Teams' boycott threat averted

[ArrowsFA1]

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that Renault and McLaren threatened to boycott the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in a row over money.
http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/73866
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article5962563.ece

Tasty quote from Bernie:

"If they come in here with a gun and hold it to my head, they had better be sure they can f***ing pull the trigger. And they should make sure it's got bullets in it because, if they miss, they better look out."
:eek:

[I am evil Homer]

Well he better pay them what's owed really given that they have to pay a stupidly high price just for taking part.

[Knock-on]

One step closer to all out war.

Battle lines are being drawn.

[cosmicpanda]

F1 needs another concorde agreement.

[Dzeidzei]

One step closer to all out war.

Battle lines are being drawn.

Maybe Bernie doesnt want a post-Ecclestone F1 at all. All this and his recent comments for Daily Express:
"How can I train someone to take over?” he said. “It’s like Frank Sinatra training a successor."

He wants F1 to die when he retires.

He´s senile. He´s a cancer for F1. He´s a tumor that needs to be surgically removed. Soon.

[ArrowsFA1]

F1 needs another concorde agreement.
According to The Times report:

The dispute was about money that Ecclestone has agreed to pay the teams, but only after they sign the next Concorde Agreement under which they agree to race, something they have so far failed to do.

[I am evil Homer]

Oh god....

[AndyRAC]

Oh dear, so basically, the teams get their money when they sign the new Concorde Agreement -(i;e when they agree to Bernie's demands).
The FiA should only have let Bernie promote the sport, he's virtually running it, and not for the better. It's his cash cow, and nobody is going to spoil it!

[ioan]

Bernie is in the corner and all his got is his loud barking.
There is no Concorde agreement in place and the teams can leave the F1 championship and set up another one whenever they see fit.

I don't care anymore if F1 survives or it goes down when this skirmish will end cause what we get nowadays isn't real F1 anymore.
IMO F1 needs a rebirth, without poisonous dwarfs.

[veeten]

no, I believe this explains the whole situation.

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php

the most telling is the last five paragraphs, being the reason it will take quite some time before the teams will see any money from Bernie/FOM/CVC, and the reason for Bernie looking at the Concorde Agreement as the leverage.

[Big Ben]

I wish the teams were more united... and if they have to kill F1 then so be it... this is about racing not about a trade mark.

If FOTA are going to do anything, they'd better stop making empty threats.

I would have expected Flavio & Dennis to have more nous than to make an idle threat to Bernie and more balls to back it up when he called their bluff.

Maybe they thought he was getting soft in his old age. Time for a rethink of their strategy now.

[Nikki Katz]

Yeah, this was clearly a bluff and hasn't really strengthened FOTA's position at all. They'll need to do something more concrete than that to be heard.

[F1boat]

Bernie is hysterical, which means that he is scared. He has LdM, Ron and Flavio against him and has possibly blackmailed Max. Max has mocked him, accepted the system and then removed it, revealing that "Bernie told him that teams want it". I hope that Mad Max and Bernie take each other in this. Todt for FIA President!

[ArrowsFA1]

"FOTA wish to clarify the situation regarding remarks that have been widely reported in the last few days concerning a meeting between members of FOTA and the Commercial Rights Holder," the teams' body said in the statement.
"The meeting, which took place in London on March 18, involved John Howett, the Vice President of FOTA, Flavio Briatore in his capacity as chairman of the Commercial Working Group of FOTA and Ron Dennis as a member of the Executive Committee of FOTA as well as Bernie Ecclestone, the Commercial Rights Holder. The FOTA representatives presented the unified views of all FOTA members.
"The purpose of the meeting was to discuss payment of money owned by CVC (the effective owners of the commercial rights to Formula One) to the teams and relates to agreed sums owing from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 championship years.
"FOTA are committed to accelerate the signing of the new Concorde Agreement and, as part of the conditions necessary to obtain the signatures of all the teams, it was necessary to reach a conclusion to this outstanding matter.
"During the discussions, any position stated by the members of FOTA who were present was supported by all members."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73919

[ioan]

So they are united.
I read also an interview with LdM who basically says that F1 needs to get rid of Max and Bernie.

