Ecclestone in new Ring bid

[WhiteBlue]

http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/01/1 ... ws&rpc=401

I think the old bugger might have taken a view to endurance racing. Owning the Ring would be a significant step.

[tim|away]

Excuse me for asking this stupid question, but how can a track like the Nurburgring go into administration? One would have thought that out of all tracks, this has to be a cashcow. Can a german or someone in the know provide some background, please?

[WhiteBlue]

It is a long winding story. The ring had to find other activities to cover the huge fees that are necessary to pay FOM. The management developed the idea of a privately financed theme park. The venture was not profitable hence no investors were attracted. Nevertheless the management induced the politicians who represented the public ownership to start the construction work in the hope that the investors would later sign up. It is a bit muddled who was negligeant and who was deceptive in this game of burning public funds. In the end the Ring had a theme park that was not operative including the facilities with shops and museum that was never profitable due to lack of visitor numbers.

[tim|away]

Well, I still find it somewhat shocking that the Nurburgring is struggling to be profitable with all the races that are held there, the car manufacturers testing their cars there and a lot of tourists driving there on a regular basis. Put in a different way: I am puzzled how other tracks can be profitable whilst the Nurburgring struggles to be profitable with the attention it gets worldwide.

I guess Bernie would be a good candidate though to take over. Should he manage to grab the ownership of the ring, I'm sure 10 minutes later there would be a binding contract to hold the F1 event there for the next 99 years for an outrageous sum of money, therefore securing the future of this historical track.

[AnthonyG]

Excuse me for asking this stupid question, but how can a track like the Nurburgring go into administration? One would have thought that out of all tracks, this has to be a cashcow. Can a german or someone in the know provide some background, please?

It's not the track, it's everything they build arround it that's causing the problems.
ADAC wanted to buy the track alone, but wasn't allowed to bid due to that.

Car enthousiasts don't care about much car theme parks.
If they go to a theme/amusement park they don't want it to do anything with cars. There are enough examples in the world that prove this, yet management of these places often refuses to believe that.

[oT v1]

I guess Bernie would be a good candidate though to take over. Should he manage to grab the ownership of the ring, I'm sure 10 minutes later there would be a binding contract to hold the F1 event there for the next 99 years for an outrageous sum of money, therefore securing the future of this historical track.

I'm a bit shocked as to why he would change his tone now, previously all he's said is the old European tracks can pay up the huge amount cash or be forgotten, not exactly a conservationist view!

Will the contract between the ring and F1 be visible to the public?? if not i can see him selling multiple-year rights for £1 and making some serious money from the place

[bhall]

I'm a bit shocked as to why he would change his tone now, previously all he's said is the old European tracks can pay up the huge amount cash or be forgotten, not exactly a conservationist view!

[...]

Who's on trial in Germany and might want to curry favorable public opinion?

[bonjon1979]

I'm a bit shocked as to why he would change his tone now, previously all he's said is the old European tracks can pay up the huge amount cash or be forgotten, not exactly a conservationist view!

[...]

Who's on trial in Germany and might want to curry favorable public opinion?

Slamdunk. Bernie isn't stupid. All about playing the game.

[oT v1]

true, although i think the target on his back might be just too big by now, nothing will save him. (and you have the pride of Germany, Mercedes Benz ~ Daimler, saying they will never deal with a cheat/criminal to add to the public opinion melting pot)

[SectorOne]

Actually he´s been talking about saving Nords long before the trial even begun.

I hope he does it. Then repave it, increase run-offs, introduce to the world of Formula One once again.

[langwadt]

Actually he´s been talking about saving Nords long before the trial even begun.

I hope he does it. Then repave it, increase run-offs, introduce to the world of Formula One once again.

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12433 ... rolling-f1

[SectorOne]

Actually he´s been talking about saving Nords long before the trial even begun.

I hope he does it. Then repave it, increase run-offs, introduce to the world of Formula One once again.

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12433 ... rolling-f1

An explanation would be good, what have i missed?

Bernie was mentioned to buying Nords as early as mid-2012.