5219 replies to this topic

[Arnold Schwarzenegger]

Naskarizacija F1.

Sta pricas ti? Nascar nema nesampionsku trku pre glavne trke.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Formula One’s new owners Liberty Media has given the first indication of its plans for the future development of the sport.

Liberty Media president and CEO Greg Maffei said it plans to increase the revenue the sport generates through broadcasting including much greater use of digital media, hosting more races, increasing sponsorship and growing the sport in markets such as the USA.

The broadcast revenue stream is one area where Liberty believes F1 can bring in more money. “I think there’s an opportunity to grow that broadcast stream, much of it free-to-air, to competitive pay services,” said Maffei, speaking at Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference today. “That’s for example what happened in the UK when [Sky] recently bought the rights.”

Maffei also said Formula One can increase revenue from sponsors. “I think there’s opportunity to grow, invest in the sponsorship organisation,” he said.

The Liberty president says he believes Formula One’s record 21-race calendar this year could expand further. He identified Asia and Latin America as likely places for growth.

However Maffei also stressed Liberty is keen to develop the sport in North America, where it is “under-viewed, under-monetised, under-everything”.

“I don’t think that gets solved in a week but I think that’s an interesting long-term opportunity,” he said.

“There have been 65 grand prix races in this US for Formula One. I think it’s actually, on the list of all the places there’ve been races, the United States is actually fourth or fifth. So it’s not as if it’s never had races here it’s just it’s been… there were races in Long Beach, there were races in Denver. You think about places where they’d have natural feel I would argue Miami, Las Vegas are very interesting places for the long term.”

“But that isn’t going to get solved in a week. I’d like to hope that, being Americans Chase [Carey, pictured], Liberty, could help with that process. I don’t think, as I’ve said, this is a quick fix. But for the longer term it’s a large, untapped market with upsides.

Another area of particular interest to Liberty is digital media. “Less than 1% of revenues is from digital,” said Maffei. “They really have no organised digital effort.”

“I think there’s a lot of things that can be done about gaming, VR [virtual reality] and AR [augmented reality].”

“There’s an enormous amount of video feed and data about the races that we are already capturing that we are not in any way processing, incrementally, for the dedicated fans, for opportunities around things like gambling.”

Maffei added a “much more direct to consumers kind of experience” would be possible for F1 with digital broadcasting. “How that augments and how we work that into the traditional broadcasters needs to be worked through,” he added. “But I think there’s a lot we can work with.”

 

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

Prgavu im mater je*em, onu izjavu od jučer su povukli s službenog sajta. Ovo je link za praćenje njihovih vesti. Meh, nadam se da Greg Mafej priča priče bez pokrića ko političari pre izbora. Podsetilo me je na 2009 kad je F1 bila na ivici da napravi dva odvojena šampionata ali se to nije desilo.

[/13/Ален Шмит/]

Hajneken hoće F1 dovesti u Vijetnam.  Ta zemlja je još 2010 iznedrila plan o gradnji staze u vrednosti 150,000,000$ blizu Nha Trang Beja ali izgleda ministarstvo nije dalo zeleno svetlo, super jer je dizajner Soči staze bio upleten u projekat. Ove godine je drugi projekat u planu ali staza ćese nalaziti na drugom mestu u Hanoju ako sve bude kako treba.

S druge strane, Hajneken želi trku u Ho Ći Minh gradu. Zanimljivo je to da je na početku ove godine otvorena prva profesionalna staza u Vijetnamu pod nazivom HepiLend Staza dužine 1,4km odaljena 30km od centra spomenutog grada ali je go ku*ac za F1 standarde.

Meni sve ovo miriše na još jednu uličnu trku..

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

...u Ho Ći Minh gradu...

 

Ni sami njegovi stanovnici ga ne zovu tako, za njih je to oduvek bio a tako i ostao Sajgon.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Daniel Ricciardo is not sure radical change is the right move when it comes to improving formula one.

Not only are radically different technical regulations on the way in for 2017, the sport's commercial rights are changing hands and new owners Liberty Media appear to have some grand plans.

But Australian Ricciardo told France's Auto Hebdo that he thinks gradual change and incremental improvements are the better route.

"It's impossible to make everyone happy," he said.

"In my view, too many people have wrongly criticised formula one. To be honest, although two drivers have dominated the championship, the races have become no less interesting.

"I would prefer to see a balanced and gradual change rather than a radically different series -- formula one is good as it is, but small improvements can make it better," Ricciardo added.

