Monaco to be scrapped?

[Duke]

I doubt it personally, but at least they could actually start paying something now..

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=41461

Valencia is the obvious one to drop to me.

 

[Glaucus]

better not, I like Monaco, despite lack of overtaking. You make a mistake and that's your race over. I am sick and tiered of all the new tracks and redesigned tracks, that have a 6mile run off in the name of safety. If you leave the race track by more than a cars width, should have a 2/3 chance of beaching/braking the car.

 

[deuse]

I very much doubt it will happen and I can't see Monaco paying as it's always been free as it's the jewel in the crown for F1.

 

[PinkFloyd]

I like Monaco, just because of how different it is

Drop Valencia and Bahrain. I'll make judgement on Korea after the race.

 

[Kenai]

It'll come down to whether Monaco needs F1 more than F1 needs Monaco.

I don't think it does frankly and so long as they realise that, I can't see anything changing all that much.

 

[Setroc]

Just Bernie playing hardball. He'll never drop it, but I'm sure he can squeeze some money out of them.

 

[MissChief]

Bernie is just annoyed that he doesn't get any trackside advertising money from monaco at all. The teams will never allow it though. it's the one race where they invite all the bigwigs and advertising guys to in order to butter them up for more money. No other track feels the same and has the same atmosphere.

 

[GravyMonster]

Drop Valencia and Bahrain. I'll make judgement on Korea after the race.

I'll make a prediction about Korea.

Dull track with fabulous facilities that don't really mean jack to anyone except the 'celebrities' and company dignitaries that get a free weekend away, in a country that has little to no interest in F1, where ticket prices will be extortionate for the local populous resulting in 1/3rd full grandstands.

I'll give them 5 years, tops, before Bernie is wanting to replace Korea with a GP on the moon, or wherever the next emerging market happens to be.


*bah - that didn't seem so cynical when I started typing*

 

[hiroofheroes]

Bernies statement about Monaco appears to be tongue in cheek - but the sentiment certainly applies to some other races.

Bahrain isn't a bad track, even if this years layout was a bit pap. Going back to the old layout would be fine though.

When it comes to dull tracks Barcelona and Valecia immediately spring to mind - and possibly Abu Dhabi - but I think we should still give it the benefit of the doubt see what the adjustments they'll make for this year will achieve.

 

[FrankJH]

Monaco will never leave the F1 calendar - even Bernie knows this, but it wont stop him squeezing the Monaco Royal Family for some $$$$

Valencia is too new to be ditched (not sure how long a contract they have) and with FA in a Ferrari they have to have at least two Spanish GP's every year - but this would be my choice of one to ditch for certain

I wouldnt be surprised if Spa was under threat (fabulous track, but the locals hate the GP and I believe there are threats by local government to ban the race from noise polution point of view)

 

[rypt]

I'll make a prediction about Korea.

Dull track with fabulous facilities that don't really mean jack to anyone except the 'celebrities' and company dignitaries that get a free weekend away, in a country that has little to no interest in F1, where ticket prices will be extortionate for the local populous resulting in 1/3rd full grandstands.

I disagree, I think F1 would be popular enough in South Korea ... they aren't the Arabs or the Yanks afterall

Spa and German GP are the ones I fear may go, to be replaced by some pointless boring track with no following in India or Russia

 

[FrankJH]

German GP will never go with Vettel and Schumi in the sport let alone the German drivers a little further down the grid

 

[GravyMonster]

Surprised no one has mentioned ditching Hungary yet.

My 5 to be gotten rid of are: (Descending order)

1. Valencia
2. Bahrain
3. Hungary
4. Singapore
5. Abu Dhabi

 

[rypt]

German GP will never go with Vettel and Schumi in the sport let alone the German drivers a little further down the grid

The German track(s) are getting fed up of paying Bernie, so I'm not sure it is safe ... after all he was prepared to drop Britain

 

[Sone]

German GP will never go with Vettel and Schumi in the sport let alone the German drivers a little further down the grid

seeing how close we have come to losing the British GP with 90% of the infrastructure here no where is safe.

 

[FrankJH]

seeing how close we have come to losing the British GP with 90% of the infrastructure here no where is safe.

sorry there is no comparison

for years Bernie's arguement was with the state of Silverstone (whether rightly or wrongly), and as nowhere else was able to supply an F1 circuit, then UK would lose one as default

With German crowds being huge year in year out (because of the drivers mentioned, and Merc and previously BMW) I very much doubt Germany would lose their GP

 

[ShakenNstirred]

Surprised no one has mentioned ditching Hungary yet.

My 5 to be gotten rid of are: (Descending order)

1. Valencia
2. Bahrain
3. Hungary
4. Singapore
5. Abu Dhabi

well your number 2,4 n 5 wont go
there the ones he really wanted on the f1 calender

 

[pingwing]

I doubt Monaco is really under threat, this is traditional sabre rattling as Bernie is probably being offered a lot of money to go somewhere like russia (now petrov has been playing for a bit).

Monaco really is the jewel in the F1 crown (as the phrase goes) as its the only track where Bernie can get people who want to pay into F1 to come and watch, but who arnt actual fans. Apart from the prince of Bahrain (who despite having an average track and no local fans) is a nice bloke and F1 enthusiast, most of the new world track owners havnt much of a clue about F1 other than the money it brings. Without Monaco there isnt a place where these sort of people can be hosted and buttered up for money. Id use the British GP as an example, most the people on the grid where either famous from England or actual F1 fans (who happened to be famous, take Patrick Stewart who now is the best person ever for being big into F1), so it would be foolish for Bernie to try and drop Monaco as its the focal point of the non racing part of F1 (and still popular with the fans too)

 

[PinkFloyd]

I'm quite a fan of Abu Dhabi, looked great on camera last year!

 

[GravyMonster]

well your number 2,4 n 5 wont go
there the ones he really wanted on the f1 calender

I know

I'm quite a fan of Abu Dhabi, looked great on camera last year!

Surely it's come to something when we have to be entertained during a GP by a building twinkling with multi coloured LEDs.

pitpass.com is perhaps one of the worst motorsport-related websites on the Internet. It's 'editor' Chris Sylt has a habit of stirring up controversy about stuff that simply does not exist - all to increase the number of page impressions.

You just have to look at it today to see the 'Bernie wants to open a chip shop' article to see how dreadful it is.

Completely agree. It used to be quite good, but over the last 6 months or so every story seems to be prefaced by the phrase 'Pitpass' financial editor Chris Sylt was given exclusive access/has found evidence that suggests...'.

The alternative is PlanetF1, but that's the journalistic equivalent of the Daily Star.