Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back

Tikay10

If you are interested in the Australian F1 Grand Prix, here's the who, what, when, where & why. Sort of.

http://bit.ly/1AoUaYN

The_Don90

The bet of the weekend imo was the sky bet offer of 15/2 on McLaren being first car to retire (assuming that isn't including Manor who won't start) 

As for the race Merc 1/2 the most obvious. Bottas to fill out the podium followed by the ferrari's imo. 

RLT16

I love the formula one and just happen to be finishing work just as the race starts! Can't wait!! Come on Lewis!

Tikay10

One of the McLarens had an engine implode on the warm up lap, so never even started. If someone backed that to be first retirement, that's a bit unlucky.

The first "genuine" retirement was a Lotus which crashed on the 2nd bend of the first lap.

TommyD

What was the deal with the driver who went to court to prove he should drive for one of the teams, won, but then didn't drive?  Just sounded weird, like he was gonna force his way into a seat but no one would change his tires for him.

Also best podium interviewer ever!

Tikay10

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back:

What was the deal with the driver who went to court to prove he should drive for one of the teams, won, but then didn't drive?  Just sounded weird, like he was gonna force his way into a seat but no one would change his tires for him. Also best podium interviewer ever!
Posted by TommyD

A bizarre story, which was no credit to F1 at all.

In short, Drivers in these "Division 2" teams "pay to drive", they bring sponsorship to the team in exchange for a seat. A truly horrible thing, don't you think? Nothing to do with "best driver", it is who has the deepest pocket, richest Dad, or best Corporate partner.
 
So the man, in effect, paid £5.7 million to Sauber for his seat. Sauber then found two even richer "pay to drive" lads, who collectively paid £28.5 milly for their seats. It beggars belief how money is spewed around in F1 whilst half the world can barely feed or clothe themselves, but that's a whole other story.

The cliffs are here. Incidentally, the dispute has now been resolved.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/31866549

The whole thing bestowed no credit at all on F1.

I doubt Uncle Bernie was happy, either. And it's best not to upset Little Bernie if you plan to stay in F1, he can be a nasty piece of work when the mood takes him. Always best to be on the same side of the negotiating table as Bernie, few get the better of him.   

TommyD

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back:

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back : A bizarre story, which was no credit to F1 at all. In short, Drivers in these "Division 2" teams "pay to drive", they bring sponsorship to the team in exchange for a seat. A truly horrible thing, don't you think? Nothing to do with "best driver", it is who has the deepest pocket, richest Dad, or best Corporate partner.   So the man, in effect, paid £5.7 million to Sauber for his seat. Sauber then found two even richer "pay to drive" lads, who collectively paid £28.5 milly for their seats. It beggars belief how money is spewed around in F1 whilst half the world can barely feed or clothe themselves, but that's a whole other story. The cliffs are here. Incidentally, the dispute has now been resolved. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/31866549 The whole thing bestowed no credit at all on F1. I doubt Uncle Bernie was happy, either. And it's best not to upset Little Bernie if you plan to stay in F1, he can be a nasty piece of work when the mood takes him. Always best to be on the same side of the negotiating table as Bernie, few get the better of him.    
Posted by Tikay10

Wow, thanks Mr K.  I was not aware of any of the "pay to drive" stuff.  That seems clearly ludicrous.

A fact I heard a few years ago now was that the venues which host F1 races make big losses on the day and pay for the right to be on the calendar.  More and more F1 seems to me to be one of the most bizarrely managed sports out there.

Tikay10

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back:

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back : Wow, thanks Mr K.  I was not aware of any of the "pay to drive" stuff.  That seems clearly ludicrous. A fact I heard a few years ago now was that the venues which host F1 races make big losses on the day and pay for the right to be on the calendar.  More and more F1 seems to me to be one of the most bizarrely managed sports out there.
Posted by TommyD

Try & pick up a few books about Bernie Ecclestone, there are plenty out there. He is a most extraordinary, & very clever, man, but a bit "sharp". He effectively said, many years ago, "well nobody has claimed the TV rights to F1, so I claim them". He then sold the TV rights for £billions. Thats billions, not millions. Then he gives the Teams a bit of that revenue.   

He also owned the company which sells all the trackside advertising, too, that is extremely lucrative, as TV gives F1 worldwide audiences.
 
He owned the logistics company which transports all the F1 equipment from track to track, too. (DHL currently hold the contract), & they use 7 "jumbo jet freighters" for that purpose.
 
He pioneered the use of in-car TV cameras in F1, too. He had his own TV station at the time, but that went belly up.
 
Basically, he got the lot.

The venues? You heard right. They pay up to £30 million per year (varies) for the rights to stage a F1 race. The venue gets to keep all spectator & admission revenues, but nothing else.

However, he sold most of the controlling company in 2006, as it happens, so F1 is now sort of cleansing itself of his legacy, & trying to be more transparent & conventional in it's business dealings. In fact, F1 is now owned largely by an Investment Company, CVC. They recently made another purchase of a very vauable & profitable Company, can't quite remenber their name right now.......  

