F1 » Bernie: Teams need F1 more than F1 needs them

Maybe it's a good thing for the FOTA to break off. Then the FIA can go on with other teams, privateers. Maybe it's just me but I get the feeling privateers have more feeling for the sport and do whatever they can to compete in it. Constructors lack that, look at Honda and the near leaving of Toyota.
I hope the day will return when there were men like Stoddart and Jordan.

What I want to know is ....do you think Bernie & Max are in on this thread and if so why are they so quiet ?

For sure they couldn't use the name F1 since it's copyright, so they would have to come up with a new series name... what about FOTA Championship? The F1 link is implied but not used so they couldn't be sued.

I've been saying for ages that this breakaway is not as straight forward and easy as some people seem to think, but if you say that on here you get accused of kissing FIA/FOM a$$. But I'm trying to be realistic - all the major TV networks who want to televise F1 have contracts with FOM so where is the revenue going to come from for the new FOTA series? We fans like to think we pay for F1 but like football and many other sports the "real" money comes from TV.

Just a question here ...

Of the 5 manufacturers in FOTA, which of them has received government assistance?

I dont think any have ... other than maybe Renault, but they've been owned by France since ... well, forever.

Johnson if I were you I wouldn't worry about the disagrees. Eish with autogyro, fred, sizzlesuck you should have got 3 disagrees. But all the 3 of them and 2pac with his balanced views messages they are very busy trying to keep Mosley in his job. By the way in his letter Mosley claims the taxpayers are supporting the manufacturers that are going bust while their employees running the F1 teams are hellbent spending money they don't have. Montezemolo an employee? Ferrari supported by taxpayers, Fiat? Please he has really lost it. In between him and Bernie they do not know what is going on and they run like headless chickens.

formula one was not the global sporting event watched by billions on every continent before Bernie brilliantly turned it into the commercial masterpiece that the car manufacturers so love. It had nothing to with the teams.

Johnson you have no idea what you're talking about. seriously shut up.

@ 2Pac

& what makes you believe any of those TV networks would ever have signed an exclusive agreement to show just F1?

Unless Bernie expected a breakaway some time ago & wrote that specific clause into an agreement, networks can pretty much buy & show what they want without him dictating their content.

& what's Bernie going to do ... with-hold F1 coverage? Assuming there is even an F1 championship to show ... he would be in breach.

Even if he does have a breakaway clause, chances are the network covered themselves by insisting on certain teams being in the F1 they're paying for.

2pac is right - it would be hard but the goal is not to break the sport up but to remove two people who may have contributed in the past but have exceeded their sell by dates - we need fresh (younger) blood who's egos can fit in the same room together.

I don't expect they have exclusive agreements, the question is do they have any extra money to pay for the rights to broadcast a second open-wheel championship? These broadcasters have share holders to answer to, they can't just "magic" extra monies out of thin air.

I guess some of the broadcasters would try and get out of their contractual agreements if the split goes ahead but we all know how long litigation can drag on for so it isn't going to be a "quick fix".

2-PAC.

In a way I completely agree with your comments.
Most of the posts on here smack of wishful thinking BUT I would suggest that FOTA (with the weight of the manufacturers behind them)are more than capable and have all of the neccesary expertise at their disposal to organise a new series.
I would presume that most of the TV companies have 'get out' clauses in their contracts if there is a significant change in the sport (and I would suggest that the main teams leaving would constitute a significant change) Sponsors will always follow the money... will F1 or FOTA command the greater interest?