Mark in Oshawa
13th April 2009, 23:41
Well, in the Calgary Hearld, this link here: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Sports/Montreal+mayor+negotiating+return+racing/1492387/story.html
[/QUOTE]MONTREAL — Mayor Gerald Tremblay is hoping to entice Grand Prix racing back to Montreal for 2010 and Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says he’s interested.
Ecclestone told Motor Sport magazine’s May edition that he is in discussions with the city to bring the race back to Montreal.
Martin Tremblay, spokesperson for the mayor, confirmed Sunday that discussions have been ongoing for about two months.
“The mayor wants the race back, but not at any price,” he said. He would not comment further.
F1 CEO Ecclestone told Motor Sport: “We are trying to get that back on again. The government is interested.”
Money is, of course, the major hurdle.
Ecclestone pulled out of Montreal last year when, despite the economic downturn, he wanted millions more than he was getting for the government-subsidized race.
Montreal, the provincial and federal governments and Tourism Montreal had offered Ecclestone $20 million for 2009, increasing to $24 million in 2013 — a total of $110.5 million over five years.
The city would also pay 75 per cent of the first $10 million in race profits and 25 per cent of profits above that.
It wasn’t enough for the billionaire British promoter, who wanted at least $175 million over five years, so he said no, picked up his toys and left the city – presumably for good.
Now six months later he wants back in.
It could be because his racing circuit is feeling the pinch of a dying economy and of fans unwilling to pay soaring ticket prices in the hundreds of dollars.
Montreal isn’t the only Formula One race refusing to dance to Ecclestone’s tune.
France cancelled its Grand Prix for 2009, and organizers of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai said in November they might pull out because of poor ticket sales.
Australia’s Grand Prix lost $27 million US last year.
Ecclestone said for the race to return to Montreal he would have to expand the circuit beyond its current 17 races.
But with hard economic times and fan disenchanted with aging tracks too small for racers to even pass, Ecclestone might have a tough job just keeping the races he has.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service.[/QUOTE]
It seems the gravy train is going off the rails and maybe Bernie is realizing the people you climb over on the way up might be helping you on the way back down....
[/QUOTE]MONTREAL — Mayor Gerald Tremblay is hoping to entice Grand Prix racing back to Montreal for 2010 and Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says he’s interested.
Ecclestone told Motor Sport magazine’s May edition that he is in discussions with the city to bring the race back to Montreal.
Martin Tremblay, spokesperson for the mayor, confirmed Sunday that discussions have been ongoing for about two months.
“The mayor wants the race back, but not at any price,” he said. He would not comment further.
F1 CEO Ecclestone told Motor Sport: “We are trying to get that back on again. The government is interested.”
Money is, of course, the major hurdle.
Ecclestone pulled out of Montreal last year when, despite the economic downturn, he wanted millions more than he was getting for the government-subsidized race.
Montreal, the provincial and federal governments and Tourism Montreal had offered Ecclestone $20 million for 2009, increasing to $24 million in 2013 — a total of $110.5 million over five years.
The city would also pay 75 per cent of the first $10 million in race profits and 25 per cent of profits above that.
It wasn’t enough for the billionaire British promoter, who wanted at least $175 million over five years, so he said no, picked up his toys and left the city – presumably for good.
Now six months later he wants back in.
It could be because his racing circuit is feeling the pinch of a dying economy and of fans unwilling to pay soaring ticket prices in the hundreds of dollars.
Montreal isn’t the only Formula One race refusing to dance to Ecclestone’s tune.
France cancelled its Grand Prix for 2009, and organizers of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai said in November they might pull out because of poor ticket sales.
Australia’s Grand Prix lost $27 million US last year.
Ecclestone said for the race to return to Montreal he would have to expand the circuit beyond its current 17 races.
But with hard economic times and fan disenchanted with aging tracks too small for racers to even pass, Ecclestone might have a tough job just keeping the races he has.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service.[/QUOTE]
It seems the gravy train is going off the rails and maybe Bernie is realizing the people you climb over on the way up might be helping you on the way back down....