Canada blames Ecclestone for axe

Eurosport - Mon, 17 Nov 17:40:00 2008

Canadian officials blamed the "unreasonable demands" of Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone for the failure of attempts to save the country's grand prix.

FORMULA 1 Bernie Ecclestone - 0

Officials had hoped to persuade the Briton to reinstate the race in Montreal after it was axed from the calendar, leaving North America without a grand prix for the first time in 50 years.

Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay, who said last month after meeting Ecclestone that he was hopeful a deal could be done, recognised that the talks had come to nothing.

"Despite our endeavours and those of the business community, the unreasonable demands of Formula One exceeded the taxpayer's ability to pay," Tremblay said.

The statement said Ecclestone had made a final contract offer on October 28 demanding that an eventual promoter puts up a government or bank guarantee of $175 million over the next five years.

It said no private promoter was willing to take on such a level of risk, considering the limited revenue generated by the event.

Quebec economic development minister Raymond Bachand said officials had worked hard in recent weeks to save the race "while staying fiscally responsible".

"We cannot meet Mr. Ecclestone's unworkable demands," he added. "Unless he eases his requirements and adopts a different approach, there will be no Grand Prix in Montreal in 2009."

Canadian public works minister Christian Paradis said the race was a loss for all Canadians but Ecclestone had made unrealistic demands.

"As I recently said; 'yes to a grand prix, but not at any price'," he added.

Canadian organisers denied last month that they had defaulted on payments owed to Ecclestone for past hosting rights, while recognising a 'commercial disagreement' over the 2008 race.

The decision to drop Canada, with the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis already cancelled this year, has dismayed Formula One teams by cutting off a prime market for their manufacturer owners and sponsors.

Eurosport

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  1. astute business man BERNIE is the one successful­ organiser
    who is totally responsibele for BRINGING­ the funds TO ,.,., F 1 in Millions

    without out him­ F 1 would return to BANKRUPTSY

    From thomsons34, on Mon 17 Nov 9:28PM

  2. WELL DONE ., BERNIE

    it's time CANADA paid up the ­ $$ 25 million they apparently still owe to F 1

    From thomsons34, on Mon 17 Nov 9:25PM

  3. Teddy B - you clearly have no humourous bone in your­ thick skull.

    From not printable, on Mon 17 Nov 9:25PM

  4. I'm not a fan of Football, but isn't what the­ top football teams did comparable, they were unhappy­ with the FA and the money they were getting, so they­ set up the "Premiership" which is lets face­ it still League Division One in reality, but they now­ get a much bigger slice of the pie.
    F1 needs to do­ something similar, I mean if footballers cab figure out­ a way to do it, it should be a piece of piss for the­ brains in F1

    From Mike, on Mon 17 Nov 8:35PM

  5. raven i read so many posts about a breakaway by the­ teams and yes in a ideal world that would be great.but­ the realities of this happening is like me winning the­ lottery 10 times on the trot.the structure of the teams­ contracts is such that they are never in a position to­ come together at the same time.and would all the teams­ want this?i do not want to see half the teams in one­ race and the other half on a different continent having­ there own race.and what makes you think moving to north­ America will save F1.your thoughts please

    From MGA, on Mon 17 Nov 8:01PM

  6. It's time for the F1 teams to quit F1 and work with­ the IRL to form a new North American series of top­ class racing. Once established, they could then extend­ the series to Europe at prices that tracks, promoters­ and fans could afford to pay. Let Bernie buy cars from­ used car lots and race them in the deserts of his­ choice....

    From USA 1, on Mon 17 Nov 7:45PM

  7. By law in the UK there is one Lord Chief Justice, but­ without law the number is unlimited. Very often one­ read posts by people which believe they have some­ divine right and know-how about subjects that they only­ read about. They are ready with answers because they­ believe they are sure about the facts from A-TO-Z and­ all this without the least consideration for their­ limitations

    From stivsf1, on Mon 17 Nov 7:37PM

  8. By law in the UK there is one Lord Chief Justice, but­ without law the number is unlimited. Very often one­ read posts by people which believe they have some­ divine right and know-how about subjects that they only­ read about. They are ready with answers because they­ believe they are sure about the facts from A-TO-Z and­ all this without the least consideration for their­ limitations

