Zurich Gnome

The journal of a Swiss-based motor-racing enthusiast.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Just what we need

Remember those discussions a few weeks ago where people were saying we don't need two GPs in Germany or Italy?

As an aside, I always include France in this list too, because think of Monaco as being part of France. But that's heresy, especially as that's the race that most sponsors want to be invited to. Invited in the sense of "I'll give you a few million quid with the strong expectation that there'll be a private jet around to fly me out to that mega yacht of yours".

Anyway, two GPs in a country is clearly excessive when so many new countries are queueing up to give Bernie hundreds of millions of dollars to secure a race and promote their nation. In the last decade we've had Malaysia, China and Turkey, with rumours of Russia and India. So what do we see now? Mr E in talks with the local government in Valencia, which would be fine if the Spanish GP in Barcelona wasn't such an established race on the calendar. Furthermore, unlike Silverstone, Barcelona is continually extending its facilities. It is getting more and more spectators at the race each year and already has a contract to hold the race until 2010.

So why have the talks at all? Spend the time sorting out the core business Bernie!

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