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

edaab, agree with your privateers sentiment but I would prefer men like Vandervell, Walker, and Tyrell.

When I read this type of comment from Bernie it just shows how far from reality he has drifted. The teams are the sport. Without the real teams F1 is just another auto sport that no one will watch. Fans watch F1 to see the teams. Bernie, no one wants to see you, go take care of mess you and Max have made of a great sport. Joe Edone

Yeah but Al ... none of them have actually received money to survive.
& the US money is to save Chrysler, not FIAT.

The scrappage scheme was both a way to support the entire auto industry & also promote environmental issues, not really a rescue package for manufacturers. Governments have similarly been subsidising airline tickets for decades to promote tourism.

Just think Bernie accusing FOTA manufacturers of using tax-payers money to go racing / set up a breakaway series is wide of the mark ... but obviously meant to win him support from the masses who have turned on him.

Lets face it, Bernie is no-ones champion but his own.

Just a slight word or ten of caution chaps, and that is that you haven't actually got a clue what the contracts and agreements are so most of this thread is just hot air. My OPINION is that the three big assets in all this (I mentioned two before) are the Monaco GP, Ferrari, and the TV rights (or rather the rights of national broadcasters to broadcast anything other than F1 as well as F1)

But believe me, it will be a NIGHTMARE to unscramble. I might even suggest that if there is no 'give' on either side, it may well become the most expensive civil action/counteraction ever.

So much for cutting costs, ironically.

Al Fiat and for that matter Ferrari got no money from their taxpayers. The US taxpayers are paying a fee to Fiat via their President to run Chrysler. Really to claim that Fiat and Ferrari is bankrupt and supported by the Italian government as Mosley did in his letter to the Automobil Clubs shows how honorable he is.

Alan D. well said.

Shirley Knott - agree especially wrt privateers who could probably expect more support in a FOTA series. Would love to see more teams qualifing for alimited number of slots. With respect to your positive comment on the 2pac broadcasting comment - Surely Not! TV revenues in most countries come from advertisers not shareholders. I think that advertisers would pay bigger bucks for FOTA races than a "Max & Bernie do F1" commedy. I suspect that most TV contracts have a ratings (# of viewers) clause.

lets not be naive here, most car manufacturers get "sweeteners" from governments. Either to build or keep existing factories in their country because of the employment they bring both directly and indirectly from sub-suppliers.

Its common knowledge that the Italian government has paid "subsidies" to Fiat group when they've been in trouble. The UK gov have paid Nissan to keep manufacturing in the UK, it happens all over. How many billions of public money is the US government putting into the US car industry.

I think that manufacturers have a responsibility to their employees not to jeopardise their core business in the pursuit of motor sport success. Peoples livelihoods are at stake.

PierC: "My OPINION is that the three big assets in all this are the Monaco GP, Ferrari, and the TV rights"

From a racing viewpoint, Monaco is never that exciting but the sponsors like it.If Monaco decides to switch its even to FOTA then I'm not sure what Bernie could do about it, whether he has a contract with them or not since it is the head of state who is the biggest racing fan.

As for TV rights, Bernie has the rights to F1, not to open wheel racing in general. If the big names that everyone knows leave F1 then those TV rights will be worthless, just a squabble between Bernie and the TV companies over get-out clauses.

I still think that this a game of high stakes poker. Then again it could be Russian roulette

Everyone is assuming that the current broadcasting contracts will be easy to get out of if the breakaway happens.

Nobody could have forseen this possible split happening so I doubt there are any clauses in the contract that would cover this eventuality.

One thing is for sure, FOM are not going to allow the broadcasting companies to get out of their contracts without a fight, and like I said litigation can go on for years and takes a hell of a lot of money.

I can guarantee one thing, the lawyers will get richer!