F1

If you were Bernie…

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  • #128950
    McLarenFanJamm
    Participant

    The talk of the Oz GP being dropped has got me thinking…

    If you were in control of the F1 rights, which tracks/countries would you drop from the 2011 calendar? Which tracks would you replace them with (if any) and why?

    Rules are:

    You can’t have 2 races in the same country (so no Imola AND Monza, has to be one or the other)

    20 race cap

    I’ll save mine for later on ;)

    #162077
    Todfod
    Participant

    1) Zandvoort replaces Bahrain

    2) Melbourne

    3) Sepang

    4) Shanghai

    5) Istanbul

    6) Monaco

    7) Catalunya

    8) Magny Cours replaces Valencia

    9) Montreal

    10) Indianapolis replaces Abu Dhabi

    11) Silverstone

    12) Nurburgring

    13) Estoril replaces Budapest

    14) Spa

    15) Monza

    16) Singapore

    17) Fuji (although Suzuka is pretty good too)

    18) Korea

    19) India

    20) Brazil

    #162078
    Ned Flanders
    Participant

    It’d be easy to a fantasy one with my favourite 20 tracks. But I’d like to stick to reality as much as possible, and keep it to tracks that give a good geographical distribution of races, bring money in, attract fans, and open new markets. So, here goes:

    1) Adelaide (because I’m sick of hearing Melbournians moaning about their race)

    2) Sepang

    3) Kyalami (Make it a bit more of a WORLD championship)

    4) Shanghai

    5) Monza (earlier in the season, just for the novelty of it)

    6) Monaco

    7) Norisring (it’d be better for racing than either current German circuit)

    8) Valencia

    9) Montreal

    10) Austin (assuming they managed to get it built very quickly!)

    11) Silverstone

    12) Paul Ricard (they’d need some more stands… and it should run on the highest speed layout)

    13) Brno (The Hungaroring has monopolised the Eastern European GP for too long!)

    14) Portimao (because it’s spectacular for TV viewers)

    15) Spa

    16) Singapore (But I’d tinker with the layout a bit)

    17) Fuji (I am in the minority who actually quite like this circuit! It’s great for racing)

    18) Korea

    19) India (It deserves a chance, but if it’s crap I’d sling it for 2012)

    20) Interlagos

    #162079
    VettelS
    Member

    For one thing, I’d like to see the A1 Ring back.

    #162080
    RIISE
    Member

    If I were Bernie I couldn’t care less who’s on the list provided they cough up.

    #162081
    David-A
    Participant

    I agree with Todfod and Ned about Fuji. Suzuka is a good circuit, but doesn’t seem to suit the F1 cars as well for good racing.

    #162082
    Prisoner Monkeys
    Participant

    A few of the circuits I would add …

    New Catalunya – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307911

    New Adelaide – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307890

    New Singapore – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307924

    Cape Town – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307917 (although it’s far too long)

    Stockholm – http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4307921 (I picture this as more of a permanent circuit built anywhere)

    I’d also use the perimeter of Bahrain and the shortest version of Abu Dhabi to change their image from slow and boring circuits to super-fast sprint races to rival Monza.

    #162083
    Hare
    Participant

    .. I’d wear platforms, dye my hair, get a face lift (all of it) and pretend I was John Lennon…

    .. but that’s if I was Bernie.

    #162084
    GeeMac
    Participant

    If I was Bernie I too wouldn’t care less about the tracks, which is pretty much what he does at the moment.

    What I would definitely do is take all my money out of the bank in $1 bills, fill up a swimming pool with them and swim around in them like Scrooge McDuck.

    http://givemetherock.com/wp-content/uploads/scrooge-mcduck.jpg

    #162085
    The Dutch Bear
    Participant

    If I was Bernie this would be my calendar.

    1. Australian GP, Adelaide (Bathurst is plan B)

    2. Malaysian GP, Sepang

    3. Singapore GP, Singapore (short after Sepang to cut travel costs for the teams)

    4. South African GP, Kyalami (although the former layout is much better)

    5. Spanish GP, Motorland Aragon (I don’t like Catalunya, Jerez and both the Valencia tracks)

    6. Bernie Ecclestone GP, Paul Ricard (I own the track, duh)

    7. Monaco GP, Monaco

    8. Canadian GP, Montreal

    9. American GP, Austin (If not finished in time Indianapolis Oval, let’s see whether F1 on a Oval can work)

    10. British GP, Silverstone

    11. German GP, Norisring (I like short and fast street circuits, although I would like to see F1 race on the Nurburgring 24H but the costs will be too high)

    12. Portugese GP, Portimao

    13. Dutch GP, Zandvoort (replacing Hungaroring that replaced Zandvoort in 1986. Zandvoort was the first track with camera helicopters. I didn’t like them, right up to the moment I found I could fly directly after the race to (Amsterdam) Schiphol Airport in them!)

