New 'Premier 1' wannabe after a piece of F1's pie

[Giuseppe F1]

Does anyone remember that Panoz single seater car that was snapped in the Panoz Elan workshop during the deliveries of the first Panoz Champcars and which starting tongues wagging that this may be infact be a Panoz IndyCar as the car featured an engine-cover/roll-hoop air intake..... well, ......turns out its for this new 'Premier 1' type formula due in 2008 aiming to capture audiences comprising both fans of F1 and international football (soccer).

As we all know, Premier 1 died a death before it even begun, largely due to the collapse of Reynard, although a few high profile football clubs did sign up to the concept yet when the series folded, ended up sponsoring teams in the then Nissan World Series instead - seem to recall Zonta being sponsored by Barcelona FC and such like -

Anyway - with F1, ChampCar, IndyCar, A1 GP and GP Masters, I really see NO NEED for yet another series pitched at the top end of the single-seater ladder - Hope it fizzles out before it begins to be honest:

SUPERLEAGUE FORMULA

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=30935


One thing I am intruiged by, when regarding the ongoing F1 customer car debate and the continued cries for American themed F1 teams/chassis, I am intruiged that Panoz are now involved with the production of European/F1 esque single-seater chassis.

Could this mean that down the line, Panoz will start building up the technologies, competences and resource with which to be in a position to build an F1 chassis for new teams wishing to enter the sport in the way that both Dallara (Honda, Midland) and Lola (Super Aguri) have been approached in recent years? This point excites me, yet considering that A1 and GP Masters, although now established and enjoyable, arent the F1 beaters casual viewers and media may have built them up to be, I cant see this 'Superleague Formula' taking off

[Giuseppe F1]

The AC Milan Superleague Formula car launch:

http://www.pitpass.com/images/headlines/superleaguecaracmilan400.jpg

Engines will be 750hp, 4.2 ltr V12s!!!

[BeansBeansBeans]

Liverpool should get involved.

Their car would underperform in the British Grand Prix, but would be fantastic in mainland Europe.

[Giuseppe F1]

Liverpool should get involved.

Their car would underperform in the British Grand Prix, but would be fantastic in mainland Europe.

:) Good one!

[Dave B]

Surely this is too late for an April Fool? That's the only explaination I can think of for this...

[Giuseppe F1]

http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/57767

"They plan to use 750bhp Elan/Panoz cars built by Elan Motorsport technologies in the United States and with 4.2 litre V12 engines provided by Menard and made at the former Arrows Formula One factory at Leafield in England."


Didnt Super Aguri buy the whole Leafield premises from Menard or do they just lease part of the building??

[Erki]

I remember reading something similar sounding 5 years ago. Took some time for them...

[luvracin]

I don't get it... Are soccer players going to race the cars?? Why would Football teams want to race cars??

[Easy Drifter]

This basic idea has been popping up since at least the early 70's. This is as far as it gets, at least so far. Actually this is further than it usually gets!

[Ian McC]

I don't get it... Are soccer players going to race the cars??


I might actually pay to see that :D

[Ian McC]

I would of thought that teams would not want to be attaching their names to this after the last failure.

[ChrisS]

their official website/blog
http://superleagueformula.com/

and 3d renders of some of the cars

AC Milan
http://superleagueformula.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/ac_milan_car.jpg

PSV Eindhoven
http://superleagueformula.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/psv_eindhoven_car.jpg

Porto
http://superleagueformula.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/fc_porto_car.jpg

Olympiacos
http://superleagueformula.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/olympicos_car.jpg

[ArrowsFA1]

Motorsportpedia entry for Premier 1 Grand Prix (http://www.motorsportpedia.com/index.php/Category:Premier_1_Grand_Prix).

It didn't work then, and nothing seems to have changed (the same man is behind this latest effort) so there's no reason it should work now. I don't see the point. Firstly, it's been created for marketing "synergie" purposes, and secondly there are enough single seater series around already. The organisers should look at A1GP and see why that is failing before pumping money into this idea.

Apparently "market research based on ten focus groups of football season ticket holders in five European countries apparently showed 'overwhelming enthusiasm' for the new championship". Really :eek: :rolleyes:

According to their website it is "the place for us to document the birth and growth of a new, exciting sport". Is that sport football or motorsport :confused: because someone should tell them both have been around for a while.

