Formula One Vault

F1 Today Special – 24/01/2017

Lack of growth behind Berine’s ousting

New Formula One Chairman Chase Carey says that the lack of growth in the sport over the last five years was behind the ousting of Berine Ecclestone. Yesterday, Liberty Media completed their takeover of the sport which prompted the removal of Ecclestone.

After four decades in charge of the sports commercial rights holder was removed last night following the £6bn takeover of the sport. With Ross Brawn being appointed to oversee sporting and technical areas of the business. Ecclestone has been appointed as chairman emeritus and Carey hopes to find the 86-year-old an ongoing role that he still finds “rewarding”.

In his first interview he told Sky Sports “Bernie has run this business the majority of his adult life. When he’s run it for the period he’s run it I certainly understand that the change is going to be difficult for him and create challenges for him.”

“hopefully we’ll find a way that it continues to be rewarding for him. I want him to feel good about it. He will always be part of the Formula 1 family, he will always be welcome.” He added. When Liberty’s takeover of the sport was announced in September, Ecclestone announced the American firm had asked him to stay in his role for a further three years.

But the prospect of Ecclestone working as part of a revised management structure once Liberty’s takeover was confirmed he admitted he “won’t fit in” to the new structure.

“Bernie has run it relatively alone… there is a team there, certainly give them credit for what they’ve done to help but Ross has really got respect across this business.” He added

The Full-hrer View

Here’s some analysis from F1 Vaults Analyst Jason Fluhrer on Berine Ecclestone’s departure.

“I’m really unsurprised about his departure there has been talk about since the tail end of 2015. He did a lot for the sport a lot of good things but over the last forty years. The thing’s he’s done has eventually slowly melted into the sport being dominated week in week out by Mercedes.”

“Hopefully, Chase Carney can bring back competition between Ferrari, Red Bull Mercedes and McLaren and possibly Force India as they are on the way up.”

Carney lays out vision for future

Chase Carey has also in that Sky Sports interview spoken to add a “destination City” in the United States and to save the British Grand Prix. The British Grand Prix’s future has been thrown into doubt after rumours of Silverstone activating a break clause.

Carney F1’s new CEO says that the sports new owners Liberty Media have the desire to maintain the sports traditional European races and that they “certainly plan to have a British race” amid uncertainty over the affordability of Silverstone’s F1 contract.

Speaking about America, Carey says he thinks another city in the United States could replicate the excitement of an NFL SuperBowl. Speaking to Sky Sports News “We’re engaged with a number of markets that we think have the potential for a race.

“We’d like to have a race that really is a major event in the US, at a destination city, so that man’s one of New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas.” He added.  Apart from aims in Americas, Carey says the sport need to be true to the sport’s heritage by improving Europe’s races.

He says that a British Grand Prix is key and we want the sports foundations in Western Europe to be as strong as they can.

“We certainly plan to have a British race, I’ve only met John Grant (BRDC chairman) once so we haven’t really had a chance to engage, but we think with every one of these races that we have an opportunity to make them bigger, broader, more exciting, more successful.” He added

There’s more analysis later in this article

Talks intensify over Manor’s future

Administrators for the Manor team say that talks with interested parties have intensified but a firm financial commitment has yet to be secured as a deadline at the end of the month.

The British team need half a million pounds at least, so they can prepare for the season ahead and go testing. Administrators FRP Advisory have already agreed to pay all staff salaries to the end of January, after which employees may have to be laid off and preparations put on hold.

A spokesman for FRP said yesterday “Talks with interested parties will continue with all concerned aware that appropriate funding is needed to take the team forward to be in a position to complete testing with the beginning of the 2017 season still in everyone’s mind.”

Manor entered administration last month for the second time in over a year earlier this month. Manor’s owner Stephen Fitzpatrick, rescued the team in early 2015, but has been trying to sell the team in recent months.

Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd, which holds the rights to participate in the championship, is not in the administration which affects the team’s operating company Just Racing Services Ltd.

Collision penalty rules tweaked

The FIA have announced that drivers will no longer receive penalties for collisions unless it’s absolutely clear which driver was at fault. Last year, the way penalties were being applied.

One example the penalty that Nico Rosberg was handed, following a light clash with Kimi Raikkonen as they battled at the Malaysian Grand Prix was branded “complete nonsense” by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

There was a growing feeling that such a strict stance was making some drivers less willing to take the risk and go for a pass. At last week’s Commission and World Motor Sport Council meetings, it has been agreed that from now on drivers will only face punishment for incidents if they are “wholly” to blame for a crash.

The revision to the sporting regulations article 38.2a now reads “It shall be at the discretion of the stewards to decide if any driver involved in an incident should be penalised.

“Unless it is clear to the stewards that a driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for an incident no penalty will be imposed.”

The FIA have also announced that  the pitlane will open 30 minutes before a race start and close 10 minutes later. Drivers must then be present at the national anthem ceremony, which takes place 14 minutes before the start.

Driver’s reaction to Berxit  

A number of drivers and teams have reacted to the departure on Berine Ecclestone on social media and here is some of them.

Nico Rosberg tweeted “Bernie, mega job! But a change has been overdue. Mr. Carey, all the best in making our sport awesome again. ?”

Nigel Mansell tweeted “Best wishes to Liberty Media amazing opportunity for them and F1 , exciting new rules 2017 should be more competitive and much faster.

“Wishing Bernie a great retirement what a job he has done for F1,thanks Bernie for all thrilling career we all have had in F1 it’s been fun.

Felipe Massa said “Thank you Bernie and welcome Liberty Media . Hope F1 gets better and better . ??”

Former F1 Driver Giedo van der Garde ‏”The reason we loved him, the reason we sometimes thought otherwise… The end of an era, he did an amazing job for Formula One. ????????

McLaren Chairman Zac Brown “McLaren welcomes Chase Carey and Liberty Media to the #F1 family – they will take F1 forward and make it bigger & better.”

Channel 4’s Technical Analyst and Former Driver Karun Chandhok “Thanks #Bernie for everything you did for @F1, the Indian GP and me! Business partner, advisor, sounding board and most important – friend”

Meanwhile, FIA President and former Ferrari Boss Jean Todt said in a statement “the FIA wishes to thank the outgoing CEO of the Formula One Group, Bernie Ecclestone for more than 40 years of dedication to the FIA Formula One World Championship and as a member of both the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council.”

Bigger shake up and not window dressing – Horner

Red Bull’s Team Principal Christian Horner, says that Formula One needs a bigger shake-up than the ‘window dressing’ changes for 2017.

F1 will have radical new cars this year amid efforts to make them faster and more spectacular, Horner believes more sweeping changes are needed. In an interview published today, Horner told Autosport these changes are a “bit of window dressing.”

“The technology in these [V6 hybrid] engines is wonderful, it’s mind-blowingly clever – but the average man or lady in the grandstand, or viewer, they have no idea what’s going on.”

“We should go back to trying to make Formula 1 absolute entertainment – and part of that entertainment being the engine.” He added.

This interview was before the news broke yesterday of the ousting of Berine Ecclestone and the return of Ross Brawn. Horner says he feels that teams should have a reduced influence in discussions over future rules, allowing F1 chiefs to focus on longer-term planning.

“My view has always been: try and look far enough ahead that you take away the emotion of the immediacy of now. The problem the teams face – and they’re all guilty of that, us included – is you try to protect your competitive position.” He said.

He said no one’s knows where F1 will be in five years, “we look at getting rid of windtunnels, look to limit the amount of CFD you can do, or introduce a normally-aspirated engine with a standard hybrid or KERS technology?”

Horner says the sport is in severe danger of becoming stale.