Turkish GP under threat from 2011

[Brogan]

Bernie's at it again...

Reports in Turkish newspapers state that he has increased the fee to host the Turkish GP from $13.5 million to $26 million for 2011.

Istanbul Park is arguably one of the better of the new Tilke circuits, with a start similar to Interlagos and the now famous turn 8.
It does however suffer from very poor attendance, but this was to be expected considering where it was built; i.e. in the middle of nowhere (I always said they should have built it in the south and then they would have had access to all the holiday makers as well as locals, not to mention all the holidaying well-off Turks).

Doubling the price will only make matters worse as the circuit owners (doesn't Bernie have a stake?) will have to increase ticket prices which will mean even less attendance.
Let's not forget the average salary in Turkey is a hell of a lot lower than most other European countries.

As we know, all Bernie and CVC care about is income so their strategy is obviously just to push up the hosting fees as much as possible and let those circuits with governments willing to subsidise them hold the races.
The drawback for the fans of course is this will be on anaemic circuits mostly in the middle east.
Still, that's of no consequence when it comes to servicing CVC's debt.

http://en.espnf1.com/turkey/motorsport/story/5309.html

And for those of you who speak Turkish, here's the original article http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/spor/formula1/13226075.asp?gid=216

 

[snowy]

He really is the template for most dispicable little sh*t on the planet, isn't he?

I can't help thinking that this is Bernie's way of compensating for having to keep the British GP...

 

[teabagyokel]

Boo-hoo, lets dig up the track between truns 7 and 9 and airlift it to Barcelona; add some interest to a Spanish race for once!

 

[fedupwithuserids]

Snowy said :

He really is the template for most dispicable little sh*t on the planet, isn't he?

Hopefully he broke the mould.

He only cares about money. The fans and the good of F1 don't even make it on the list.

I slag Tilke off, but out of all his tracks Turkey is one I would like to see kept.

 

[Enja]

I won't miss it.

Zero atmosphere and has never produced a race that you'd really call exciting.

Turn 8 is somewhat of a challenge, but it also kills the circuit : As soon as 1 car tries to follow another through it, they inevitably have to drop back as they suffer from destructive understeer for what, 4 seconds? Way to keep the field close.

 

[snowy]

Lewis found a way past Felipe, Seb made an error and Jenson swept into the lead... The list of dramatic overtakes through that series of turns is legion.

And who could forget race 2 in the 2006 GP2 series?!! Where Lewis Hamilton overtook just about the entire grid in one sprint race. That - if for no other reason - is why the circuit should be preserved in aspic.

 

[teabagyokel]

Can we please just show this video to the "straight into the fastest car" crew; that was one epic performance, and I think that race explains why Ron Dennis decided to look no further that winter. I'll reiterate this for the terminally stupid; he beat Nelsinho Piquet to win that GP2 title, and compare and contrast their performances against Alonso*!

Sorry to go but what an awesome performance!

*Yes I know about Piquet's circumstances, but he was as seriously battered as his reputation!

 

[snowy]

That rather punches another big hole in my "Is Overtaking Overated?" thread...

 

[teabagyokel]

Does the right hand not know what the left hand is doing Snowy?

 

[snowy]

The left hand is always too busy abusing me!

 

[Speshal]

I'll never tire of watching that and was so glad I saw it live when ITV were doing the coverage, I was sat with my bro and my old man all in

 

[fat jez]

Now if F1 were producing races like that one... It's clearly not the drivers or the tracks, since there were more than a few familiar names mentioned in the commentary. Only leaves the cars, really.