A bleak future for Formula One - Max Mosley warns the FIA
FIA’s President Max Mosley seems to be quite distressed about the direction the FIA is currently taking as he believes that this sudden urge for more races in one season is getting a bit out of hand.
The 2010 Formula One calendar had 19 races and according to our ‘old’ friend Bernie Ecclestone, the 2011 Formula One calendar is expected to have 20 races in it including an Indian Grand Prix which seems like an absurd idea currently
after what happened in Korea. There is no track in India and since they are constructing one currently, the FIA should be extremely careful about checking and inspecting the track on time.
Max Mosley is concerned about the 2011 Formula One season as he believes that a 20 race season is just too long. Even the 2010 season was almost 9-10 months long.
With the US and Russian Grand Prix to be added in the near future as well, the season would then consist of 22 races which is outrageous in every way. The drivers already work day and night throughout the year and this would make
it even worse for them.
“For me personally, it's too much. In my opinion that's too many Sunday afternoons to expect people to dedicate to Formula One. At some point, it starts to become tiresome. And then if you start skipping a race here and there it
can quickly become a habit and it can snowball in terms of the TV ratings,” said Max.
Max Mosley believes that the budgets that have been set for the coming seasons is too high and he is worried about how the FIA is going to manage the 2011 season with such limited resources and time left.
“For 2011 you need $100 million, with 30 or 40 from Bernie Ecclestone, perhaps 20 to 25 from sponsors or the drivers. I'd say six teams are wondering where the rest is coming from. It's quite possible we'll lose two or three teams,”
he said.
Bernie will have to lower his expectations and work at a rate that the company can also keep up with.
“In January 2008 I warned that without cost reduction it won't be only the small teams having problems. It has arrived: Honda, BMW, Toyota and Renault have gone because the budgets are out of proportion,” said the 70-year-old Briton.
Tags: