Barcelona GP to be axed along with Valencia ?

Greenlantern101

Super Hero And All Round Good Guy
Contributor
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96924

Catalunya's government says it may need to rethink the hosting of Formula 1 and MotoGP events given the difficult economic situation.
"We could reconsider the hosting of Formula 1 or motorcycle grands prix," Andreu Mas-Colell, Catalunya's minister for economy, told RAC1 radio.
"It is not clear to us that we can afford them in the current situation.
"It is not the first thing we will reconsider, but in times like these we must look very closely at where we spend the money."
Mas-Colell's comments come after the Valencian government said it wanted to renegotiate its contract with Bernie Ecclestone in order to reduce costs.
Valencia has hosted the European Grand Prix since the 2008 season.
The Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona has been a part of the Formula 1 calendar since 1991, but officials said last year that the future of the event beyond this season would depend on economic factors.
Barcelona has a deal to host the race until 2016 and Mas-Colell said the situation must be looked at carefully in order to make sure breaking a contract does not cost more than hosting the race.
"There are contracts that are more expensive to maintain than to break," he added.
 
I know we might be talking about two or the worst tracks on the calendar, but F1 without a race in Spain? Support there has come so far on the back of Alonso's success that it would surely be a mistake to drop both.

Bernie is really coming under a bit of pressure now. I know he has Russia lined up but without Petrov on the grid, how successful will that be? Maybe Putin will get a one-off drive to fill the gap, and I read that Petrov for Trulli is a possibility, but if not...

What with Korea, Texas, Valencia and Barcelona openly floating the possibility of walking away rather thay losing any more money to Bernie, we might reach a tipping point. Bernie needs racetracks to run the show on and there are only so many of a high enough standard in existence. What would happen if four or five tracks did cancel in quick succession, in this Concorde year...?

Bernie got to where he is now by pulling together the teams to collectively negotiate with tracks, broadcasters and sponsors. How many more tracks need to gang up with the four I have named (and the ones I have missed), before Mr E's is himself squeezed? I know you can't out Bernie Bernie, but with so much tax payer money going into all these races, the time is coming where the Spanish, Korean and Texan governments figure out that they cannot afford the bills.
 
Perhaps the tracks/governments are realising they can do what FOTA couldn't. If sufficient numbers threaten to pull out there aren't enough F1 standard tracks left to host a proper championship & the FIA/BE would be left looking silly not to mention greedy, in this economic climate its political suicide to chuck millions at a sport when your people are on the bread line.
A wicked bit of me would rather like to see Bernie given an ultimatum for once after all the times he's done it to tracks/fans/teams/broadcasters/fans.
 
I think Bernie would let these go and take the money from them for not hosting and replace them with the new ones making even more money. Basically they’re just opening up slots for him yet still paying him, win win for Bernie. The only way Bernie would sit up and notice is if more than half the calendar all pulled out in the same season.
 
If Bernie demands his pound of blood and the company owning the circuit does not have it he can sue as much as he likes. Companies have gone into liquidation before and then risen later (sometimes immediately) with a different name and having bought the assets from the liquidator for a song.
 
Very true but as these are most likely underwritten by the regional governments it's very difficult to put them into liquidation (as is Spa, Melbourne, both races in Germany, the new track in Austin and most of the Asian races). Bernie can just pursue them through the courts as I'm sure there must be formal guarantees.
 
Very true but as these are most likely underwritten by the regional governments it's very difficult to put them into liquidation (as is Spa, Melbourne, both races in Germany, the new track in Austin and most of the Asian races). Bernie can just pursue them through the courts as I'm sure there must be formal guarantees.
I should like to correct your comment regarding Austin GP receiving State regional funding.
That is no longer true.Originally when the contract was between Tavo Hellmund's Full Trottle Productions and FOM he reached an agreement with Susan Coombs the Comptroller of the Texas Major Events Development Fund that they would pay the $25 million sanctioning fee to FOM.
Subsequent events which Circuit of the America's (COTA) ousted Hellmund and took over the entire event.
The date was changed from June to November and as approval for funding cannot be made more than one year in advance that approval was canceled.
COTA have made no application for any funding at all for this event and paid the fee (reputedly to be now $35 million ) themselves, albeit at the very last moment.
Due to the poltical uproar that that the original agreement caused Susan Coombs has stated that COTA can apply for funding but no payments will be made in advance for 2012.
Only after the event and tax revenue's generated by the GP will any application for funding be considered.

Just out of interest John Flood (flood1) has been invited to Austin for a track inspection on Thursday of this week (he has press credentials there) and will provide an inside view and pics of the current state of progress.I will provide links to any articles that he writes together with pics as and when available.
 
We all know Spain as a country economically is not doing well... I know people who say there is a lot of unfurnished development work because of the recession...

They will not surrender Moto GP events in which they have 3 races in the calendar with F1 I think one of them will go but not both because Bernie could still cash in because of Alonso guaranteeing sell out crowds

However if another middle eastern country like Qatar says Bernie we will pay double what Spain can pay I think Bernie will say thank you very much and take Spain off

He has been quoted as saying there can only be 5 races in western Europe on the calendar - I did a thread on this a while back
 
Most of the Spanish tracks to host races have been pretty dull stretching back to Jerez and Jarama.

Only once has the GP in Barcelona not been won from the front row, Schumacher in 1996, who started 3rd :3rd:
 
which is more the reason to drop them because I am surprised Bernie has not told Barcelona make it easier to pass for goodness sake
 
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