Turkish Grand Prix under threat.

The 2010 Turkish Grand Prix could be the last as Ecclestone doubles asking price to hold the race.

The Turkish Grand Prix could lose its place on the Formula One calendar in 2011 after F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone doubled the price of hosting the event, according to a local newspaper.

A report in The Hurriyet Daily News said Ecclestone upped his asking price from $13.5 million to $26 million for the 2011 race. If so, the news adds to the organisers' woes as the circuit has struggled to attract spectators in the last two years, seeing its attendance drop from 200,000 at the inaugural event in 2005 to just 36,000 this year. The report said they have been given until the end of the year to make a decision.

In response to the new deal a Turkish official claimed the amount being asked was disproportionate. "In countries such as France and Germany, the Formula One CEO is requesting something between $1.5 million and $4 million."

The British Grand Prix recently came under threat, and again the sticking point between the organisers and Ecclestone was money. To put the Turkish offer into context, it is understood Silverstone settled on a deal to pay Ecclestone $19.5 million to hold the British round in 2010, with the fee escalating by 5% year-on-year.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2009 03:22PM by madotter.

Mr Ecclestone, we wish you a merry heart attack and a tragic new year.

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Well, I wouldn't be sad to see this race go to be honest. If we get a better one, then it's fine.

Joe_Satriani Wrote:
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> Well, I wouldn't be sad to see this race go to be
> honest. If we get a better one, then it's fine.


It will probably be another boring track in the east of asia

Well Felipe Massa would be pretty upset, he pretty much dominated this venue.

I'm not overly fussed either.. I think the track has a over hyped reputation thanks to turn 8...which could do with a less forgiving run off. Although the track does have plenty of width for overtaking.

I've never liked this track even though Felipe was such a perfect driver on this. It's so tragic, dull and has none of the fan aspect of european tracks itself. Bring back the real tracks Bernie; Imola, Estoril (Or even the new Algarve) and similar tracks like these.

meh

I do like the track, but I like F1 going to tracks where there are spectators more.

[Website]

Well I remember hearing that the only event that the track holds all year anymore is the F1 event, so that'll be really bad for the circuit owners

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I play GP4
2004-2008 mods!

Oh well, at least Ecclestone still has a lease on the place that expires in 2021. And to think that people thought that the race was safe when it was signed.

FOM have Korea and India to fleece now so all is well over there.

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It's easily the best Tilke track on the calendar IMO, although having a favourite Tilke track is a bit like having a favourite disease. I don't particularly care if it stays or goes long-term if I'm honest.


Locke Cole Wrote:
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> Mr Ecclestone, we wish you a merry heart attack
> and a tragic new year.

Easy on him now - he's not Max! :P

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Locke Cole Wrote:
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> Mr Ecclestone, we wish you a merry heart attack
> and a tragic new year.


I'd like to opt out of this "we".

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Monza972 Wrote:
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> Bring back the real tracks Bernie;
> Imola, Estoril (Or even the new Algarve) and
> similar tracks like these.

Which would achieve what exactly? These tracks are pale shadows of what they used to be. Imola lost it's spark from 1995 onwards and you know you wouldn't get much if any overtaking there. Estoril lost all it's half decent corners and is now just a pile of meh.

Bring back Imola? It produced god awful racing. Every year the cars ran team by team. Noahs ark racing.

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DaveEllis Wrote:
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> Bring back Imola? It produced god awful racing.
> Every year the cars ran team by team. Noahs ark
> racing.

2002 was the worst GP for that, we had paired-off teams occupying the first 14 places for most of the race IIRC.

I agree about Imola being basically a crap circuit after the 1995 modifications. It had been a pretty spectacular layout which produced good races, and it was always one of my favourites up till '94. But while the changes after that made it safe, they took away all its character and unique features as well.

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The only positive modifcation to Imola was removing the chicane before Aqua Minerale, which turned it into an excellent drivers corner, rather than a ridiculous chicane. But the rest of the track is just plain dull.

But then again, if the alternative to these boring tracks is having good race tracks around the world ripped apart and ruined to make way for F1, then lets stick with the boring tracks. Other series shouldn't suffer because circuits have to plant a few thousand square kilometers of tarmac around the new pointless chicanes to make F1 happy.

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Monza972 Schreef:
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> I've never liked this track even though Felipe was
> such a perfect driver on this. It's so tragic,
> dull and has none of the fan aspect of european
> tracks itself. Bring back the real tracks Bernie;
> Imola, Estoril (Or even the new Algarve) and
> similar tracks like these.


Imola was horrifying in the last years it was on the calendar. And you are far too young to even remember the last race held at Estoril, so wtf at that :P

Could be replaced with an Argentina GP?

While it is one of Tilke's better tracks, I wouldn't be too disappointed to see it go. Unless they can build a following in Turkey, they are better off focusing on nations with histories of hosting F1 races; France, Argentina, USA, Portugal etc.

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X (@ed24f1)

This is what happens when a bazillion dollar government/oil backed track gets bored of it's new toy.

The amount of time, money, effort and general fannying about with new utter shite tracks that stay a few years pfft, where is the logic in investing in brand new complexes when something like Silverstone or Imola or Montreal ALWAYS provide entertaining races to draw viewers and require a tuppence of the money needed for huge builds just to patch up.

Can you imagine what could be done with Silverstone for the price it cost, say, to landscape Bahrain and dig the land out there? Or the spend cap on the Shanghai start/finish complex?

If your house has a draught problem, you get it re-sealed and assessed, and maybe get double glazing.

Bernie Ecclestone would just buy a new house. Blithering idiot.


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it