The 27-year-old has warned that drivers will have to strengthen their necks to deal with more G-forces next year, but is unsure that faster cars will necessarily improve F1.

"The cars will be faster and look more aggressive, but I don't know how it will affect the show," said Ricciardo.

Turning his attention to Red Bull, Ricciardo said he has been most impressed with the steps forward taken by engine supplier Renault in 2016.

"To be honest, I asked myself a lot of questions last year in Brazil, where we got a new engine and didn't notice even the slightest progress.

"With the chassis, Monaco and Singapore showed how good it is but Renault has really surprised everyone. We're maybe not on Mercedes' level yet but we're rapidly catching up," he said.

And finally, Ricciardo was asked about the fate of his former teammate Daniil Kvyat, and whether it was a reminder of how cruel F1 can be.

"Yes," he said, "but if you have a good race, you need to tell yourself straight away that you need to be competitive at the next one as well, and so on.

"Even after this great weekend (in Singapore), I can't afford to relax. Everyone in formula one has short memories."

 

Pametno zbori Ric, nisam siguran da idemo u dobrom pravcu dogodine sa povecanjem zavisnosti od aeroprianjanja.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Zak Brown, one of Formula 1's leading commercial figures, is to step down as CEO of the CSM sport marketing and entertainment group. The move could free him to take up a role alongside new F1 chairman Chase Carey.

In the wake of the Liberty Media takeover of F1 earlier this month, there has been widespread speculation that Carey would seek to make several key management appointments. These would be intended to develop and grow Formula 1 in areas where it is perceived to be ripe for growth, such as digital media and in key territories including North America.

Speaking at the Singapore GP Carey said: "I do understand managing businesses [and] putting the right team in place to be working with Bernie [Ecclestone] and his team."

While Ecclestone's position as CEO of the Formula 1 Group is not in question, Carey is keen to establish quickly areas he believes can be developed, and appoint a team charged with delivering on his stated objectives.

"You cannot make everybody happy all the time," Carey said, "but you've got to understand what everybody wants and then find a path.

"That is not a task for a committee, as committees tend to become bureaucratic, but there also can't be a dictatorship."

Brown (pictured, with Ecclestone) has emerged as one of the strongest candidates for a senior F1 commercial position, given his track record of delivering new sponsors to teams and to F1 itself. These have included Martini with Williams, UPS with Ferrari, Johnnie Walker with McLaren and UBS with the F1 Group.

The Just Marketing International group that Brown founded in 1995 became the world's largest motorsport marketing agency, before being acquired by CSM, the sport and entertainment division of Chime Communications, in 2013.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Ne znam gde ovo da metnem:
 

Ahead of his 300th grand prix start, Jenson Button has been talking team-mates, saying Lewis Hamilton was the fastest he was ever up against while Fernando Alonso is the most complete driver.

Button has been competing in Formula 1 since 2000 when he signed up with Williams, racing alongside Ralf Schumacher.

The German and later his 2003 team-mate, Jacques Villeneuve, were two of the toughest according to Button, but based on attitude more than ability.

"In terms of atmosphere, probably Ralf Schumacher or Jacques Villeneuve," he explained to GPUpdate.net. "I was young and they didn't like a young driver being in the team.

"It was probably more difficult with Jacques. But mid-season it was fine, the atmosphere was great, and we had a lot of fun."

He went on to partner Hamilton at McLaren in 2010 and Alonso in 2015.

But while the 15-time grand prix winner rates Hamilton as the quickest driver he has competed against, it is Alonso who he thinks is the most all-round package - but then again he hasn't work alongside Hamilton since 2013.

"In terms of outright pace, Lewis," he continued. "He could be massively quick in qualifying and you'd think, 'Where the hell did that come from?' But he could also be a long way off.

"You could see his talent, but it wasn't controlled enough, it felt. Suddenly you think you're going to beat him in qualifying and then he beats you by four tenths.

"But in the race he disappears, you're leading, and you're like, 'Where's he gone?' It was inconsistent, but unbelievably quick.

"Possibly the quickest guy to drive a Formula 1 car, maybe [Ayrton] Senna, you can never compare really, that I've seen race.

"In terms of the most-rounded driver, it would be Fernando. In terms of the way he works with the team, he's very intelligent and he knows how to get his way! (Laughs)

"But also the way he works with the car in a race. In a race situation, he's always there, whether he's in front of you or behind you, he's always right there. You can't get rid of him!

"I've had some really good team-mates. I've had three World Champions as team-mates. Lewis for me is the quickest, but for me the most complete is Fernando. At that particular time, when we've been team-mates.

