Iran Grand Prix

[FB]

Why not spread it out and go to somewhere new like say Tunisia, Morocco or South Africa?

Errm, because they won't pay FOM enough money? More seriously, I just can't see this happening but money talks and if Iran can afford a Grand Prix then good for them. France can't, Germany are struggling as are the Belgians and Britain nearly lost theirs. I agree that to go to Africa again would be good but is there an African country who can afford one? Libya?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Just because some place can afford to host something doesn't mean the population has a general interest in it.

Should there not be some bar on these things?

Things like:

- "Enthusiastic local interest" with, say, a minimum of 75,000 or even 60,000 tickets sold (and I mean 'sold' and not 'paid for');

or

- "Promoting the values/Upholding the traditions of the Sport or the like"?

A place like Austin in Texas would be such a place. Lots of tickets sold, A country with Grand Prix history, An area which is a party place where beautiful women can also enjoy booze, smoking and sex without their faces being covered by a ninja mask...



I mean what we need is more Party Places like Montreal. Places where women show their long legs and cleavage...instead of baking in dreadful black cocoons from head to toe! Places where you arrive in sexy cars ... instead of by camel. Places where men have sexy girls on their arm ... instead of hunting falcons who are ready to pluck your eyes out!

Yes?

Who's with me on this!!!???

Vote "like" if you agree with this post. C'mon Fenderman old bean...you can do it!

 

[Sarinaide]

Wait,...let me understand this correctly. You take away the Bahrain GP for I don't know civil insurrection, and then you top it off by handing a GP to a country that has no quelms in warmongering with Israel and the United States.........mmmm, I suppose it does make sense.

I will give that one a miss,....I don't like sand in my sarmies.

 

[Josephiah]

f1fanatic now says that this won't be for F1, but rather will have an FIA grade 2 license for lower formulae. The track maps look interesting though - certainly flexible. I'd love to see a race that used this corner

 

[Jen]

Would it be a 'Give way' sign or traffic lights, do you think?

 

[Andyoak]

If its anything like Cairo then hold tight and push your way through...

 

[Josephiah]

Would it be a 'Give way' sign or traffic lights, do you think?

I'd vote for a jump!

 

[KekeTheKing]

When I saw this thread title I thought it had somehow been misplaced from the sheer lunacy thread.

Although it might be worth holding this event just to douche Ahmedinejad with a bottle of champagne.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Wait,...let me understand this correctly. You take away the Bahrain GP for I don't know civil insurrection, and then you top it off by handing a GP to a country that has no quelms in warmongering with Israel and the United States.........mmmm, I suppose it does make sense.

There's an idea, give it to a country with an exemplary human rights record like Israel, I am sure that would promote calm in the region
Maybe create a new Tilke designed track by knocking down a few dwellings in certain areas

 

[Sarinaide]

There's an idea, give it to a country with an exemplary human rights record like Israel, I am sure that would promote calm in the region
Maybe create a new Tilke designed track by knocking down a few dwellings in certain areas

Anyways.........glad to see you dropping by.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Honestly, the one and only criteria ought to be paying spectators of at least 60,000 to 65,000 people...or if it's a smaller country, then about 52,000 to 53,000 paying spectators.

If there's genuine initial interest in a specific location, then the sport will be better off for it over the longer term.

You need a reasonable base of genuine interest...otherwise it's just a house of cards with no solid foundation...nothing firm underpinning it.

If a government is buying most of the tickets then how is that promoting the sport's future health?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Don't get me wrong. I'm very aware that CVC Partners is only interested in maximizing it's revenues and Bernie is there to primarily promote CVC Partners' interests. It's Bernie's job...that's what he's paid to do...

...so, i'm not stupid enough to think that they're not in it to go where ever they cut the cheque and to hell with a reasonable base of paying spectators.

They obviously don't care if only 8 people show up in Bahrain or 17 people show up in Turkey...as long as CVC gets their $25 Million per race, who cares?

 

[Speshal]

When I saw this thread title I thought it had somehow been misplaced from the sheer lunacy thread.

When I saw this thread title I thought it had somehow become April 1st

 

[Sarinaide]

When I saw this thread I thought.......Mr Eccelstone.....He Mad!

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

...Mr Eccelstone.....He Mad!

I don't think he's mad. I think it's about 'ability to pay'. Here:

1 Saudi Arabia
2 Russia
3 United States Of America
4 China
5 Iran
6 Canada
.
.
9 Brazil

Those are the largest oil producing countires in the world.

Russia, China and the US are huge consumers...so they don't export.

Iran and Saudi Arabia actually export and, so, they gain a lot of foreign currency revenue.

Iran - as a country, a government - can pay for sure...but, as I have said, I don't think they have a genuine base of paying spectators that would promote the sport of Formula One longer term.

 

[Sarinaide]

I don't think he's mad. I think it's about 'ability to pay'. Here:

1 Saudi Arabia
2 Russia
3 United States Of America
4 China
5 Iran
6 Canada
.
.
9 Brazil

Those are the largest oil producing countires in the world.

Russia, China and the US are huge consumers...so they don't export.

Iran and Saudi Arabia actually export and, so, they gain a lot of foreign currency revenue.

Iran - as a country, a government - can pay for sure...but, as I have said, I don't think they have a genuine base of paying spectators that would promote the sport of Formula One longer term.

I do understand that to make money you must posses a certain degree fo business sense, and I am pretty sure he is a smart enough guy. But the real question is do you really want a GP in Iran? or anywhere in the Middle East for that matter?

 

[FB]

I'm sorry but F1 is now primarily a televisual event for most fans and, as much as I would like to see crowds of cheering spectators, if the Iranians can build a great track which generates an exciting race then good for them. No, I don't think Iran is a particularly nice regime, they come 2nd in the list for state executions (after China, who have a Grand Prix and, reportedly, execute 20 times more people than Iran ) but then the US is 5th and the number of human rights abuses performed by Western Governments, particularly since 9/11, has been pretty awful.

Let's not get all high and mighty here about how Arabian states are some how less civilised than Western "democracies", there is good and bad across the World and perhaps, just perhaps, something like a Grand Prix in Iran might start to break donw some of the barriers and predjudices as well as openng the country up to becoming more open and inclusive.

 

[Sarinaide]

Money talks and BS walks as the saying goes.......also at some point you have to divorce the politics of a country from the sports.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Money talks and BS walks as the saying goes.......also at some point you have to divorce the politics of a country from the sports.

Ok, so the Iranians with the money can book a meeting with Bernie, and certain forum posters are lacing up their hiking boots

Or maybe that was some uber clever rhetorical question?

Divorce politics from sport, like South African rugby until a few years ago?

 

[gethinceri]

What a stupid proposal.