    From stivsf1, on Mon 17 Nov 7:28PM

  9. as much as i dislike bernice at the end of the day its­ a business.Canada have not fulfilled there side by not­ paying what is owed only 50% over last 3 years.now i­ ask you would you still work for someone but only­ receive half the payment i think not.Canada certainly­ havent helped themselves.first by signing a bad­ contract. second the track last year and this year was­ a disgrace men driving around in a pickup throwing the­ black stuff around the day before the race.not good­ publicity for them was it

    From MGA, on Mon 17 Nov 7:08PM

  10. Well done Bernie you are a clever little elf you get­ rid of established races to make way for you new­ friends over in oil land to come and play because like­ the clever little elf that you are you remembered that­ they have just made several trillion dollars profit­ from the recent high fuel prices and your little elf­ account needs to get bigger because Mrs elf isnt your­ friend anymore and she wants lots of your cash and its­ not fair so you off load and let your new friends with­ lots of dollars come and play but beware my little elf­ i think the teams sponsors T.V.companies and­ manufacturers are going to take the ball away from you­ and go and play somewere else in a new field and F1­ fans around the world will be happy again. Time to go­ little elf and take that naughty elf Max with you and­ give F1 the break it needs get out and stay out both­ you and Max have got lots of dollars so go and spend it­ maybe set up a new business making special toys like­ the ones naughty Max likes and his special friends like­ to play with too and leave F1 well alone.

    From stewart.howe1, on Mon 17 Nov 7:05PM

  11. Where do we all go without bernie ecclestone , answer­ nowhere, who could run the grand prixs, i,ve asked­ Damon Hill about silverstone, getting all the big boys­ involved and it just wont work, they cant even make the­ touring cars etc pay at silverstone.

    From touronroute, on Mon 17 Nov 7:03PM

  12. Not printable's reference to "the Jewish­ desert" re horrible Bernie's antecedents was­ both unecessary & possibly racist.Bernie's­ awfulness speaks for itself,irrespective of his­ origins.

    From TeddyB, on Mon 17 Nov 6:59PM

  13. At least he hasn't long to go!

    From Count Louis Zborowski, on Mon 17 Nov 6:57PM

  14. How many people would put 40 hours per week in at work­ ,and only get paid for ten hours

    From touronroute, on Mon 17 Nov 6:55PM

  15. He is a greedy little @#$%

    From ll10, on Mon 17 Nov 6:46PM

  16. this site really is full of brainless juvenile trivial­ comments
    by egoistic OAP writers all praising­ themselves--very sad lives

    From thomsons34, on Mon 17 Nov 6:42PM

  17. rockingham can get quit exciting to watch sometimes ...­ why i can recall just this year watching a race from­ the main grand stand and a white plastic bag blew over­ turn four and landed on the track and that was­ defiantly exciting !

    From piers, on Mon 17 Nov 6:28PM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Ecclestone is prepared to shaft anyone who doesn't­ comply with his demands. The thought that the UK and­ France have both been threatened with no F! is a­ disgrace.

    The strange thing is that F1 is possibly THE­ most boring form of track motorsport leaving aside the­ stuff at Rockingham of course!).

    From Lloyd, on Mon 17 Nov 6:08PM

  19. Bernie has been a little man syndrome because he cant­ control the BRDC, he is hated at Silverstone and is­ doing everything he can to stop F1 being held there,­ and by his own money funding the Brands Hatch debarcle­ we have no hope, 2009 will be the best Grand Prix at­ Silverstone ever and then Bernie will see that he cant­ knock the British as they stand united and dont bow­ down to his rediculous demands,
    P.S i would love to­ see Jackie Stewart chin him on the pit lane at the­ british GP, just as a goodbye good thing ha ha ha BRDC­ rules, Bernie you sad little man take your small penis­ outta the boss of Santander and the Arab Sheiks­ A-R-S-E's and go give Max a whipping you know you­ wanna

    From steven b, on Mon 17 Nov 6:00PM

  20. Bernie and Max have lost the plot.

    From Pete, on Mon 17 Nov 5:46PM
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