[ioan]

To me it seems that the person behind this simply convinced some footy clubs to invest money in his dreams, once again.

[luca27]

I seem to remember Leeds United being one of the original "Premier 1" teams to sign up and even paraded a car at their European tie with Olympiakos.

given the Elland Road boys slide do you think theres any chance that if my team, Carlisle United pass Leeds as they drop from the Championship we could see a Blue and White Eddie Stobart sponsored effort......

Leeds United couldn't afford to run a Trabant, let alone a single-seater.

Shame really, because my mate wants to off-load an MOT failure Hyundai Pony and there was a time where Leeds United would have paid him a good £10million for it.

[BeansBeansBeans]

Leeds United couldn't afford to run a Trabant, let alone a single-seater.

Shame really, because my mate wants to off-load an MOT failure Hyundai Pony and there was a time where Leeds United would have paid him a good £10million for it.

Bravo :up:

[millencolin]

Since Tottnemham probably wont have a team... i'll state how this is a ridiculous idea.

stick to soccer, leave motorsport to the professionals

[SuperAguri]

It's making me think of baseball and a NASCAR or Champ Car type series coming together. It's exciting, but then do the football fans really give a toss? It's the football that's important to them.

[ShiftingGears]

What an unbelievably stupid idea!

[Giuseppe F1]

It's making me think of baseball and a NASCAR or Champ Car type series coming together. It's exciting, but then do the football fans really give a toss? It's the football that's important to them.

E-X-A-C-T-L-Y-!

[Copse]

Football fans at racetracks. I don't know... :s

Does that mean they'll have to re-build the stands to the cages we see at football stadia around europe. Since these "fans" can kill each other over volleyball just because the teams are the same as in footy, there'll be no end to the precautions needed if they bunch a few hundred thousand of them onto grandstands at e.g. barcelona, and dont separate them with 5 meter fences... :( ;)

[newf66]

Maybe our new team, Toronto FC will consider joining - I'll drive!

Hahahaha, thump (falls off chair, laughing).

[AndyRAC]

E-X-A-C-T-L-Y-!

Here here!! Exactly. When are these losers going to realise that it ain't gonna work, the majority of football fans like football and that's it. Nothing else..
Just forget it and spend your money more wisely and promote something else.

[BeansBeansBeans]

I am very passionate about racing, and I am also very passionate about Liverpool Football Club.

When I want to watch racing, I'll watch racing. When I want to watch Liverpool, I'll watch Liverpool.

I do not see the point in combining the two, and I hope my club doesn't get involved in this ludicrous series.

[jens]

Racing series for soccer players?

Oh, I'd imagine that racing series for politicians would be even more exciting. :D

[jso1985]

dreaming is free for those guys... I can't see it hapenning, motorsport with "flashy new" ideas can't seem to work just look at A1GP, after 2 seasons their popularity is very low

Could atract new fans to motorsport but I still think it's a silly idea

[Giuseppe F1]

With the seemed consenus amongst us all here, I imagine that there were no Motorsport fans yet merely the footie fans they included in these seemingly amazing '10' focus groups they undertook!

[Giuseppe F1]

A KEY REASON WHY THIS WILL FAIL = SCHEDULING!!

If the series is supposed to attract the motorsport and footie/soccer fan alike, think of the time they are being asked to allocate out of their Sunday/weekend infront of the TV.

The organisers have confirmed that races will start and finish completely before or after that weekends football matches yet considering say GP2 races are also shown on a Sunday....you would be effectively asking the motorsport fan who is also a footie fan, on an F1 weekend on a Sunday, to watch all of F1, perhaps GP2, their teams football/soccer match and then the SuperLeague Formula race!!!!!!!!

As much as I admit I regularly fit my weekend when an F1 race is on, around the race, the vast majority of viewers, particularly the causal viewers and not the petrolheads like us, not surprisingly after a hard week at work, also like to do OTHER things with their weekend.

As we know, with the backbone of F1 viewership still being in Europe, owing to time differences, although by no means the most popular race of the season, the Brazilian GP at Interlagos regularly attains the highest recorded TV audiences owing to the late race start viewing time in Europe/UK, usually around 7pm - this is because people like to do other things with their Sunday afternoon and when they can do these activities, and then fit in the F1 GP in the late evening as with the Brazil GP, the casual viewers contribution to the TV ratings always maintains the Interlagos races' ratings are the highest of the season.