    14. Belgian (Wallonian?) GP, Spa-Francorhamps, (should always be there, great track. Don’t know whether Belgium still exists when we race there, since they recently broke the world record of making a cabinet (government).)

    15. Italian GP, Monza

    16. Indian GP, Jaypee

    17. Korean GP, Jeonnam

    18. Japanese GP, Suzuka (a classic, I have my doubts about Fuji.)

    19. Chinese GP, Macau (the most challenging street circuit in the world, dangerous maybe, but Monaco isn’t what you would call safe either.)

    20. Brazilian GP, Interlagos

    #162086
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Basically I would go for the racing and fan base with

    Silverstone

    Spa

    Monza

    Nurburgring

    Suzuka

    Then you need the BRIC countries

    Moscow (I so what to see the Moscow Grid Girls)

    China

    India

    Brazil

    Then the Sponsor festivals

    Monaco

    Singapore

    Dubai

    The remaining 8 will be done on who can pay the most basis

    #162087
    Nic Morley
    Participant

    1) Melbourne

    2) Suzuka

    3) Sepang

    4) Shanghai

    5) Istanbul

    6) Monaco

    7) Catalunya

    8) Magny Cours

    9) Hockenheim

    10) Hungary

    11) Silverstone

    12) Spa Francorchamps

    13) Monza

    14) Abu Dhabi

    15) Singapore

    16) Korea

    17) India

    18) Canada

    19) Austin

    20) Brazil

    But if I was really Bernie I would retire.

    #162088
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Here’s the list that I bring out each time one of these threads arises (Quite often, so often, I have it saved in a notepad file)

    I also broke the rules with regards to ‘not-more-than-one-race-per-country’ with the USA, because it’s very big and has a lot of fans. Unlike China, for example, which is very big and has very few fans.

    1 – Brazil – São Paulo – Autódromo José Carlos Pace

    2 – Americas – The Americas – Various (Rotation)

    3 – USA West – California – Laguna Seca

    4 – Monaco – Monte Carlo – Circuit de Monaco

    5 – Spain – Alcañiz – Motorland Aragon

    6 – European – Europe – Various (Rotation)

    7 – Canada – Montreal – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

    8 – USA Indy – Indianapolis – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval

    9 – France – Le Mans – Circuit de La Sarthe (New mid-length version)

    10 – Britain – Northamptonshire – Silverstone Circuit

    11 – Germany – Nürburg – Nürburgring

    12 – Italy – Monza – Autodromo Nazionale di Monza

    13 – Belgium – Spa – Circuit de Spa-Francourchamps

    14 – Portugal – Portimao – Autódromo Internacional do Algarve

    15 – USA East – Florida – Sebring International Raceway

    16 – Argentina – San Luis – Potrero de Los Funes

    17 – South Africa – Kyalami – Kyalami Circuit

    18 – Pacific – Asia/Oceania – Various (Rotation)

    19 – Japan – Suzuka – Suzuka Circuit

    20 – Australia – Melbourne – Albert Park Circuit

    You many have noticed many of the new Middle-Eastern and Asian tracks are missing. There is a good reason for this. Style over substance, and we all know it.

    But there we are, Calendar with at least 1 race on all continents, a decent presence in North America (boath coasts, and the oval in the middle), classic European races, and 3 slots left open for various tracks on rotation, such as the Middle Eastern ones.

    #162089
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I think you mean to write, “China does not have many fans yet”. However as USA buys less and less luxury cars and China buys more and more, and manufacturers both need and want to use F1 to promote their brands qualities in China (and the other BRIC countries.)you will see more and more of a following in China and less and less interest in taking F1 to the USA (not that their seems to be much left).

    Its also worth noting that F1 has never achieved the commercial success in North America it has often aspired towards. Yes it has many potential fans, but failed to break the strong following of the local racing.

    The simple reality is that F1 goes where its sponsors want to sell products, or be wined and dined. Sadly for the US that’s not the Brick yard but the BRIC countries. Its also why the race in Monaco rarely delivers but will never leave the calendar and Singapore night race has been such a commercial success. It is also why you will see more F1 in the emerging resorts of the Middle East and less in America and Europe.

    #162090
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    … which would leave us with the actual calendar we have now, which wasn’t really the point of the thread. “If I was Bernie”, not “If Bernie was Bernie”.

    And anyway, Formula One should really be about motor racing, not about manufacturers selling their road cars, so it should go where the fans are. China started out with an almost full house in its first year. Now they devote entire grandstands to giant billboards because there’s no-one to fill the seats.

    The Indy GP was always packed, and I’m sure Austin will be too.

    So if I was running F1, that would be my calendar.

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