posted Jun 19, 2009

All the talk about £80m for Ronaldo misses the point.

Real Madrid made in the region of £400m from sales of shirts for David Beckham. They will make a similar amount from sales of shirts with Ronaldo on the back. In net terms the Ronaldo transfer will make Real Madrid money.

F1 is facing a contraction in the amount of money available. Sponsors will pay less the next time the deals are up, and will negotiate down if a new series is started. There simply is not the same amount of money in F1 as there is in Football.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 19, 2009

I miss the old days of F1 with Senna, Prost, Mansell. When it was not about tatics, politics, no one really cared about money. I still do not understandt how FIA can dictate to FOM when FOM own F1 surely it is up to bernie to talk about budgets oh yeah forgot he makes too much money as it is so he does not care about his business.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 19, 2009

How is the budget cap 'voluntary' if the teams are effectively being forced to abide by it?
Mosley says he wants to sue FOTA now because he knows if there is a breakaway series it would be much more of a pull for fans because they've promised it will be more fan-centric (cheaper tickets, etc.) and would have all the best teams and drivers as Alonso has said.

If Mosley really believed F1 could survive without the big boys (esp. Ferrari like he was quoted as saying they could) then he would have no reason to sue would he?

Mosley must know that F1 will not be as good without these teams, and if Alonso is right and they're left with a single engine and effectively the same car, that would put them in direct competition with A1GP which has a couple of years headstart in terms of sponsors and TV.

It seems to me the only solution is to scrap the budget for next year, perhaps support the new teams financially in some way and then look at teh rules for the future.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 19, 2009

So if this "Budget cap" is introduced, does that mean that max and bernie will be taking a reduction in pay, or how about the circuits saying they will pay less to host the GP it all costs money. Also I am wondering if a team has a budget cap when would safety be compromised, I do not know how much it costs to develop and design the safety systems in an F1 car but it must be a large amount in any teams budget.
A good way to save money with the teams is to stop them developing during the season, I know the sports is also about developing for road cars, but I hate to see a team get better when they design a poor car at the begining of the season but then add new aero packages to make the car better, I reckon that they should stick with the car they designed with if it is rubbish then they should of designed it better and start working on the next seasons car.
So many things I want to say about what is going on, to me F1 was boring with Schumacher, I will admit he was a fantastic driver and Ferrari a great team, but the sport has got so much more exciting since Alonso won the championship and with Hamilton coming into F1 now we have Button who has been waiting years to win races and it is being marred by politics.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 19, 2009

Hmmm. Technology spin offs from F1???

well, there's...

Traction Control,
semi-automatic gearboxes
computer engine management
tyre compounds of course

and I expect a few others too.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 20, 2009

alonso is not wrong in fact he is spot on F1 probably is in danger of going to the wall what does the bbc do if that hapens noone will sit waching F1 the big names will not be there it will end up with a league like that cricket leauge which is not official

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 20, 2009

I agreed with Alonso. F1 finished now and F1 is never being the same class as it has been. The new chapter of motor racing will begin in 2010. As motor sport fan, I'll follow my favourite team and driver wherever they go. I'll support championship series with best teams and best drivers. The host country, the fan and sponsor will like to see the race with best car and best driver. F1 teams will race with out of date technology/car and second choice drivers. I have no doubt Foto breakaway championship series will pass F1 in within 2 years. New championship series will replace F1 as prestige motor racing in future whatever name was given it. Peoples are comparing motor sport with soccer premier league or cricket league but these all sports are difference kind of governance and financial background. Look at FIA, there is no democracy or transparency. FIA and FOM is one man show. 50% of revenue is goes to FOM. New championship will have equally benefit for Teams and Drivers as well as public. # Fota will have more power in future if breakaway series does not happen in 2010. However, I want to see new governing style and new commercial management for sake of motor sport.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 20, 2009

Traction control a spin-off from F1. Don;t make me laugh. Even the some of the American cars of the '60s had TC on them. Big V8s and independent suspension made it a necessity!

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 22, 2009

Likewise semi-auto boxes have been around (in some form or other) for the best part of half a century before it was in F1. I'm not too sure what manufacturers might learn from different tyre compounds, except that they are all far too soft for road use! There are other forms of racing that use different tyre compounds, you know.

add comment | complain about this comment

posted Jun 23, 2009

Is this a way to get rid of Bernie & Max???

add comment | complain about this comment