Racing at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza has been going on for over ninety years, but it appears that might be changing soon. Certain signs are indicating trouble for not only Monza, but racing in Italy in general. The latest news came out on March 4th, 2015, when a move to grandfather Monza from recently introduced laws had failed, which cost the racecourse €20 million in tax exemptions. Local politicians and Sias, the operator of the circuit, are understandably enraged, with Sias chief Andrea dell’Orto intending to meet with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi over the matter.
The scramble to save Monza on the F1 calendar was started when Bernie Ecclestone made it clear that he was not happy with the terms of the current contract with Monza. Calling them “a disaster”, he pledged that after the 2016 race, that Formula One would ditch Monza, which is currently the oldest circuit on the calendar, having been the Italian host since the series inception in 1950 and the host every year since, excepting 1980. None of this is a real surprise, considering Ecclestone’s favorite technique of removing F1 from a location as a method of swaying any and all talks with teams and track owners to his favor. Ten years ago he did just that when it came to the British Grand Prix, which ended up going to the courts. After offering up £260,000,000 in exchange for a unanimous renewal of the “Concorde Agreement”, the terms dictate which teams compete in the races and determines how television revenues and prize money is split between the teams, FIA and Formula One Group. Will there be concessions made before the 2016 deadline that Formula One’s Il Duce pulls the plug?
The Italian GP is done ! The German GP is off the books [ at least for 2015 ] .. with many more sitting in the wings waiting to call it a day . The sad fact being … Formula One is all but done ! One team gone … five on the edge of bankruptcy … several manufactures [ including Mercedes Benz ] exploring exit strategies … Sponsors not coming into the sport and leaving as well …. TV viewing numbers way down …. ticket sales down even further
Formula One . Much like the NHRA , WRC etc … Formula One is on a path of self destruction due to its own arrogance .. insular mindset … magical thinking .. being completely out of touch with both its audience as well as its competitors and sponsors …. with NASCAR rapidly following suit
Fact is .. we are … unless something drastic changes in the next five years across the board … witnessing the END .. of automotive racing as a whole
I would agree on all auto racing is about done. The new generations don’t fallow motorsports that past generations did. Many younger people only care about weather their car helps the environment or what badge it has for status. They are more worried about what video game or cell phone is coming out.
The REAL problem here is not the government, or the race tracks. The PROBLEM is meglomaniac Bernie Ecclestone… somehow he has got to go, in order to save F1.
Yea but Bernie The Troll is feeling his oats after buying his way out of sure jail time in Germany for what was it, $100 million dollars?