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Looking at photos from GP2 testing in Bahrain, and I've noticed that Stephane Richelmi's DAMS has prominent backing from Azerbaijan's tourist board all over it (and it actually looks pretty good), so I'm guessing the Azeris are pretty serious about this whole motorsport thing.

Mind you, Trident had VISIT ZIMBABWE plastered all over it when they ran Axcil Jefferies in Abu Dhabi, but there is no talk of a Zimbabwean Grand Prix ...
 
Looking at photos from GP2 testing in Bahrain, and I've noticed that Stephane Richelmi's DAMS has prominent backing from Azerbaijan's tourist board all over it (and it actually looks pretty good), so I'm guessing the Azeris are pretty serious about this whole motorsport thing.

Mind you, Trident had VISIT ZIMBABWE plastered all over it when they ran Axcil Jefferies in Abu Dhabi, but there is no talk of a Zimbabwean Grand Prix ...
Williams F1 had Astana (Kazakhstan) last year IIRC. Often drivers from the country have their tourist board sponsor them, like Ricardo Texiera off of Angola. Richelmi has no ties with Azerbaijan, so it is a sponsorship deal.
 
Looking at photos from GP2 testing in Bahrain, and I've noticed that Stephane Richelmi's DAMS has prominent backing from Azerbaijan's tourist board all over it (and it actually looks pretty good), so I'm guessing the Azeris are pretty serious about this whole motorsport thing.

Mind you, Trident had VISIT ZIMBABWE plastered all over it when they ran Axcil Jefferies in Abu Dhabi, but there is no talk of a Zimbabwean Grand Prix ...
I have never heard of an Azerbaijani racing circuit. Ever.

I'm going to take your post with a large grain of salt.
 
Are there enough facilities to support F1, though?

This Baku is new to me, by the way.


And, lastly, I thought you despised street circuits? :odd:
 
Are there enough facilities to support F1, though?

This Baku is new to me, by the way.


And, lastly, I thought you despised street circuits? :odd:

Easily, the Azerbaijani's are swimming in cash due to the money they make off of oil, so if the facilities aren't there now they will be by 2015.

Baku is new to me too, but it's there and isn't half bad but from what I've seen some serious changes would have to be made on safety ground to make it FIA Class A.

Doesn't matter whether he does or doesn't despise them, he's just telling you about the most recently used Azerbaijani circuit.
 
Which is fair, but I'm more stating that I'm surprised to see him mentioning a city course. Normally, he'd be disappointed "Oh, another city course." But it's totally cool if he can put aside his dislike and I'd commend him for it.
 
It's more of we don't know if there going to use Baku, a modified Baku or a completely different track yet. So he just mentioned Baku as it was the most well known track in Azerbaijan. FOM hasn't really mentioned anything yet, but Bernie said he would like Azerbaijan in, and they did too.

But a street circuit would be the most likely, the most popular and biggest spectacle tracks are Monaco and Singapore. And there seems to have been a push for more street courses as of late, Sochi for example.

It wouldn't surprise me either way whether they choose to build a road or street course, but for now nobody really knows.
 
The whole crisis in the Crimea has me thinking, is there any chance the Russian GP might not go ahead?
 
DK
The whole crisis in the Crimea has me thinking, is there any chance the Russian GP might not go ahead?
I don't think Russia actually has any problems, more Ukraine has. Had there been a Ukrainian race planned I doubt that would have gone ahead.
 
I think Furi might be referring to the 2012 and 2013 Bahrain Grands Prix instead, which went ahead despite massive protests.
 
DK
I think Furi might be referring to the 2012 and 2013 Bahrain Grands Prix instead, which went ahead despite massive protests.
I know he is, but he is completely ignoring 2011.

I completely forgot about 2011. Still hasn't stopped it the other two years (though 1 can argue that is because the situation wasn't quite as volatile as 2011).

Speaking of which, can someone explain to me why we still go to the Hungaroring?
 
Speaking of which, can someone explain to me why we still go to the Hungaroring?
Good question, i visit Hungary regularly and have thought about this also, the circuit isn't that special but there has never been any question of it being dropped from the calendar, whilst even Spa had rough times keeping it's spot with the competition of all the "new markets" Bernie is eying.
 
Speaking of which, can someone explain to me why we still go to the Hungaroring?

It's a great track IMO. Tough to drive, has had a turbulent history and provides some amazing overtakes. Has also seen a fair amount of good races recently.
 
Indeed; statistically, the Hungaroring is the circuit most likely to produce an unexpected result. At one point there, it had seven different winners in as many years.
 
Indeed; statistically, the Hungaroring is the circuit most likely to produce an unexpected result. At one point there, it had seven different winners in as many years.
Add the new car to the mix and we may get a new winner this year as well.
 
The Azeris claim that they have a contract in place for 2016, and that the race will be a revival of the European Grand Prix, rather than a formation of a race under the name Azerbaijan Grand Prix. That might seem odd, but they are also hosting the first European Games (a regional variation of the Olympics) in 2015, have worked with several sporting federations - like FIFA - to get their national sporting teams recognised as being European rather than Asian, and along with a handful of other former Soviet republics like Moldova and Georgia, have been calling on Russia to stand down over the Ukraine, independent of NATO and the European Union. Azerbaijan has really been pushing the idea that they are a European nation, probably because they see EU membership as a desirable future.

It's not as crazy as it sounds. Geographically, Azerbaijan is just inside Europe; the continental divide between Europe and Asia is recognised as being the Ural Mountains in central Russia, running down through the Caspian Sea, then heading west between Azerbaijan and Iran to Istanbul. Furthermore, the world "Caucasian" is derived from the Caucasus Mountains, the mountain range that separates Russia from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
 
I completely forgot about 2011. Still hasn't stopped it the other two years (though 1 can argue that is because the situation wasn't quite as volatile as 2011).

Speaking of which, can someone explain to me why we still go to the Hungaroring?
 
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