Premier 1 Grand Prix 2002 calender

[Rempie]

7th July, Estoril, Portugal
21st July, Zandvoort, Holland
4th August, TBC, Germany
18th August, TBC, Austria/Belgium/Czech Republic
8th September, TBC, England
22nd September, Magny Cours, France
6th October, Barcelona, Spain
20th October, TBC, Italy
3rd November, Buenos Aires, Argentina
10th November, Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

www.premier1grandprix.com

[Marshal]

And coming to a TV near you soon? Well, its got a calender and 2 cars, is it going to happen? And is it a Junior Formula?

[BootsOntheSide]

To me, Premier 1 smacks of big business tryign to take over sport and run it in their own media-friendly way. I thoroughly hate the idea, and clearly with hardly any venues arranged for sure and a grid with only Leeds United and Benfica entered, we could have some fun ridiculing this Mickey Mouse idea.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Marshal
And is it a Junior Formula?

looking that way at the moment!

Who is going to drive for them? Is it going to be a stepping stone to F1, CART, Formula Ford?

It strikes me as being a bit pointless, but maybe it'll be a great success. I can't see it being as worthwhile as F1, CART, F3000 or even BOSS or throughbred.

Are people going to watch it because they can buy a model car in the colours of their favourite football team?

????????????????????????

[Jonny Apex]

Surely if its an international championship it needs FIA blessing? If its going to rival F1 why don't the FIA just NOT give it a licence to run and get rid of it before it turns motor racing into a pathetic joke? I'm sure Max and Bernie have already thought of this of course. I hope so anyway!

[Marshal]

Originally posted by Jonny Apex
Surely if its an international championship it needs FIA blessing? If its going to rival F1 why don't the FIA just NOT give it a licence to run and get rid of it before it turns motor racing into a pathetic joke? I'm sure Max and Bernie have already thought of this of course. I hope so anyway!

I think they'll have to give it a Licence, as otherwise the EU will get them on restraint of trade.My guess is it will be on a level driver wise with things like Sportscars and DTM, godd solid pro's, the unlucky and the not quite talented enough. Assuming it actually happens. Finally I hope that they manage to sign up some teams whose colour scheme is something other than white

[Dan Friel]

And the drivers will be?

I'll start with Bas Leinders in a Ajax car - that's a sure bet (he is dutch isn't he??)

[Adam43]

I'm quite cynical about this whole thing, but the FIA should (and must) allow it to run. It's a free world (well, market place anyway) and new ventures should be encouraged.

[Rimrider]

I agree with Adam. Also, a high level Formula that actually pays drivers to race will give the drivers who we know should be in F1 something to race whilst they wait for the opportinity and not fade away wasted. Or even better, it could give the young ones thae chance to get into F1 while all the old past-its (Alesi, Frentzen, Irvine etc) can be pensioned off in Premier GP.

[Daisy]

Originally posted by Dan Friel
And the drivers will be?

I'll start with Bas Leinders in a Ajax car - that's a sure bet (he is dutch isn't he??)

Bas Leinders is from Belgium. He will probably drive in an Anderlecht car.

[BootsOntheSide]

Its anotehr example of how the European Union pokes its noses into sport when it doesn't understand it. The whole series is a joke and will just muddy the clarifications between champiosnhips, make it even harder to race good single-seater drivers, and give megarich football clubs anotehr way to pull ahead of more worthy ones in their domestic leagues. It'd be open to fixes as well, and could prove to be a European Football Super League through the back door, jsut with cars instead of balls.

[Stephen Green]

Well with only two cars registered at the moment it isn't likely to go anywhere. I remember British F2 a few years back, sitting around on my marshals post watching 4 or 5 F2 cars wizz by, bloody boring and certainly not a crowd pleaser.

I can't imagine any decent football club wanting to put their name to it unless there are going to be good size grids. Otherwise it could end up giving them negative publicity.

[DanFlag]

02 august 2001: Bas Leinders, Anderlecht and Premier Grand Prix.

