Belgian Grand Prix is off

  • Thread starter Thread starter Blake
  • 52 comments
  • 2,014 views
Blake

Blake

Premium
Messages
10,976
Australia
NSW, Australia
Messages
haswell00
Here.
F1Racing.net
According to reports breaking this morning in the Belgian press, the Belgian Grand Prix will not take place this year. The former minister of economy, Serge Kubla is reported as saying he has received confirmation the race is off from Bernie Ecclestone's people.

The negotiations between Ecclestone and the group of Walloon organizers are still going on. Top of the demand list is improving and extending the paddock area. According to Kubla, there is not enough time to build a new paddock ahead of this summer's race and that is the main reason the Grand Prix will not be held.

Kubla thinks the government reacted too late. "They left the it until the last moment. They made things worse and started negotiations for a new contract, while that was not the main problem."

Kubla also said the government should start working now, to make sure the Belgian Grand Prix is back on the calendar in 2007.
Click to expand...
 
It has been mentioned on the Belgian news, just a few minutes ago. The problem is not time but money. The French politicians don't have the money to rebuild what has to be rebuild.
 
Nooooooooooooo. Oh well. Does that mean we get yet another circuit to replace it? Fuji AND Suzuka, perhaps?
 
Not another good old circuit biting the dust!

All we're going to be left with are featureless Tilke creations 👎
 
A Sad day in F1 history but On ITV-F1.com the are syaing that it might come back on 2007
 
Didn't this happen in 2002, but it was because of new tobacco laws?

Don't worry F1 fans, there's always Jerez, Aida, or the parking lot of Caesar's Palace to fill the void.

(I wish I was kidding about the last one.)
 
It seems Ecclestone has got it in for all the quality tracks with history. If it's not the threat of taking away the GP then it's pressure to change the layout of the track. Maybe he's after gettng Paul Ricard back on the F1 calender.

Didn't he sell a big share of his stake in F1 over the winter?
 
Spa was the best track on the calendar and it's disappointing to see it gone for a reason like the paddock, not because of safety or something.

I hope we don't get another crap Tilke circuit. Turkey is good, but China and Malaysia are crap.

Fuji would be good. 👍
 
It has nothing to do with the paddock but all with money, money and money.The Walloon politicians are 👎 👎 👎 👎 👎 👎 👎 👎 . They messed things up.
 
Oh, for ****'s sake...

Why can't we get rid of a rubbish track, like Hungray? Suzuka's being replaced by a concrete field - sorry, Fuji, Silverstone's hanging on by a thread, and Monaco has to practically redesign the track each year... watch out Monza. All so they can be replaced with bland, boring tracks that line the pockets of the corperations.

God dammit, that's annoyed me.
 
pupik
Didn't this happen in 2002, but it was because of new tobacco laws?
Click to expand...
2003, I think. I know Spa wasn’t on the 2003 calendar.
kikie
It has nothing to do with the paddock but all with money, money and money.The Walloon politicians are 👎. They messed things up.
Click to expand...
I think, when it comes to money, you can point the blame straight at FOM. The circuit fees are ridiculous, and most tracks are struggling to break even! That is not sustainable. 👎:grumpy:
 
If F1 were more about the racing instead of a corporation pissing contest, the good tracks would be doing well. Wasn't Damon Hill saying that he though F1 was too corporate? Corporations are the reason why NASCAR sucks.


Bernie's quote about Danica Patrick had my AP english class in a furor.. The fact that we are in Kansas made some of them think that Bernie was one of the heads of nascar..
 
so now its Spa, and Monza seems to be in danger......what the **** is wrong with people?!?!!!

it pisses me off that they keep killing the real race tracks and putting in lifeless, flat tarmac........why not just start hosting the grand prix's at international airports? plenty of high-grade pavement there :mad: :irked: 🤬
 
FWA2500
........why not just start hosting the grand prix's at international airports? plenty of high-grade pavement there :mad: :irked: 🤬
Click to expand...
Airport tracks can be pretty awesome, though. :p
 
I figured this would happen.

They wont be putting paul ricard in again though...

I wouldnt mind Jerez though...

Also, I like Malaysia.

It'd be pretty cool if they could run sebring...
 
Blake
I think, when it comes to money, you can point the blame straight at FOM.
Click to expand...
Nope, we have discussed this before. Believe me when I say it is the fault to the Belgian politicians. The negociated a contract they never could pay for. Typical Walonian Politics. They want the Flemish politicians to pay for their mistakes. The Waloon Politician whom signed the contract, openly admited on Belgian television that he didn't even read the contract before signing it because he couldn't read English. It's like getting a loan for an expesive car and don't have the means to pay for the loan.
The waloon politcians signed this contract because it is important for that part of Belgium ---> income, prestige, etc...
 
Blake
The circuit fees are ridiculous, and most tracks are struggling to break even! That is not sustainable. 👎:grumpy:
Click to expand...
Most tracks are locked into contracts that they cannot pay for, with a 10% increase in fees every season (in many cases). I know your views, but circuit promoters all over the world are facing this problem – you can’t ignore the fact that many circuits are struggling to put on an event every year!

EDIT: This article talks about Ecclestone organising the race himself from 2007–2012. It also mentions the politician that couldn’t read the contract he signed with Ecclestone.
 
Blake
2003, I think. I know Spa wasn’t on the 2003 calendar.

I think, when it comes to money, you can point the blame straight at FOM. The circuit fees are ridiculous, and most tracks are struggling to break even! That is not sustainable. 👎:grumpy:
Click to expand...

Yes, dosn't FOM have enough money as it is? And look at the fees for entering a new team into F1... i think its something around $48 million dollars per team.
 
That is just a 48 million bond to keep lower level teams out of the series. Just think back several years to when there were cars running at least 10 seconds off the pace in each race and you will see why it wasnt such a bad idea.
 
THE ED3
That is just a 48 million bond to keep lower level teams out of the series. Just think back several years to when there were cars running at least 10 seconds off the pace in each race and you will see why it wasnt such a bad idea.
Click to expand...

But that was the spirit of F1 back them.... who can remember the Andrea Modenas, the Scuderia Italias, these privateers? Weren't they the REAL characters in F1, not the Billionairs we see today? These small teams had CHARACTER. And now the FOM wants rid of them. :guilty:

EDIT: Sorry, should have said WANTED rid of them. :lol:
 

Latest Posts

Back