The_Don90

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back:

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back : Wow, thanks Mr K.  I was not aware of any of the "pay to drive" stuff.  That seems clearly ludicrous. A fact I heard a few years ago now was that the venues which host F1 races make big losses on the day and pay for the right to be on the calendar.  More and more F1 seems to me to be one of the most bizarrely managed sports out there.
Posted by TommyD

It is. The little teams want more money to filter down from the top. Much like in a premiership style enviroment where theres a flat payment of X from sky which will cover running costs, etc. in theory with that system Burnley for example should never run into financial trouble. Once the flat payment is made the rest becomes the prizepool. 

In F1 they worked out last year something like 4 teams failed to gain enough income from prizemoney just to meet essential running costs, one of these teams got out of administatraion 2weeks ago but failed to even do a single lap this weeked, another has been liquidated. 

FCHD

One of the most boring F1 races in a long time. Even the few overtaking moves that were shown seemed to be almost undefended, the only decent action I can remember is Button & Perez battling over last place early on in the race.

The lowest number of starters for an F1 race since 2005 (and that was in exceptional circumstances) is not a good sign


Edit - Tikay, is it a commercial rule that you had to refer to Red Bull as Renault throughout that piece? Seems strange to have a preview that didn't have the words Red Bull anywhere in it.

Tikay10

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back:

One of the most boring F1 races in a long time. Even the few overtaking moves that were shown seemed to be almost undefended, the only decent action I can remember is Button & Perez battling over last place early on in the race. The lowest number of starters for an F1 race since 2005 (and that was in exceptional circumstances) is not a good sign Edit - Tikay, is it a commercial rule that you had to refer to Red Bull as Renault throughout that piece? Seems strange to have a preview that didn't have the words Red Bull anywhere in it.
Posted by FCHD

Hi Barny,

No, not a commercial rule, it was an I-Am Stupid-&-Had-A-Brain-Fade-Rule.

Many people have - quite correctly & respectfully - gently pointed out my inane stupidity, & I am mortified, it quite spoilt my day yesteday when I realised. I have no idea what I was thinking.

Been a bit of a week, this. Wrote 6 different articles, 5 for Sky Poker &/or SportingLife.com, & one for Bluff Europe.
 
I love writing, but it's in my nature to be self-critical. When I write a bit of Comtent - usually against the clock - it looks fine, but then I look at it a day or so later & want to pick it to pieces.
 
Of those 6 pieces, I gave myself average marks for 4 of them, & 0 out of 10 for that F1 piece. The 6th one? It's a beaut, I'm chuffed to bits with it. (It's my April column for Bluff Europe). But when it's published, I'll think it's poo.
 
The weird thing with writing, is that it's good to get feedback. I don't get much of that, though I know - because we accurately measure the "views" - that it reaches a wide audience.
 
However, last night, I got 4 or 5 comments that I had confused Renault with Red Bull. (And quite rightly so, no complaints). That'll teach me not to be so careless.
 
Bleurgh. 

PS - Yes, I agree as to the race being a bit boring. I got up at 0430, dashed to the coffee shop, (& in doing so missed, arguably, the most exciting moment, when Magnussen's engine let go on the warm-up lap) - & then settled down to watch it. Not the most auspicious start to the Season, was it?

How is your PLO8 going? I've barely played this month - just 1 session - due to tiredness, but I really am itching to get started again, if only I can find the energy, UKPC wrecked me.
 
Maybe we will cross swords at the tables shortly, hope so.  
 

TommyD

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back:

In Response to Re: Set your alarms for 5am Sunday morning - F1 is back : Try & pick up a few books about Bernie Ecclestone, there are plenty out there. He is a most extraordinary, & very clever, man, but a bit "sharp". He effectively said, many years ago, "well nobody has claimed the TV rights to F1, so I claim them". He then sold the TV rights for £billions. Thats billions, not millions. Then he gives the Teams a bit of that revenue.    He also owned the company which sells all the trackside advertising, too, that is extremely lucrative, as TV gives F1 worldwide audiences.   He owned the logistics company which transports all the F1 equipment from track to track, too. (DHL currently hold the contract), & they use 7 "jumbo jet freighters" for that purpose.   He pioneered the use of in-car TV cameras in F1, too. He had his own TV station at the time, but that went belly up.   Basically, he got the lot. The venues? You heard right. They pay up to £30 million per year (varies) for the rights to stage a F1 race. The venue gets to keep all spectator & admission revenues, but nothing else. However, he sold most of the controlling company in 2006, as it happens, so F1 is now sort of cleansing itself of his legacy, & trying to be more transparent & conventional in it's business dealings. In fact, F1 is now owned largely by an Investment Company, CVC. They recently made another purchase of a very vauable & profitable Company, can't quite remenber their name right now.......  
Posted by Tikay10

There was a fairly recent documentary called The Four Year Plan, covering QPR after the big take over by the consortium which included Bernie.  The main focus of the documentary is Flavio Briatore but Bernie does appear in one scene in front of the cameras.  At either half time or just before a match he points at the 30 or so sports drinks on the changing room tables and says something has to be done about all that expense. 

It's definitely worth checking out, it's done really well and some of the stuff which happens is genuinely amazing.