F1 Rebels Continue Preparations...

[Senna 0]

F1 rebels continue preparations

planetf1

Formula One's alliance of five manufacturers has vowed to press on with its plans for a breakaway series, despite positive talks to avert a split.

The five - Toyota, Renault, Honda, BMW and Mercedes - are behind the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association, a pressure group set up to demand a greater share of Formula One's income and are threatening to start a rival series if their demands are not met.

The GPMA, together with the seven teams associated with them, met FIA President Max Mosley twice over the summer, with all sides declaring the talks to be constructive.

However, a GPMA statement on Wednesday announced the continuation of plans to launch a rival series in 2008, after Formula One's ruling Concorde Agreement expires.

A statement said: "Whilst the group remains open and willing to discuss with the current commercial rights holder (Bernie Ecclestone) and the FIA on the future of grand prix motor racing beyond 2007, the current uncertainty leaves them with no option other than to progress preparatory work for the new series."

"Although the team principals and manufacturers agreed that some progress was made in the recent meetings, they considered it was not sufficient to delay the preparations for the new series."

In Brazil last weekend, Renault motorsport president Patrick Faure outlined the group's determination to have their demands met.

"I think we will reasonably hold firm because our target has been the same since the beginning," he said.

"That is to say that we must give more money to the teams who are really organising the show - and on this we will not compromise. We want more money, not for us, the manufacturers, but for all the teams."

[SchumiDeSuck 0]

They should fight for their shares of income from F1 by setting up a new series since FIA is so stubborn and bias.

[cavallino 2]

They're bluffing. All about publicity they want to pretend to go down fighting. F1 is not going anywhere, stick around people.

[Senna 0]

They're bluffing. All about publicity they want to pretend to go down fighting. F1 is not going anywhere, stick around people.

Yes but Bernie should be slightly worried...

[Wez 0]

Im still all for GPWC. With five manufactures that huge it WONT be a failure!

The FIA and Uncle Max are an absolute joke.

[bajo39 0]

Im still all for GPWC. With five manufactures that huge it WONT be a failure!

The FIA and Uncle Max are an absolute joke.

To the contrary, a manufaturer run series would be even worse. With all the money in F1, why can't we have decent management like they do in NASCAR?

[pumpdoc 2]

To the contrary, a manufaturer run series would be even worse. With all the money in F1, why can't we have decent management like they do in NASCAR?

Say what you want about the series it's self you can't fault NASCAR managment for the way to run a series and market a series, hell a last place finisher will bring home a minimum of around $40-$50k just for starting the race, and you don't have pay for ride drivers

[rodders47 2]

Well F1 needs some other competition, and the GPMA is just another form IMO.

Here in OZ the A1 Race at Brands Hatch got one hell of a lot more "TALK ABOUT" on talk back radio then I can ever remember any F1 race.

And the Aussie leg of the A1 series is all but SOLD out way in advance, so maybe there is a challange to F1 already ?

Only so much money to go around whatever sport it is !!

[demonhorse 0]

Here in OZ the A1 Race at Brands Hatch got one hell of a lot more "TALK ABOUT" on talk back radio then I can ever remember any F1 race.

Well that is to be expected, it is after all a BRAND NEW series, which will garner media attention for a while before we can truly decide if it deserves the hype.

F1 does need a rival though. I present Professional Wrestling as a case study for comparison.

Before 2001, the WWF was a strong brand in wrestling, as were it's 2 rivals in the 'big three', WCW and the low budget but high quality ECW.

As of 2001, Vince McMahon owned all the rights to rivals WCW and ECW by buying them out and keeping some of their wrestlers and other staff on shiny new WWE contracts. and for a while it was good.

However, since then, WWE has gone through the name change from WWF (which in my opinion was a bad thing). After the lame and predictable WWF VS WCW/ECW alliance 'war' ended, things started to pick up again and the alliance thing was nearly forgiven and forgotten.and for a while, it was good.

Then the story writers started getting slack in the face of a lack of competition and the product, while having a few shakeups such as Raw and Smackdown 'brand splits', became a rehash and a shadow of it's former self. During this period, I went to a live WWE house show when their UK tour came to Nottingham, and I considered this better than the stuff that was being shown on TV each week. After this I was less willing to watch the TV version, even with my favourite names in wrestling (and hulk hogan on return 20000 and counting).

I stopped watching WWE on a regular basis over a year ago, but I do still manage to catch the odd moments, and each time, i remember part of the reason I stopped watching it (it was partly to do with not having any channels it was broadcast on anymore).

However, in the past year or so (probably longer, I forget) a new rival has emerged in NWA TNA. This is a brand run by 2 former wrestlers and all I keep hearing about it is good. I have seen a few of their shows including 1 episode of their weekly programme Impact and have been impressed. I would hope that McMahon has taken note and his shows have improved back to something like the level they were at when they had 2 rivals, or on the way to that, otherwise they will lose the ability to compete, despite their budgets.

If it doesn't, the 'sport' will (eventually) have a new leader. Either of these would be a good end result.

Sorry if that's a bit of a long winded way to prove the point, but hopefully F1 will benefit from A1 as much as openwheeled motorsport in general does.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

WWE is still brilliant - still often very predictable, and definately not the same as when The Rock & Stone Cold were competing, but I cannot miss a smackdown or a raw!! Go on pit crew shove this in the cafe!

[ykickamoocow 0]

I think they were forced to change their name because someone was already using it. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and they went to court and the World Wildlife Fund won and forced the wrestling people to change their name.

[nojvnof1 0]

why would I jem? It started as an F1 topic and demonhorse has simply used an example from another field to try and describe the political state of F1. No need to be moved.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Very kind of you