P1GP delayed

[Gt_R]

Saw this in Autosport.com

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Premier1 GP delayed for a year

New football-based series won't be ready for next year
The Premier1 GP series has been postponed for a year

The new Premier1 Grand Prix single-seater series has been postponed for a year, despite its organisers issuing a 10-race calendar for next season just last month.

The series, which involves the world's leading football clubs putting their names and liveries on the 24 one-make racers being built by Reynard, was due to kick off in July 2002. Now the organisers are claiming it will start in March 2003.

The reason for the delay has been blamed on a need for more time to finalise the commercial deals with race circuits, according to a statement. The decision comes in the wake of the organisers claiming they are unfazed by the £125 million required to get the project off the ground (see AUTOSPORT magazine, November 22).

Christian Scholbrock, director of marketing for Premier1, made an effort to put a brave face on the set-back: "We have been overwhelmed by the huge enthusiasm for Premier1 GP coming from the many parties involved and that includes positive response from football clubs, television companies, race teams and drivers, corporate sponsors and licensing partners as well as the FIA, motorsport's governing body. The passion for our plan means that we must ensure that everything is in place before the races commence.

"These extra eight months will guarantee Premier1 GP's long-term success."

Operations director Robin Webb added: "There was very little contingency in our original timing. The extra eighyt months we have now given ourselves will provide us with a little bit more breathing space for the build, supply and full testing of the 50 single-seater chassis required for the series."

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Why did i have a feeling that this concept is hardly going to make a big impact besides it being another money-spinning business for those money-minded idi*ts?

[f1manoz]

Not surprising really. Do they even have all the teams they need yet?

[Stephen Green]

The press release I saw says they expect to announce another two or three clubs joining the series within the next couple of months.

[Nicholas]

Typical that had to happen.

[Asp]

If you think about how quick things have gone (it was announced last Summer wasn't it :confused; and compare that to how long the GPWC Holdings B.V. series is taking - is anyone surprised?

[BootsOntheSide]

"If you think about how quick things have gone (it was announced last Summer wasn't it :confused; and compare that to how long the GPWC Holdings B.V. series is taking - is anyone surprised? "

With that there is a very significant issue- The Concorde Agreement, ironically titled as it bans the constructors from jetting off to a rival series, until 2007 when the current contract expires. It breaks just about every EU competition law in the book, but that's what it is.

[Stephen Green]

Ahhh, the old EU competition laws raise their ugly head again. Something inside of me rather hopes Bernie Eccleslug gets hanged by those laws one day.

[Super Tourer]

Surely this has to be the least surprising news of the year.

Why do people never learn to put their brain before their mouth!

I am suprised at Robin Webb, I thought he had more motorsport nounce than to get swept up in the Premier 1 hype, surely he, if anybody should know that the chances of getting a project like this off the ground at all are very slim, let alone in the timescale they have set themselves.

Will the football clubs that have committed so far, want to sit around for another year waiting for it to maybe happen.

My pet hate in motorsport is teams/people with ridiculously over optimistic plans that blindly continue on until the inevitable day they have to admit - its not happening. Let me give you some more examples closer to home.

JSM - BTCC . Pre-season. 'We will run a six car team' - proved in reality to be barely able to run one car for most of the season

TMSR - BTCC ' We will two cars out from the next race - with Radermacker driving' - only one car appeared for the whole season.

This time of the year I wince at some of the crass stories in Autosport. I have followed motorsport for 20 years, I've worked in motorsport and I have a good idea of what is attainable. Seemingly a lot of team owners haven't looked back in history and don't know what is really attainable. Moan over!

[Stephen Green]

Well said. I think you echo the views of many of us.

[Osella]

When this series fails, as I hope it does, we can have a new series for all those cars built for series that didn't happen. We could call Euroc Vs. FormulaPalmerPremier1GP or something else catchy

[Stephen Green]

I can't see them building new cars unless they have firm orders covered by a non refundable deposit, can you?