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Tag: Ecclestone

  • Ecclestone says F1 could return to Istanbul

    Ecclestone says F1 could return to Istanbul

    Bernie Ecclestone 1200

    Bernie Ecclestone (Reuters file)

    Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone says Istanbul could return to the F1 calendar.

    Ecclestone, quoted by Turkish newspaper Haber Turk, says both the teams and F1’s governing body, FOA, were “happy” with Turkey.

    Turkey joined the F1 calendar in 2005 but the race attracted poor attendances due to high ticket prices and difficulty of access to the venue.

    It was dropped from the 2012 calendar when Turkey and the FOA failed to reach an agreement on the fee to stage the race.

    Ecclestone tells Haber Turk: “if we can solve this problem, Turkey can return to the F1 calendar.”

    Many drivers have said they enjoy Istanbul’s testing circuit, which boasts the 640-meter long Turn Eight.

    AP

     

    via Ecclestone says F1 could return to Istanbul – Story – 3 Sport – 3 News.

  • Turkey ‘optimistic’ over F1 future

    Turkey ‘optimistic’ over F1 future

    f1 istanbulTurkish officials say they are ‘optimistic’ about the chances of the nations F1 event continuining following meetings with Bernie Ecclestone during the Istanbul weekend.

    The future of the event has been called into question due to the rising costs involved, with the head of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Murat Yalcintas saying that it was likely that the 2011 race would be the last.

    Ecclestone however has said he is keen to Turkey to stay on the calendar as, despite failing to bring in large crowds, the circuit has proved to be a popular one with drivers and served up an exciting fourth round of the season this past weekend.

    Speaking following a meeting with the commercial rights holder during the weekend, Turkish youth and sport general director Yunus Akgul said the country was hopeful a deal could be struck to remain part of the F1 schedule.

    “We will do everything we can – we will talk with Ecclestone,” he was quoted by the Guardian. “We want this race to stay but it is not the be-all and end-all. We will keep this track alive in every way. There are other races, we will go to them. We definitely want Formula [One] to stay here and we will do everything we can.

    “The draft calendar will be discussed on 3 June. Even if the issue is not resolved by that date, we must get into the draft.”

    Official figures suggested a crowd of 42,000 attended the 2011 race, up on the figures from twelve months before.

    via Turkey ‘optimistic’ over F1 future | F1 News | May 2011 | Crash.Net.

  • Ecclestone moves to Istanbul to distance himself from F1 sale rumours

    Ecclestone moves to Istanbul to distance himself from F1 sale rumours

    Ecclestone moves to Istanbul to distance himself from F1 sale rumours

    From ANI

    London, May 8: Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One’s commercial rights holder, flew to Istanbul to distance himself from a possible sale of motor sport’s blue-riband series to Rupert Murdoch’s media group, News Corporation.

    Ecclestone has earlier denied rumours that Formula One will be sold to News Corp, and said that Murdoch will not buy F1.

    “Actually Murdoch is trying to buy the rest of their shares in Sky and they have been doing that for three years so they have got plenty of practice in doing things and not succeeding,” The Guardian quoted Ecclestone, as saying.

    “Nothing has changed. It is normal foreplay before these things happen,” he added.

    Eleven members of Fota, the Formula One Teams’ Association will meet to discuss the implications of the recent interest shown by News Corporation and Exor, owners of Fiat and Ferrari.

    The meeting will be followed later by other four biggest players in the paddock – Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes.

    The Fota chairman Martin Whitmarsh said the teams need to work together.

    “We have got to work with the commercial rights holder and the governing body to ensure we make this sport interesting as a piece of global entertainment and not spend our energies fighting each other,” said Whitmarsh.

    Copyright Asian News International/DailyIndia.com

     

  • Are Turkey axe reports negotiation tactics?

    Are Turkey axe reports negotiation tactics?

    flag trFormula 1 problems do not mean the sport will never return to Istanbul and may even be the start of negotiation tactics.

    That was the message on Friday of chamber of commerce head Murat Yalcintas, following reports that F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was doubling the sanctioning fee for 2012, thus making a new deal unlikely.

    Ecclestone said recently that he regarded Turkey’s place on the Grand Prix calendar as secure.

    “It’s an enormous market in Turkey. Eventually they will get themselves sorted out,” said the F1 boss, responding to complaints about low attendance at the otherwise impressive facility.

    The 2012 race is now in doubt but Yalcintas hinted that the latest reports merely foreshadow complex negotiations scheduled with Ecclestone during next month’s event.

    “If Ecclestone displays a rigid attitude then there will be no agreement,” he told the Milliyet newspaper.

    “Nothing is certain yet. Besides, if there is no agreement for next year, this does not mean that there will no longer be Formula 1 in Istanbul. There could be agreements in the future,” added Yalcintas.

    via Are Turkey axe reports negotiation tactics? | YallaF1.com.

  • Motegi unlikely. Istanbul Park to replace?

    Motegi unlikely. Istanbul Park to replace?

    Turkish circuit linked to replacing the troubled Motegi with concerns to the track’s location to the leaking reactors

    by Visordown News

    japan motorsport istanbulAfter the devastating earthquake in Japan last month Motegi was postponed until October but it know appears that the damage to the circuit along with the nuclear concerns from Fukushima power plant the round may be cancelled altogether.

    Along with the cracks reported to the circuit and the damages to spectator stands, a further problem that is faced is the proximity to the Fukushima Daiichi where the reactors are still leaking. Twin Ring Motegi is 100-miles from the nuclear plant.

    The track being touted as a possible replacement for the Japanese round is the Istanbul Park in Turkey, which saw some exciting racing the three years that the series visited the track; with Marco Melandri winning in 2005 and 2006 and Casey Stoner taking the honours in 2007. The only roadblock is that the management rights to the track belong to Bernie Ecclestone.

    via Motegi unlikely. Istanbul Park to replace? – Motorcycle racing news: Moto GP – Visordown.