SuperLeague Formula is seeking to get more people to dedicate more of their leisure weekend time to this concept, when their fan base is already dedicating their Sunday to either one of, or both of, F1 and soccer....wonder if they asked questions around this in their Focus Groups??...

It wont work IMO

[Sleeper]

I wonder whos going to drive these things. Lets face it, at 750hp we're looking at drivers of the F1, GP2, Champ Car, IRL, RWS level of ability, or those moving up from F3 to this. F1, CC and IRL drivers are all likely to stick with their teams in those respective series, the top young divers will do the same in GP2 and RWS. In all likely hood, this is going to be a series raced by the castoffs of other series, meaning theres a good chance that only half the field is really competant. I dont think theres enough sponsorship going around to support another high level single seater seires either.

[V12]

I am very passionate about racing, and I am also very passionate about Liverpool Football Club.

When I want to watch racing, I'll watch racing. When I want to watch Liverpool, I'll watch Liverpool.

I do not see the point in combining the two, and I hope my club doesn't get involved in this ludicrous series.

Ditto - was going to post pretty much the same as this!


And if football teams really want to get involved in racing, let them - like with the Barcelona Nissan WS car and the old Newcastle Lister, but I don't see why they would want to - unless they want to attract new fans from motorsport maybe - but a whole series based around the concept is a pure gimmick and nothing more - and it should - and will - die a death before it gets going.

[Giuseppe F1]

Ditto - was going to post pretty much the same as this!


And if football teams really want to get involved in racing, let them - like with the Barcelona Nissan WS car and the old Newcastle Lister, but I don't see why they would want to - unless they want to attract new fans from motorsport maybe - but a whole series based around the concept is a pure gimmick and nothing more - and it should - and will - die a death before it gets going.

Good Point! Plus isnt Seedort part owner of the Trident GP2 team with Figo and Ronaldo acting as ambassadors for the Portugal and Brazil A1GP teams also.

I think Figos involvement is much stronger as he backs a Portugese Sporting Foundation which backs talent in FBMW as well - or did a few seasons ago I recall

[PSfan]

It's making me think of baseball and a NASCAR or Champ Car type series coming together. It's exciting, but then do the football fans really give a toss? It's the football that's important to them.

Funny you should mention that. Pro sports, and motorsports have had some interaction that I'm aware of:

Joe Gibbs racing if I'm not mistaken (I believe Joe Gibbs himself was once a sucessfull American Football coach himself) essentially entered Nascar with alot of help from the NFL (I believe it was a funny sponsorship deal that highlighted a different team each weekend, though I can't remember how...)

And a look at the new Roush Fenway racing shouldn't take to long to see the league that Jack's new partner is into (Fenway is the name of a baseball stadium btw)

So in short, baseball and Nascar, NFL and Nascar coming together has already happened to some extent... Did it result in the ball and stick fans showing an interest in motorsport? Probably not

edit: I was looking at my Tv stand, I have 7-8 nhl action figures, a lora croft figure with my favorite teams emblem on her... um... chest :cheese: I giant beer bottle coin bank, night light, beer mugs, soup thermos, baseball cap... all featuring my favorite hockey team logo on it (heck, I even have M&M's in my teams colours!!!) And I get really ticked off because I can't find the zamboni, corvette or ford mustang diecasts in my team despite the local stores having montreal, Toronto and the flames!!!

And I don't even think I'm anywhere near as rabid about my team or sport as some of those football fans!!! :p :

So yes, I can see some spill over

[Azumanga Davo]

I am very passionate about racing, and I am also very passionate about Liverpool Football Club.

When I want to watch racing, I'll watch racing. When I want to watch Liverpool, I'll watch Liverpool.

I do not see the point in combining the two, and I hope my club doesn't get involved in this ludicrous series.

Then I must congratulate you on having a such a long and prosperous life in the toon then. Can't be easy... :D

[Cozzie]

Alonso is a huge Real Madrid fan...

[Sleeper]

Alonso is a huge Real Madrid fan...
So is Carlos Sainz but I cant see it making any difference who their supporters are.