The Formula 1 World Championship calendar has been floating around for a while now, but no-one is quite sure of the dates because of a reshuffle in early December which moved the German GP has been moved to July 7 and open up July 21 as the possible date for another “European” event. This meant that there would be a one-week gap between the British GP on June 30 and the race in Germany, with the July 14 weekend becoming vacant. As a result of this the Goodwood Festival of Speed announced that it was moving its date to be on a non-GP weekend. Now it seems all attempts to find a race to fill the vacant date have failed because no-one wants to pay the fees being demanded. There had been talk of Turkey and France, and the suggestion that Austria might even be a late bidder, but no-one has come up with the goods and so it looks like the calendar will consist of 19 races. This is good news for those who travel to all the events as last year’s 20-race calendar was clearly a strain for many of them.
The German GP was always going to be held at the Nurburgring, but there have been some questions in recent months about whether or not the circuit could afford the event. It seems that a deal has been struck that will allow the race to go ahead as planned.
Sadly as a fan, a reduction in the number of races in the calendar is not a good thing!
Each to their own, I have found in recent years that I’m more than ready for a break by the end of the season. Especially since many of the races are mere filler. Quality not quantity?
Meh, I’m fine with it. Recently I’ve felt the season length to be overkill, especially with other things and real life going on.
For me, 17 was always the perfect number for a Grand Prix season, but that’s just me.
Surely the lack of takers for the final spot would be worrying to CVC and the new investors who recently bought a stake!
Well it all depends the conditions that were set for this year’s 20th race. It was pretty surely a one-year deal as F1 has already 2 new races coming up in 2014 (Russia, New Jersey). Mexico and Thailand are also willing to get their piece of the cake. So I’m pretty sure CVC and Waddell are not too worried by the 19-race calendar, even if it’s a loss of revenue for 2013.
Except that some territories seem less willing to fork out nonsense fees for the pleasure of F1, while a few other races have negotiated smaller fees, because the costs do not make sense.
Maybe the small screen is very nice and has terrific resolution, but sometimes the bigger picture is more telling. Perhaps they should be a touch worried.
The FOM has been able to use competition for races to push fees higher. Its clear that by being unable to fill the 20th spot it would signal to new cities wanting to host a race that the heat has come out of the market. This would be worrying to the new ownership group as it would take the wind out of any suggestions of revenue growth. I would imagine in their purchasing decision, there would be built in assumptions of this growth, justifying the price they paid.
“Now it seems all attempts to find a race to fill the vacant date have failed because no-one wants to pay the fees being demanded.”
So can Bernie see the writing on the wall yet? Even Nurburgring has had to be resurrected from two consecutive bankruptcies and be forced to host another race against the expectations of those still owed money. (unless Bernie has paid them off)
It is sad that the european traditional race business model has been slowly strangled by the ever increasing demands of FOM. Europe is where the tradition of GP comes from and as the only fully funded races move away around the world to autocracies and dictatorships or anyone with a sovereign fund regardless of political acceptability, I wonder if the the engineering base can logically stay in the UK for many more years. How long before racing in europe is finished?
As has been said many times before the whole thing (financial structure) needs good shake up and re-assembly without the leeches
So I gather that now in the UK we are left with less than half the races on tv this year. It would be nice if we could have Monaco back.
Pity, I liked Turkey’s circuit. Organisers in Europe are not exactly falling over themselves to host GP’s these days.
I’m sorry, but to have only 7 European races is not good enough. I understand the need for expansion and globalisation but Europe is F1′s heartland. All the teams are based there, most of the drivers come from there and most of the fans are there. To neglect the European fanbase in favour of racing in desert wastelands in front of a Sheikh and his mates is a sad reflection on the state of the sport and the priorities of those in charge of it.
Not a very forward-thinking attitude. The biggest audiences and the biggest revenues will likely come from Asia in the course of the next 20 years. Is it not wiser to go there and build a fan base, rather than relying on a Europe which cannot compete because of closed old world attitudes?
Don’t know what you think Joe but from what i see the F1 fan base at Asian races seems to be younger than in Europe…though everyone seems to look young to me nowadays!
Only 26% of revenue comes from Asia, and that’s a doubling from 2010.
If the teams won’t accept a cost ceiling, then the ever increasing amounts of money they want for more lavish ‘brand centres’, and multiple 24/7 wind tunnels to refine the wing mirrors, needs to be found from somewhere.
Which revenues are we talking about here? Global or TV?
That’s my favourite so far: the need for increasing race fees and (part of) the shift towards Asia is the fault of the teams’ inability to agree a meaningful RRA or budget cap.
So, nothing to do with CVC’s drive for profits and return on investment, then…
Everyone wants a profit, apart from the teams, who want to spend every penny and a bit more doing exactly what they did 15 years ago for 90% less money.
If a cost ceiling were brought in, the teams (many of them), would instantly be in profit, and that’s a good thing. Also sanctioning fees, TV rights etc, would not have to climb at an astronomical rate to pay the teams ever increasing costs.
Of course CVC want to make a profit, I’m sure Ferrari doesn’t sell its road cars off at a loss either.
I’m sure everyone would like to make a profit and no-one would begrudge them that (although circuits don’t seem to be allowed to…). But, to me, your initial comment implied that it is the teams, solely, that drive the upward pressure and I think that is hugely disingenuous.
Similarly, pretty much EVERYONE in F1 managed on 90% less money 15 years ago.
Shame to have the two blank weekends between Germany and Hungry.
Any chance they could move the German GP back to July 14?
Would probably make more sense(and keep the people at Goodwood happy) if they moved it to 21st and then the circus would only need the short hop from Germany to Hungary as usual. But as it makes sense it probably won’t happen!
And could the F1 group not agree to bring the cost down a little, especially as it would likely only be a one-year deal?
I am sure the organisers, competitors, sponsors, exhibitors and spectators of Goodwood, DTM, MotoGP and the countless other events affected by the chain reaction are delighted.
I certainly seem to have upset quite a few people (family, friends, colleagues, clubs) because of the consequent changes to my plans but I’ve held the line “that’s the way it is, F1 is more important than you are.” Some people just don’t understand how hierarchies work.
I’m sure Bernie would have been happy to take the traveling circus anywhere a promoter could cough up the needed coin to host the race…no one could.
So we’re not thinking Mateschitz will just open up his checkbook for a one-off anymore? That’s sad.
Hi Joe. Does this mean that there will be two less full live race on the beeb? I know they had lost already lost Monaco, so with the drop down to 19 aswell their broadcasts seem to be ebbing away to nothing quickrr than expected.
I was hoping for a return to Magny Cours for the French GP personally. I might be in the minority but I liked the track very much.