Rival F1 - again!

[Emfa]

Looks like this is not going to go away soon.

Motor racing-Rivals plan new F1 series by 2008 - Reuters:
Leading car makers firmed up plans on Friday to launch a rival motor racing series to Formula One by 2008, saying they wanted to keep the hugely popular sport free to watch on global television.
http://sports.yahoo.com/m/sm/news/re...s_picture.html

Europe carmakers seal plans to set up rival F1 series - Reuters:
Leading carmakers firmed up plans on Friday to launch a rival motor racing championship to Formula One, saying it would start by the beginning of 2008.
http://sports.yahoo.com/m/sm/news/re...ingrivals.html

[Damon_racer]

Thought this was a dead story as well but they say it will be up and running by 2008 and with most of the top teams being supplied with their motors from the car manufactures they have a lot of power .......

[Sonatrap]

I´ve just read the news at daily F1 about this break away venture and I was surprised to find the lack of interest here at ten tenths.Is that because nobody believes it will go ahead?

[Victor Broccoli]

I absolutely, positively do NOT think this will happen.

All sides of the argument have one thing in their minds: money. But, if the series were to split, look at the CART/IRL for how it will probably go. All sides would eventually lose, and general fans would lose interest tremendously.

It would ruin the sport. When the sport is ruined, money doesn't come in. Don't think for a second that sponsors/circuits/etc. don't have a say. In the end, compromise will be reached with each side giving a little.

[Bononi]

I'm afraid this is a cruel reality... if we don't get rid of Bernie.

[Valve Bounce]

Originally posted by Victor Broccoli
I absolutely, positively do NOT think this will happen.

All sides of the argument have one thing in their minds: money. But, if the series were to split, look at the CART/IRL for how it will probably go. All sides would eventually lose, and general fans would lose interest tremendously.

It would ruin the sport. When the sport is ruined, money doesn't come in. Don't think for a second that sponsors/circuits/etc. don't have a say. In the end, compromise will be reached with each side giving a little.

Victor, I thought the same initially, and was surprised to see these guys go ahead yesterday. However. if we look more carefully into F1, at present Bernie rakes in most of the money and doles it out meagerly to the teams.
I also thought it was only about live versus pay TV, but now another picture emerges. If the manufacturers form their own series, and Honda and Toyota joins, AND the manufacturers agree to supply a minimum of two teams each with factory engines, all the teams will have factory engines. They will simply move on to the same F1 championships with a differrent name . There will be no other teams to race in any "rival" (read original F1) series.
Manufacturers are pouring a helluva lot of money into F1, and this way, the championship and its teams will be self funding. There will no longer be any necessity for teams like Minardi, Prost or Arrows to go begging to sponsors for money to buy engines.
Tracks will not be a problem. Even if all the existing tracks are tied up by Bernie's putsch, which they are not, there are enough tracks left in this world to hold 18 races comfortably in year 2008.
I ewlcome the idea of a new series, if not for any reason, than to stop Bernie and Max having dictatorial control over F1.