Entries in Rome GP (2)
Roma
Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 10:59AM
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how the Rome F1 GP may not be all it seems based on some information from an Italian friend. I did not go into detail, but today there is a statement from the Promoter,"Flammini argues that a Grand Prix would revive the neighbourhood by not only drawing attention to it, but also by restoring the Tre Fontane sports grounds with a total investment of $200 million from private investors. All that the city would have to provide for the event would be construction permits for the work, which would create a new park in which there would be venues for volleyball and skating and two theatres." Now this fits with my connection who said this is more about getting hold of this property and construction permits than running a GP.
As I also wrote a couple of days ago, how are we bloggers supposed to work if every rumor turns out to be wrong? Now McLaren are saying they are not changing their silver and red livery, just the merchandise. Not that I blame them, always thought the silver jackets etc looked tacky.
Your friendly banker is now in custody as a result of his dealings over the sale of the F1 shares to CVC, a nice little earner that seems to have been. $50m seems to have been the going rate, and CVC vehemently deny any involvement or knowledge, so the question remains who else stood to gain? This has the ability to turn very ugly if true. It is hard to see Mr. Gribkowsky taking the fall for this on his own.
As noted on Superbike Planet, running a non-profit does not mean that someone is not making money. The AMA certainly pays its' Chief a bundle, which I guess is the way you avoid making a profit. There are several other examples of this if you look around. My wife worked at a track that ran five major events a year, including a very large CART event, and did it with 13 staff. Now they run three events, non of which match CART, and need 30, go figure? In a similar vein I received a press release from ALMS yesterday about their TV contract for 2011 which involved the VP of Communications, the Director, and the Manager. Now ALMS is not F1, so it is hard to see it takes three people to do this job, and I suspect the Manager is managing others. So many tracks and series cannot help themselves, they just keep creating jobs and spending money. When I ran Phillip Island, and yes it was before the Internet, aside from the GP I had a Manager, lady in the office and a security guard. No wonder there are so many "non-profits."
Speaking of ALMS and their TV, it hardly seems a giant leap forward, sorry "a game changer," if your major event the Sebring 12 hour is now shown not live but the next day and the "ABC will feature race telecast coverage." Whatever that means, but I suspect not all the 12 hours. We can watch all the races live on ESPN3.com, which I for one will probably prefer, certainly if the broadcast TV is the sort of made for TV "documentary" we saw last year. Puke!
Cytosport are to contest the LMP1 class in a new Aston Martin, which will be a welcome addition to that class, if there enough cars to call it a class. Greg Picket is down to drive it again, but hopefully not often or for long. No offence Greg but this car deserves to be driven by the other great drivers you have. Maybe Lord Paul Drayson, if he is racing in ALMS this year, and yourself can have a separate race?
As I also wrote a couple of days ago, how are we bloggers supposed to work if every rumor turns out to be wrong? Now McLaren are saying they are not changing their silver and red livery, just the merchandise. Not that I blame them, always thought the silver jackets etc looked tacky.
Your friendly banker is now in custody as a result of his dealings over the sale of the F1 shares to CVC, a nice little earner that seems to have been. $50m seems to have been the going rate, and CVC vehemently deny any involvement or knowledge, so the question remains who else stood to gain? This has the ability to turn very ugly if true. It is hard to see Mr. Gribkowsky taking the fall for this on his own.
As noted on Superbike Planet, running a non-profit does not mean that someone is not making money. The AMA certainly pays its' Chief a bundle, which I guess is the way you avoid making a profit. There are several other examples of this if you look around. My wife worked at a track that ran five major events a year, including a very large CART event, and did it with 13 staff. Now they run three events, non of which match CART, and need 30, go figure? In a similar vein I received a press release from ALMS yesterday about their TV contract for 2011 which involved the VP of Communications, the Director, and the Manager. Now ALMS is not F1, so it is hard to see it takes three people to do this job, and I suspect the Manager is managing others. So many tracks and series cannot help themselves, they just keep creating jobs and spending money. When I ran Phillip Island, and yes it was before the Internet, aside from the GP I had a Manager, lady in the office and a security guard. No wonder there are so many "non-profits."
Speaking of ALMS and their TV, it hardly seems a giant leap forward, sorry "a game changer," if your major event the Sebring 12 hour is now shown not live but the next day and the "ABC will feature race telecast coverage." Whatever that means, but I suspect not all the 12 hours. We can watch all the races live on ESPN3.com, which I for one will probably prefer, certainly if the broadcast TV is the sort of made for TV "documentary" we saw last year. Puke!
Cytosport are to contest the LMP1 class in a new Aston Martin, which will be a welcome addition to that class, if there enough cars to call it a class. Greg Picket is down to drive it again, but hopefully not often or for long. No offence Greg but this car deserves to be driven by the other great drivers you have. Maybe Lord Paul Drayson, if he is racing in ALMS this year, and yourself can have a separate race?
Happy Birthday Kenny!
Friday, December 31, 2010 at 11:44AM
It's Kenny Roberts' birthday today, so happy birthday Kenny, and many more. I have only had the privilege of attending one of his New Year's and Birthday bashes, and it was quiet by the usual standards I guess. There may be no "beater" races, but I bet the cannon fires!
So the headline says that Rome Authorities "approve GP plans." Not so fast, the story actually says that they "are not opposed" and will continue to review the plans. Just a small distinction, but important. You've got to love headline writers. After the first test at Eastern Creek the screaming headline was "Track Unsafe!" Nowhere in the story did it say that and the writer of the piece just shrugged it off and said that was the headline writer, not him. Some responsible journalism there. And we all know most people just skim the headlines.
In a similar vein the Austin F1 track construction is not started just because a truck is taking soil samples and there a few pegs out there. Now I do not doubt that it will be built, they just do themselves a disservice with this sort of stuff, it smacks of what USF1 did with all the PR. Just get on with it, even if it makes no sense economically to me, you are obviously smarter.
Now we know why Michael Schumacher did not win the championship this year, he did not have a driving simulator! Well that's what Ross Brawn says. Funny Nico did not have a problem beating him without one? It is a sad day when F1 is won by the team with the best simulator. As I have said, if the simulators are that good, and obviously the top teams ones are, then why not just run the races in cyberspace?
Happy New Year everyone and thanks for reading. See you in 2011!
So the headline says that Rome Authorities "approve GP plans." Not so fast, the story actually says that they "are not opposed" and will continue to review the plans. Just a small distinction, but important. You've got to love headline writers. After the first test at Eastern Creek the screaming headline was "Track Unsafe!" Nowhere in the story did it say that and the writer of the piece just shrugged it off and said that was the headline writer, not him. Some responsible journalism there. And we all know most people just skim the headlines.
In a similar vein the Austin F1 track construction is not started just because a truck is taking soil samples and there a few pegs out there. Now I do not doubt that it will be built, they just do themselves a disservice with this sort of stuff, it smacks of what USF1 did with all the PR. Just get on with it, even if it makes no sense economically to me, you are obviously smarter.
Now we know why Michael Schumacher did not win the championship this year, he did not have a driving simulator! Well that's what Ross Brawn says. Funny Nico did not have a problem beating him without one? It is a sad day when F1 is won by the team with the best simulator. As I have said, if the simulators are that good, and obviously the top teams ones are, then why not just run the races in cyberspace?
Happy New Year everyone and thanks for reading. See you in 2011!