[Garry Walker]

So they are united.
I read also an interview with LdM who basically says that F1 needs to get rid of Max and Bernie.

Luca could not be more right. Let`s hope the teams manage to stay united and FOTA will remain strong.

[Knock-on]

It's good that FOTA have clarified that Flavs and Rons views are the views of all members.

I think there's a good chance of a boycott this year.

[ioan]

I think there's a good chance of a boycott this year.

I'm looking forward to that, let's just hope they chose a boring track to do it. :D

[Dave B]

The kids are united. Good good :up:

[veeten]

Oh please.... boycott, my a$$!

Looking at the situation that Bernie/CVC got themselves into with those loans made during the 'good times', the present climate of revenue comning from the circuits, hospitality and others is so reduced that they will be lucky to make the payments on time, muchaless at all.

The only reason FOTA members are only making this kind of ruckus is that they are in the very same boat when it comes to the debts they amassed over the last few years. They are trying to get Bernie to advance them some cash just to make them disappear.

But...

It comes to an age-old situation of 'robbing Peter to pay Paul'. The question is; can you really afford to pi$$ off Peter (the Banks) in order to keep Paul (the Teams) happy, basically for now?

I don't think so...

[ioan]

Oh please.... boycott, my a$$!

I doubt the FOTA is interested by that.

[Dave B]

Now FOA (Bernie) has issued a statement denying 'inaccurate and misleading statements made to the media yesterday by “FOTA”'

Note "FOTA" in quotations: the end of the statement basically goes on to say that the FOA doesn't recognise the teams' association.

I smell a war brewing :s

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/3/9062.html

[Knock-on]

Now FOA (Bernie) has issued a statement denying 'inaccurate and misleading statements made to the media yesterday by “FOTA”'

Note "FOTA" in quotations: the end of the statement basically goes on to say that the FOA doesn't recognise the teams' association.

I smell a war brewing :s

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/3/9062.html

I posted this earlier. I don't think I've seen a more inflamatory, dismissive or disrespectful statement from the poison dwarf.

He's outdone himself.

I posted this earlier. I don't think I've seen a more inflamatory, dismissive or disrespectful statement from the poison dwarf.

He's outdone himself.

Depends, surely, on if he is right that the money has been paid?

If he is, then he right to be dismissive.

[ArrowsFA1]

Perhaps there's a reason why Bernie has a short fuse at present:

The world’s most-watched motor sport faces an 80 percent decline in corporate hospitality guests at some races because of the economic slump
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aOCyOzVuoWmY

[Knock-on]

Depends, surely, on if he is right that the money has been paid?

If he is, then he right to be dismissive.

If he has, then he has a point but not in the way he chooses to express his view.

Don't forget that the FOTA statement was in response to a rather vile outburst from Bernie in the first place.

Looking at the language from both sides, I can see which party is being confrontational.

Looking at the language from both sides, I can see which party is being confrontational.

And Ron saying he wasn't sending his cars to Melbourne was a peace & love thing?

Ron & Flavio are both confrontational characters at their very best moments, so I think to pin it all on Bernie alone is a bit optomistic.

[veeten]

Perhaps there's a reason why Bernie has a short fuse at present:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aOCyOzVuoWmY

another article that bolsters what I've been saying, along with the ones from Pitpass and Financial Times.

[ioan]

Depends, surely, on if he is right that the money has been paid?

If he is, then he right to be dismissive.

Given the language he uses and how he reacts I think he is the one in the wrong and is trying to brush it off.

Given the language he uses and how he reacts I think he is the one in the wrong and is trying to brush it off.

Maybe, but maybe is a long way from definitive.

[Knock-on]

And Ron saying he wasn't sending his cars to Melbourne was a peace & love thing?

Ron & Flavio are both confrontational characters at their very best moments, so I think to pin it all on Bernie alone is a bit optomistic.

Conversly, if we say that Bernie has a point if he has been paid, the same can be said about Ron and Flav if they haven't.

Don't know about you but if I was owed money, I might withdraw my labour until it turned up.

Still, i do agree that it is a bit extreem but it looks like this arguement has been rumbleing for quite a while and possibly came to a head.