Premier Grand Prix: In a nutshell; Footballclubs who are going to race. This new autosportseries will be situated between F1 and F3000 en and is planned for 2002. It will be a raceclass for 24 identical cars.(Dallara-Judd with a V10-motor with 750 pk). This equality has to garantuee exciting races. In 2002 there will be 10 meetings, that will be extended to15 and 18. The footballclubs (oa. Leeds, Marseille, Valencia, Benfica, Inter Milan and Feyenoord) will take care of the merchandising. Anderlecht is the only Belgian club that may participate.
Thriving force behind the whole project is Colin Sullivan, a rich businessman who tried to buy the Silverstone circuit last year. Togheter with Swiss and English partners he's going to make heavy investments. He will buy the cars for the clubs. All they have to do is find a pilot, a tuningfirm and take care of the merchandising. If Anderlecht signs the contrct for the new autosportseries Bas Leinders will be their pilot. The car will be tuned by MG Racing. An interesting concept but like BAs said himself: for the moment Formule 1 has priority."

[Stephen Green]

Thanks for that Dan, but unless they can get more cars on the grid, then my original comments stand.

[LucaBadoer]

Originally posted by Rempie
18th August, TBC, Austria/Belgium/Czech Republic

Why do they have to think about whether to have Spa or not?? An international championship can't run without Spa...

[Rob29]

Problem here seems to be they have decided on the dates,so as not to clash with F1,and now need to find suitable circuits that have those weekends free.

[DNQ]

This really is the most pathetic idea I have ever heard. I mean, it's football, not motorsport...it's all about money.

Maybe if this works, the netball teams of the world will form a table tennis competition. Or perhaps, the county cricket clubs will launch a ballet festival...call me a sceptic, but it won't work.

[R]

It reminds me of an old saying: "Shoe maker, stick to your last."

[Rempie]

Yeah right, you guys act like F1 is all about racing? Formula 1 is one big commercial circus as well!

Maybe we'll get both a commercial circus and REAL racing action in Premier 1 Grand Prix, something we haven't seen in F1 for quite a while. The low cost and assured sponsors from soccer may actually give a 750hp-chance to the real talents, not only people (e.g. Bernoldi) who are in it for the money.

You should all read what's on www.premier1grandprix.com

Rempie

[BootsOntheSide]

Surely this thing about drivers beign the same nationality as their team wouldn't be legal under EU law? That could be a chance to kill off this Mickey mouse ****. Whatever next, a racign cahmpionship with cars sponsored by TV shows?:

"Well, the Farsier car is doing, very well, holding off a determined attack from The Simpsons, EastEnders has jsut left the pits, but LOOK! Off goes the Weakest Link car! GOODBYE!!"

[R]

Rempie - just for the record, I'm a much bigger fan of Champ Cars these days than I am of F1. And for that matter, I don't think Bernoldi was a good example as he has shown some real racing skills this season e.g. at Monaco (just ask DC) and Monza. I just don't see what football has to do with racing, that's all.

[Stephen Green]

I agree and still don't think it's going to take off. They couldn't get a British F1 series up and running and I would have thought that had more support than this?

Time will tell ladies and gentlemen. Let's wait until the cars are on the grid before we totally condemn the idea.

[Rempie]

The connection with soccer has been made to have a lot of big fixed sponsors (sponsors are quite a problem in a series like F3000, and decide for about 99% of the driver-lineup) and to attract a big crowd.

Since the soccer teams/sponsors have most interests in their own country, it's a logical choice to take a popular (skilled!) driver from your country. The cars will be prepared by professional autosport-teams (in no way related to soccer).

At this moment, all autosport-series are dominated by drivers supported by big sponsors. Wouldn't you rather see autosport dominated by big sponsors supported by skilled and talented drivers? This format is an excellent way to reach such a goal! We'll see if it works, but it's too early to be negative about it.

[paulzinho]

They go Barcelona and Magny Cours in there. Thats a mistake already.

Brands Hatch should be UK round and Spa should def. be on there.

[SILVERS95]

Hold on a minute here !!!....i think its all quite simple...

we all love our motor racing , and we would proberly not pay good money to see half a dozen Premier 1 cars with 2nd rate drivers in some mickey mouse championship. If they dont get full grids , good hard quality racers then i think the thing will die a death itself.
i think we should all give it a chance , if it turns out to be good , then people will pay money to watch it , and advertisers will pay tv stations to show it. If it turns out to be rubbish then nobody will be watching it anyway .

i can think of a some very talented drivers who have not got the financail backing to take them to F1...this might be the place to get them noticed on a worldwide stage .