Oh, Ecc-le-stone!
It's official. There will be no Formula One Grand Prix du Canada in
2009. This June, Montreal's famed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will not
host Canada's largest tourist draw. For the first time in 50 years, the
sport that is the pinnacle of motor racing will not visit the North
American continent.
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Bernie Ecclestone, President and CEO of Formula One Management and Herbie Blash, FIA Observer. Photo by xpb.cc.
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The city of Montreal and the provincial government of Quebec were unable
to meet the "unreasonable demands" of the Formula One Administration
Limited as stated by Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay. "Unrealistic" and
"unworkable" were also used to describe the demands.
Formula One Management (FOM) president Bernie Ecclestone responded on
Montreal's CJAD radio, "Unreasonable compared to what?"
Owed $24 million from the previous promoter, Ecclestone offered to write
off the loss. Ecclestone said negotiations stalled when payment for
the 2009 race was not guaranteed by the promoter or the government.
"What was offered them was less than what we get [from other promoters]
anywhere else in the world."
Ecclestone continued, "Everyone in Formula One loves Montreal. What we
offered them was fair-much more than fair. It was more beneficial to
Montreal than anywhere else." To get the race back in Montreal in the
future, the city must simply accept the terms of the contract.
When asked if the global economic situation threatened races in other
host nations, Mr. Ecclestone responded, "We have long term contracts
with countries" and "hell of a lot better" financing.
Like China, for example?
China may not host a grand prix after 2010, according to the AFP news
agency. Deputy director of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, Qiu
Weichang, suggested that a decision about the loss-making event would be
taken next year. "We're doing the assessment. By next year we should be
able to give you an answer."
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Lewis Hamilton, McLaren Mercedes leads the parade lap. Photo by xpb.cc.
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Poor attendance has plagued the Chinese Grand Prix since the inaugural
2004 event. The Shanghai Circuit, which cost $365 million to build,
pays $33 million to host a grand prix. The current contract expires
after 2010, and Ecclestone is courting the organizers to exercise the
five-year option and keep the grand prix. "We will talk to them about
it, and meet up and see how we can help them," Ecclestone told Financial
Times.
While it seems that Asia is receiving preferential treatment, Formula
One's manufacturers are pushing for a return to the United States in
2010, but probably not to Indianapolis. The North American market is
concentrated on the East and West Coast, not the Midwest.
In an autosport.com report, Honda Racing CEO Nick Fry said, "Ideally
we would like a site on either coast, which is a key market for
non-American brands. And from our point of view, the sooner the better."
BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen added, "The USA is still the
biggest market for BMW and we should be there. But we should be there
successfully, so we have to find the right venue, the right setting and
the right approach in order to make a point over there." Fry added that
sources report Ecclestone is leaning toward Las Vegas as the likely USGP
venue.
The 2009 calendar jumble scratched not only Canada but France as well,
with Ecclestone saying "Never again" to the rural Nevers Circuit. Recent
talks of hosting the race near Paris at Euro-Disney collapsed when
Lagardere Sport decided it was not economically viable. The project had
the backing of F1 champion Alain Prost.
Ecclestone at first sought a Paris night race after complaining that the
old French circuit was in the middle of nowhere.
Added to the calendar is Abu Dhabi, which hosts the final round of the
championship and will attempt to outdo Bahrain's 2008 attendance record
of 43,000 spectators.
