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Old 29 Oct 2001, 14:34 (Ref:166947)   #1
KC
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Join Date: Sep 1998
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Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Posts: 2,762
KC should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridKC should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
The Future of F1 in Great Britain

Since the 2000 British Grand Prix was moved to a spring date and became a quagmire for the fans, the FIA has taken a stance of placing the British GP on probation, urging changes to be made or insinuating that the GP might be taken. Long queues and poor parking has plagued the British GP for more years than just the last 2, so why is the FIA suddenly so adamant that the situation needs to be corrected?

The EU ruling that tobacco advertising must be curtailed has placed the FIA in a difficult situation where their major sponsors are being forced to withdraw from placing advertising at sporting events all over Europe. Rumors have abounded that a Chinese GP, Middle Eastern GP and a Russian GP are all in the planning stages since the EU ruling on tobacco ads. All of these countries are friendly to tobacco ads and have no provision to ban cigarettes. They are eager to hold a GP for the financial or political gains that an F1 race might hold for them. Each of them has massive government backing to pay the astronomic sanctioning fees and to build a suitable venue. Be assured that any of these races will sport hundreds of Marlboro, Gauloises, or Lucky Strike signs that represent millons of dollars of sponsorship investment.

The latest news for the FIA is that England no longer has a representative on the governing board as the seat was lost to a representative from Turkey. Rumors abound that numerous political manuvers went on to assure that the seat went to a non-English representative. Now England has no advocate to speak for them in the single largest motorsports governing body in the world.

What does this hold for British F1 fans and the future of the British GP? With the current political climate opposed to tobacco ads, the FIA's sudden negative stance on the car parks at Silverstone, and the chance for the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone to tap into untold billions by moving the F1 circus to China, Russia or the Middle East, the British GP looks to be the next casualty. The FIA does not care that fans must walk for 4 miles or get stuck in a muddy car park as long as they continue to make beaucoup money holding the GP. But now, the chance to make even more money is drawing the FIA to other nations instead of adding a GP to the existing calendar. Only Sauber and Ferrari operate their teams outside the English Midlands, all the rest of the teams maintain their shops in and around this small area of England. The majority of support industry is also in the area. And yet, they may soon not have a home race. England has as much history as Italy and Germany, countries with 2 GPs each, in F1. McLaren and Williams are some of the most dominant teams in F1 history. Can anyone imagine Monza or Imola being removed from the Grand Prix calendar? I believe it will never happen unless Ferrari ever quit F1. Will Hockenheim and Nurburgring leave the Grand Prix calendar? Not while Mercedes Benz and BMW are two of F1's leading engine suppliers. So how does England rate such second class treatment. Where are the influential voices of Ron Dennis and Sir Frank Williams on this matter? Are they aligned with the FIA in an effort to make more money? Or is their any national pride left in them?
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