FOTA teams to leave F1, start own series

[Max2147]

I know we have a dedicated F1 topic, but I think this is big enough news to start its own thread: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76292

FOTA will launch a breakaway series in 2010.

[darius359au]

FIA has got big problems...Maybe Mosley should have put more effort into keeping the F1 Constructors and Drivers on side than having orgies with prostitutes

[Schroeder]

Finally! I couldn't stand this Mosley/Ecclestone show anymore. Especially since they decided to kick classical racing circuits out of the season and replaced them with no name tracks in countries that are not even interested in F1 just to make even more money.

I hope the FOTA teams will really pull this through and maybe we will get some decent racing again soon.

[stabiz]

RIP F1.

[Skybird]

Da geht es dahin... und tschüss...

I don't give that series much chances. No tracks. No TV rights. No marketing contracts. And all this in a time of economic turmoil. eventually it will try, and try again - and then fade into the realms of meanignlessness, or simply die. No carmaker under financial pressure throws money after something that gives him no compensation of any form.

[Jimbuna]

Well, lets put it this way....rhere won't be enough finance available in the sport to cater for two rival entities.

This weekend will be crucial in terms of a way forward for the sport.

[Kapt Z]

[Max2147]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Da geht es dahin... und tschüss...

I don't give that series much chances. No tracks. No TV rights. No marketing contracts. And all this in a time of economic turmoil. eventually it will try, and try again - and then fade into the realms of meanignlessness, or simply die. No carmaker under financial pressure throws money after something that gives him no compensation of any form.

Why would they lose money? All the sponsors will presumably follow them to the new series. They will sign new TV deals. The deals might be worth less than they were under Bernie, but Bernie kept 50% of the TV money and only gave the remaining 50% to the teams to divvy up. With the teams running the show, they will presumably divide up all the TV money among themselves. So they'll have 100% of a smaller pot of money instead of 50% of a bigger pot.

As far as tracks, it's unclear if there's a non-competition clause in the current tracks' contracts. If there is, there are still plenty of tracks around. A few off the top of my head:

Italy: Mugello
Spain: Jerez
UK: Silverstone (with the F1 race going to Donington)
France: Magny Cours (Bernie owns Paul Ricard)
Portugal: Algrave or Estoril
Germany: Nurburgring or Hockenheim, whichever isn't hosting the F1 that year. Lausitzring if neither are available.
UAE: Dubai
Moncao: Will likely follow the big teams
Australia: Adelaide
China: Zhuhai
Holland: Zandvoort
Japan: Fuji (Toyota owns it)
Canada: Montreal
USA: Indianapolis or Laguna Seca
Belgium: Zolder

So there's a 15 round season without repeating in any country. You could easily get to 20 rounds with repeats. All of those circuits have either held F1 tests, F1 races, or high-level open-wheel racing (Champ Car or A1GP) in the past few years. The only exception is Adelaide, but the streets used for the old F1 course are still there. Most of them have been used for a V8 Supercar race every year.

[Letum]

Wanna know how this will pan out?
I'm told something very similar happen in American in one of their strange
forms of racing. It diluted the product and it wasn't long before the two
factions rejoined.

[Skybird]

I am sceptical. Ecclestone has long-lasting contracts with the major TV networks, and has established a system to as lasting contracts with tracks as well. He has an onfrastructure to run the show, and a reglement. The new series has so far no rules and reglemantions - who will be the one to form one? who will control and enforce it? Who will serve as neutal referee?

I do not say the series will not take place. I do say that I see many "ifs" and "maybes" and "eventuallys".

and it is not as if FIA would just give up and shut down. It will try to run its own show. With existing TV contracts. Track contracts. 7 or 8 necomer teams on the ready to jump in. An established infrastructure.

In chess, there was such a thing, too, for different reasons (political ones), and for some years, the world champion of that era, Kapsarow, had founded a Professional Player Association that split away from FIDE. Nevertheless, the attempt did not succeed and failed to generate sufficient public and player interest, and Kasparow today says it was a mistake. His association has gone since then, and only FIDE is there again.

Of one thing I am sure: there is not enough interest, money and room for two competing formula one series. Even more since there is no major attractor like Schumacher - in good and bad - has been.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Letum

Wanna know how this will pan out?
I'm told something very similar happen in American in one of their strange
forms of racing. It diluted the product and it wasn't long before the two
factions rejoined.

Yes, the most likely scenario, I think, even more when consideirng that this is very much about most personal most subjective animosities only, between Mosley, Ecclestone and Montezemolo. That's like three Heffners on one bunny-ranch: never enough chicks for all of them, no matter how many hundreds there are.

[Max2147]

Originally Posted by Skybird

I am sceptical. Ecclestone has long-lasting contracts with the major TV networks, and has established a system to as lasting contracts with tracks as well. He has an onfrastructure to run the show, and a reglement. The new series has so far no rules and reglemantions - who will be the one to form one? who will control and enforce it? Who will serve as neutal referee?

I do not say the series will not take place. I do say that I see many "ifs" and "maybes" and "eventuallys".

and it is not as if FIA would just give up and shut down. It will try to run its own show. With existing TV contracts. Track contracts. 7 or 8 necomer teams on the ready to jump in. An established infrastructure.

In chess, there was such a thing, too, for different reasons (political ones), and for some years, the world champion of that era, Kapsarow, had founded a Professional Player Association that split away from FIDE. Nevertheless, the attempt did not succeed and failed to generate sufficient public and player interest, and Kasparow today says it was a mistake. His association has gone since then, and only FIDE is there again.

Of one thing I am sure: there is not enough interest, money and room for two competing formula one series. Even more since there is no major attractor like Schumacher - in good and bad - has been.

Ecclestone has long-term contracts with *some* of the major TV networks and circuits. The FOTA series can just sign contracts with other TV networks and other circuits.

And there aren't as many newcomer teams as you'd think. Since it became clear that a breakaway would happen, two of the teams that would have filled the F1 grid have pulled out (Lola and N Technology), since they didn't want to be in F1 without the big teams. A lot of the other applicants were simply empty shells. For example, the guy who owns the Lotus name submitted an application, even though he doesn't actually have a racing team.

[FIREWALL]

Originally Posted by Letum

Wanna know how this will pan out?
I'm told something very similar happen in American in one of their strange
forms of racing. It diluted the product and it wasn't long before the two
factions rejoined.

NHRA and AHRA ???

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

Finally! I couldn't stand this Mosley/Ecclestone show anymore. Especially since they decided to kick classical racing circuits out of the season and replaced them with no name tracks in countries that are not even interested in F1 just to make even more money.

I hope the FOTA teams will really pull this through and maybe we will get some decent racing again soon.

[goldorak]

Originally Posted by Letum

Wanna know how this will pan out?
I'm told something very similar happen in American in one of their strange
forms of racing. It diluted the product and it wasn't long before the two
factions rejoined.

No, as I said in another discussion, don't apply american logic to what is fundamentally a european sport. The dynamics are completely different.
I bet that if FOTA makes a new championship with onboard Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and some others, no one in europe will care one bit about the old F1.
Mark my words. The african, asian american public etc... can cheer the newcomers in the F1 championship, but the public in italy, germany, uk spain and most of south america they'll follow the new FOTA chiamponship. Remember its all about the teams. Who cares about Epsilon Euskadi , most people care about the heavy hitters such as Ferrari and McLaren. If there is a schism in this sport watch F1 die and FOTA championship thrive.