Bernie Ecclestone Tag

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief In a report from GPUpdate.net, Monza officials have restated their belief that the Italian circuit will strike a new deal with Formula One Management as they strive to remain on the calendar beyond the 2016 season.  Negotiations have been going on for several months, with reports surfacing out of the Italian media that a deal had not been reached and that Formula 1 would likely move to Imola or Mugello in 2017. Monza dismissed the surfacing reports and insists that they are focused on finalizing aRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor Formula One drivers have finally had enough. On the heels of some of the sports biggest stars criticizing recent moves by Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA, the GPDA: Grand Prix Drivers Association, has released a statement bashing recent decisions which jeopardize the future of the sport, like the recent qualifying fiasco in last weekend’s season opening Australian Grand Prix. According to GPDA chairman, Alex Wurz, the drivers have considered speaking up for some time, and it seems now is finally the moment. It couldn’t have comeRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor American Formula One fans rejoice! Recent troubles that have put the US Grand Prix’s fate at stake may have been averted by a recent settlement. According to the Austin American-Statesman, Circuit of the Americas has reached a settlement with the Travis County Central Appraisal District that has lowered the 2015 appraised value of the circuit by over $180,000,000. The move, pushed for by COTA bosses since 2014 will see the track save millions of dollars in property taxes. Enough to recoup the losses from state funding andRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor With the Strategy Group and the F1 Commission both meeting today in a series of last ditch efforts to draft new rules for 2017, 2018 and beyond; a series of announcements are set to stream out of Geneva over the following days that will have massive implications for the sport. The first of these broke today with changes to the now, well established qualifying format. What replaces the tried and true system is a gimmicky scheme that surely has Bernie Ecclestone rubbing his hands with glee. QualifyingRead More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor Last Friday representatives from all 11 Formula One teams met with Charlie Whiting at Heathrow to finalize the 2017 rule book. It was a spectacular failure and since then the countdown to come to an agreement has begun ticking. A second meeting held this week at Pirelli HQ in Milan saw Pirelli’s chairman Marco Provera and motorsport director Paul Hembery meet with FIA President Jean Todt, Bernie Ecclestone, multiple team bosses and a group of drivers including Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas.Read More

By Adam Tate, Managing Editor The U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas will know its fate by the end of February, according to circuit chairman Bobby Epstein. This follows news from early November that the future of the race is at stake due to issues with funding from the State of Texas. The original deal between the track and the state had annual contributions from the government coming in at $25,000,000 per year through 2022. However new leadership in the State comptroller’s office and a new formula applied toRead More

Sebastian Vettel has called on F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone to keep Monza on the series calendar amid rumors that the longtime home of the Italian Grand Prix could be dropped in 2016. The German finished second behind Lewis Hamilton at Monza, leading the charge for Scuderia Ferrari while teammate Kimi Raikkonen grabbed fifth. The uncertainty for over the future for one of F1’s most historic and prestigious venues as the host of the Italian Grand Prix has also put other tracks, such as Imola, back into consideration. Matteo Renzi, theRead More

In a rare sign of unanimous agreement, Formula One has wisely rejected the Strategy Group’s and Bernie Ecclestone’s plan of returning refuelling to the sport in 2017. Refuelling was one of the ways in which the Strategy Group planned to make F1 cars five seconds per lap faster, it was the worst of such strategies. Team Principals met with Charlie Whiting ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix and presented a unified front and concrete evidence that refuelling will not ‘improve the show.’ Aside from the obvious cost increases andRead More

Our friends over at Motorsport.com have teamed with the most exclusive club in racing; the Grand Prix Driver’s Association to create a global survey to better understand F1’s fans and help guide the future direction of the sport. Do you like sparks flying? Hate DRS? Love Martini liveries? Want ground effect to return? Want Michelin to return? Want to sack Bernie? Here is your chance for your voice to be somewhat heard. The Strategy Group may have most of the future say, and Bernie ultimately holds the cards, but let’s show him thatRead More

Despite Bernie Ecclestone’s joke that the only thing they can agree to is when to meet, the F1 Strategy Group convenes today to plan for 2017 and beyond. Chief concerns include allowing a fifth engine this season and a fairer allotment of FIA prize money. Neither of which will be addressed because the big 5 present: Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull and Williams will not want to give up their slice of the pie or hand any concessions to their rivals. Despite Ecclestone’s vehement hatred, the V6 hybrids are setRead More