"Now, I don't know. I don't know where Lewis is. I feel as though Lewis has grown as a driver. I think he's in more of a comfortable situation.

"When we were team-mates he could get flustered quite easily if I was working with the team well or I suddenly pulled out a good lap in qualifying. He seems to be a lot more relaxed and confident in himself now."

As for his milestone of 300 starts - only the third driver after Rubens Barrichello (322) and Michael Schumacher (306) to reach 300 - Button says it is a "pretty awesome" achievement.

"When I started in Formula 1 I didn't think that I'd be racing when I was 30-years-old, so to be 36 and still racing… Time really does fly! It's amazing how quickly the years go by.

"It seems that when you start the season, with an uncompetitive car, you're already thinking about the next year. It's a tough sport. I've had lots of good times, I've had some tough times as well, but I must say that I've had more good times that bad times in my career.

"To reach 300 Grands Prix is pretty awesome. It's not an aim when you start in Formula 1, but it's a nice achievement to be around for that long.

"You go through so many years of the sport and you see so much change – the V10s, the V8s, the V6s, the electronic power, different tyre manufacturers and different teams. You learn a lot.

"I think because there's so much change in the sport, that's what keeps drivers for a long time. I'm 17 years into the sport, but I'm still learning different things. You always keep learning, which is the most important thing.

"You're never going to know it all, so it's important to be open-minded and willing to learn."

[Ripper]

 

The FIA, motorsport's governing body, have released a provisional 21-race calendar for the 2017 Formula 1 season.

 

Provisional calendar in full:

 

26 March: Melbourne, Australia

9 April: Shanghai, China

16 April: Bahrain, Bahrain

30 April, Sochi, Russia

14 May: Barcelona, Spain

28 May: Monte Carlo, Monaco

11 June: Montreal Canada*

18 June, Baku, Azerbaijan

2 July: Spielberg, Austria

9 July: Silverstone, United Kingdom

23 July: Budapest, Hungary

30 July: Hockenheim, Germany*

27 August: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

3 September: Monza, Italy

17 September, Sepang, Malaysia

1 October, Singapore, Singapore

8 October: Suzuka, Japan

22 October: Austin, USA

5 November: Mexico City, Mexico

12 November, Sao Paolo, Brazil*

26 November: Abu Dhabi, UAE

 

* Subject to confirmation

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the FIA have also closed the loophole that enables teams and drivers to 'stockpile' extra engines by introducing multiple power units at one particular race.

'During any single event, if a driver introduces more than one of a power unit element that is subject to penalty, only the last element fitted may be used at subsequent events without further penalty,' the governing body stated. 'This is to prevent the stockpiling of spare power unit elements.'

 

'During any single event, if a driver introduces more than one of a power unit element that is subject to penalty, only the last element fitted may be used at subsequent events without further penalty,' the governing body stated. 'This is to prevent the stockpiling of spare power unit elements.'

[Ripper]

how different the cars will look in 2017

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

The formula one race on the streets of Baku is set for a name tweak.

When the race in the Azerbaijan capital made its F1 debut, promoter Arif Rahimov said the former Soviet state wanted to showcase itself as a "modern European country".

So it was called the European grand prix.

However, the major Azerbaijan news agency Trend now reports that the Baku race is set to be renamed the Azerbaijan grand prix for 2017 and beyond.

"We hope the next race will be held under the name of the Azerbaijani grand prix," a circuit spokesperson confirmed.

"We successfully held formula one in the capital for the first time (in 2015)," she added. "Therefore, it is time to link the name of this stage with our country."

Trend said the request had been lodged with F1 authorities and there had been no objection.

Indeed, on the provisional 2017 calendar published recently, the FIA listed a June 18 race date for Baku, marked as "Azerbaijan".

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Fernando Alonso believes the current 21-race schedule imposed upon Formula 1's teams and drivers is quite enough, and opposes any extension of the calendar.

In the wake of Liberty Media Group's takeover of Formula 1, the American company hinted at adding more races to the calendar, possibly extending its schedule to include up to 25 events.

But Alonso hopes it doesn't happen, considering the current program already takes its toll on everyone involved.

"I understand and I respect the reasons for wanting to expand further," Alonso is quoted as saying by Speed Week.

"When I started in F1, we had 16 or 17 Grands Prix, but a lot of testing between the race weekends. We were about as busy as we are today and perhaps even more.

"But the big point is that we travel too much and have too many races back to back."

Alonso alluded to the calendar's tight schedule involving many long-distancetrtips.
"We rush from Europe in early September to Singapore and now we're in Malaysia.

