly happy to comment and pretend to be knowledgeable about types of motorsport they too, never go to.)

[Purist]

More fun to complicate the discussions.

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...rench-gp-host/

[bjohnsonsmith]

Here's an intetesting article from Motorsport:

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1...ch-grand-prix/

[Bononi]

Here we go again...

[Marbot]

French GP confirmed for 2013. The venue looks to be the Paul Ricard circuit.

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/178866/...gp_return.html

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Marbot

French GP confirmed for 2013. The venue looks to be the Paul Ricard circuit.

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/178866/...gp_return.html

This is Sums Bernie up completely:

"We are still discussing a few points of money around the race."

[Bononi]

Better than "race around the money"...

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by strider

The circuit(s) are all one surface, some of it painted as track, the rest as run-off.

Not quite correct. There are three different levels of abrasion which can punish (tyres) heavily if spinning over the run-off.

[IceMan_PJN]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Why does it have to alternate with Spa? Get rid of Valencia.

I second this motion. Valencia's a pretty location, but a horrible circuit.

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by IceMan_PJN

I second this motion. Valencia's a pretty location, but a horrible circuit.

NO-get rid of Barcelona,Bahrain,Malaysia?

[ECW Dan Selby]

It's not as simple as that.

We can't just say 'that has to go cos we don't like it'. It's all about money. A fair point was raised somewhere:

'We can't just say to Spa 'oh, we'll let you off X amount for this year...'. It sets a very dangerous precedent.'

The only thing I would say, perhaps they need to bring the price of hosting a race down for everyone.

But, when you're in Bernie's position, why would you?

It's hard, really. When you've got places like Bahrain more than willing to throw cash at you, you'd do it.

But I agree, Barcelona can 'go', and it has 'gone', at least every other year

Selby

[werner]

I have a great idea: Organize the 'Grand Prix de France' at the very suitable track located not to far from France, Francorchamps.
It has been done before...

[ECW Dan Selby]

Would be nice...

Selby