Belgian GP to alternate with French GP from 2013

[ufunacaoenn]

I love SPA... its icon of the F1... I really cant understand how can they stay with Bahrain or Valencia and scratch off such a track like SPA

Money, it is all about money nowadays.

 

[Ondrej Kapal]

Yea, money talks...

 

[Adam Hartwell]

I can't believe this, Paul Ricard was a decent track in the early nineties, but if it's not the same layout i'm going to be pissed off, why not get rid of Valencia and have a French GP at Ricard or Magny-Cours but NOOOO Bernie just goes and alternates it with the best track on the calendar and that brings me to another point.

**** HERMAN TILKE, you ruined Hockenheim and build **** tracks, just piss off eh.

 

[Diego Lopez]

ummm get rid of Bahrain and bring back Imola FFS...not SPA...not a legendary track...what is Bernie smoking?!

 

[Chris Jenkins]

2012 Formula 1 calendar

18/03 AUS Australia
25/03 MYS Malaysia
15/04 CHN China
22/04 BAH Bahrain
13/05 ESP Spain
27/05 MCO Monaco
10/06 CAN Canada
24/06 EUR Europe
08/07 GBR Great Britain
22/07 DEU Germany
29/07 HUN Hungary
02/09 BEL Belgium
09/09 ITA Italy
23/09 SGP Singapore
07/10 JPN Japan
14/10 KOR Korea
28/10 IND India
04/11 ARE Abu Dhabi
18/11 USA United States
25/11 BRA Brazil

Where does it say anywhere on the internet that Spa is being dropped?

 

[Francky3084]

Where does it say anywhere on the internet that Spa is being dropped?

2013 ...

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Ah that sucks!
I've not read it anywhere though. Where's it been announced?

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Thinking about it.
Considering Turkey has been dropped, assuming because they didn't want to increase they're "rent" from $13m to $26, why don't they do the following:

Keep Spa full-time. Awesome track, why change it?
Alternate Turkey & France.
Charge Turkey $26m every year they hold the race, which (given that it will be every other year) will still average $13m per year.
Charge France whatever you need to recover the costs.

Problem solved.

 

[Nick Brooke]

Spa should stay every year because it is such a great track, cant say i am a fan of PR at all and to be frank its just Bernie getting his pockets filled. Spa may have problems with funds but if they spent a little on places to watch around the track other than what they have they may have a little more cash coming back.

Spa has historicaly always had cash problems much like Silverstone has but it can be sorted with the right people the question really is..... Do the owners of Spa really want to host the GP? if so they need to start thinking of new ways. In history they refused updates to the track saying money was an issue and that got turned around i am sure nothing is impossible with the will to get it done.

 

[Phil Ciborowski]

Spa holds a special place for me in sim racing - being the first non oval track i attempted long ago- the first i hated, and the first i was able to become good at (and now ranks among my favorites)

i love watching F1 tear around Spa, and to have it swapped in and out of the schedule is silly - just leave it in right where it belongs.

 

[Francis Lanau]

Bernie's making more and more bad decisions

 

[Carlo Mantovani]

Is it safe to say Bernie has lost touch with the real world and the fans of the sport?

 

[My993C2]

Is it safe to say Bernie has lost touch with the real world and the fans of the sport?

yes

 

[Troy Ament]

Simple solution: lower the sanctioning fee to hold the races and stop lining Bernie's pockets. Oh wait, that's why it'll never happen, dang.

Though that's the reason you'll soon see F1 be mostly in the Middle East and Asia, they want a race so bad they are willing to pay the absurd prices to hold the race.

 

[Adam Eggbeer]

You do realise the deal alternating the French and Belgian GP's is far from done?

 

[Sk3ptik0n]

Who's brilliant idea is this? What's next? Monza? Silverstone? F1 is about heritage and history.

I love Paul Ricard but I love SPA more.

 

[James Chant]

For the record - the owners of Spa suggested this as they cannot afford to run the race every year - it is too expensive.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Its such a shame that these days, needs of business means that exceptions for historical venues can't be made

 

[Carlo Mantovani]

The owners of Spa may have suggested it but with a track as historic as Spa Bernie should be willing to cut the fees to a level they can afford.

 

[Mario Knezevic]

I don't like Hockenheim at all but I really don't get why all of you are mad so much about the old Hockenheim getting revamped. It was just straight and that's all. Nothing special. Yes, I too don't like Tilkes tracks at all. It's just lame corners with an hairpin.

Anyway, my favorite track will be alternated now.. I'm not gonna ***** about it. If they can't afford it then good. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!