"In just a few days we will meet again in Japan and then we go off to the other side of the world again. And then we're back across the Atlantic to Abu Dhabi. To me, it's just too much."

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Exactly two years after his son crashed at Suzuka, Jules Bianchi's father is still seeking answers and justice.

This week marks the second anniversary of Bianchi's crash at the wheel of a Marussia on a slippery track in fading light in the 2014 Japanese grand prix.

He died eight months later from the injuries, and now Bianchi's father Philippe is defending legal action the family is taking against F1 and the FIA.

"It is obvious that we seek to understand, because the evidence that was given to us and the tiny investigation that was done is not sufficient," he told the French broadcaster Canal Plus.

Mr Bianchi defended the legal action he is taking against the sport.

"I think this was not a normal circumstance, so we must not say that Jules had responsibility in this accident.

"I also want that it doesn't happen again, but what do we most lack today? It is justice, and truth.

"That's the first point, because it's difficult to mourn something in the conditions that we are being asked to. It's almost impossible.

"We have clearly identified that there were significant errors that were made."

Mr Bianchi alleges that F1 authorities are even "hiding something".

"We have asked for some time for images from Jules' on board camera for example," said Philippe. "For official images from FOM to understand what happened, and we never managed to get them.

"We just want Jules' death to be respected," added Mr Bianchi, who said he has not watched any grands prix since that fateful day in Japan, two years ago.

"There is a huge lack of our lives and this is a terrible date for us. Nothing will ever be the same," he said.

 

Meni je jako zao ovih ljudi, ali mislim da jurisaju na vetrenjace i da im ovo nece nista dobrog doneti. Ipak, fakat je da je istraga FIA koju je vodio Carli Vajting i koja je utvrdila da nema ogdovornosti FIA i Carlija Vajtinga nego Bjanki sam pao sam se ubio, bila totalno sramotna i uvreda za svakog misleceg coveka.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

An earthquake in the motorsport media
October 6, 2016 by Joe Saward

Some people give me a hard time about banging on about the way in which journalism in F1 (and in general) is disappearing beneath the throngs of amateurs, who pretend that they are in the F1 paddock, undermining the professionals in the business. The latest development in this disastrous trend is the news that Haymarket Media Group has agreed to sell its motorsport brands to the Motorsport Network. This includes my alma mater Autosport, in addition to Autosport.com, F1 Racing (the UK edition plus 14 international licensed editions), Motorsport News, the motorsport photographic agency LAT and the Autosport International Show and the Autosport Awards. It is not clear how much was paid for the acquisition, but the Motorsport Network has tried to buy lots of things in recent years, but never seems keen to spend much money.

The Miami-based company, which owns Motorsport.com, is trying to consolidate as many motorsport readers as possible and then sell advertising on the basis that it has x million people wanting to look at online ads. The margins in this game are tight and funding all these operations means that the number of journalists involved will inevitably reduce, in order to save money and be more cost-effective.

Motor racing has been part of the Haymarket empire since slightly before the dawn of time, when Michael Heseltine bought Autosport, back in 1967 when it was owned by the British Printing Corporation. This had acquired the title in lieu of unpaid print bills. The magazine was housed in “a seedy room over a dirty bookshop in Paddington” until one day a man with a mane of blond hair walked in and started noting down the number of chairs and typewriters. It was Michael Heseltine and he had just acquired the title. In its heyday, Autosport was a solid earner, producing £1 million a year in profits. It was the place where many of the best-known motorsport writers began their careers, learning the trade from old hands and working hard but getting experience thanks to Haymarket paying the travel bills. In later years, Haymarket increased its motor racing portfolio, but a drift towards sensationalism in Autosport, in a misguided effort to attract new readers, led to the erosion of the old hardcore fans. The switch to online activities have clearly not arrested that decline because if they had, Haymarket would not now be offloading the magazines. Probably, a lot of the staff will be “rationalised”. It remains to be seen how many of the titles will survive, but if motorsport.com can sell advertising across all the brands then the major names will survive.

The competition authorities need not be involved because GrandPrix+ still exists and intends to continue to record the history of motorsport without resorting to sensationalism…

[alpiner]

 

The new Series, called Formula Thunder 5000, will be held in Australia and New Zealand, as a seven-round summer championship. The organizers, led by former Australian Touring Car Championship privateer Chris Lambden, hope to re-create the original F5000 series by retaining the original car's general layout and character. That means an open-wheeled 1970's F1-looking racecar with a naturally aspirated, 570-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 and a total weight of just 1500 pounds.