Formula 1 Circuits

[Chrill]

Yes, Baku have really turned around opinions. It's a bit of a bonkers race but it works for precisely that reason. Vietnam may well go down the same route, with an absolutely insane straight.

[Penfold]

... special 'power boost' ramps with flaming hoops to leap through? 

[Matt]

I found the answer: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-MT6QYluPa4

[Penfold]

It's a good start... now bring on the fire!

[Chrill]

I found the answer: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-MT6QYluPa4

That is the answer.

[Penfold]

Financial Times reporting that Liberty Media and the BRDC are close to agreeing terms on a new Silverstone contract.  Not much detail out there at the mo, but you won't be shocked to hear that money is the sticking point: Liberty said to want £18 million/year; the BRDC angling for £15 million/year.  Meeting in the middle sounds fair enough.

[Chrill]

As compared to the current deal at what per year?

According to Sky Sports:

£12m in 2010 --> £17m for 2017 --> £27m for 2026

The race ran at a loss of £4.8 million in 2016 (at what I'm guessing is a rough £16 million cost for hosting). If BRDC are offering £15 million per year, that seems rather close to reasonable.

[Penfold]

... and then there's the inflation to consider: Seems highly unlikely that Liberty would accept a flat fee for duration of the contract, so question is what annual increase would be acceptable to both sides?  Bernie insisted on a ruinous 5% yearly hike, but if Liberty offers something like 2% per annum then that should be affordable for Silverstone - and more importantly for its patrons.

[Chrill]

And then there's the financial chaos of Brexit ruining your economy and decreasing the number of foreign visitors.

FORZA EUROPA et cetera.

[Penfold]

If Brexit is going to ruin our economy then you should be pointing to an increase in tourism as a result of currency devaluation - as happened after the referendum provoked a much needed drop in Sterling.  As it happens, I'm a firm believer in the benefits of considered regulation and free trade, so you're never going to convince me that being part of the EU's over-regulated, protectionist trade bloc is beneficial; I'm also a firm believer that the Euro can only survive in the medium- to long-term if there's a fiscal & debt union between its members.  I'm not sure what the role will be for non-Euro members when the majority are locked into something akin to a single federal state, but I would hazard a guess at it being one of ever more diminished influence over the EU's direction of travel.

[Chrill]

Oh. I thought my "FORZA EUROPA et cetera" highlighted that I am very knowledgeable in this topic.

[Penfold]

Indeed.

Those guys in Miami still not decided on whether to approve running a GP on their streets; in fact, they are so undecided that they have decided to postpone making a decisive decision until late May.  This is assuming they don't then decide to revise that decision and once more alter the date for a final decision.  More words saying the same thing (albeit with far fewer uses of 'decided'): https://www.racefans.net/2019/04/09/miami-grand-prix-decision-delayed-again/

[Chrill]

Malaysia's Prime Minister, "Dr M" (surely he's in the next Bond movie?) wants the race back.

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/dr-m-says-f1-may-return-malaysia-next-year

I mean, why can't they do some sort of three-way alternation with Singapore and Vietnam? Hosting every 3rd year must be more worthwhile than annually, if cost is an issue.

[Penfold]

Cost is always the issue.  That said, Singapore has plenty of cash and I can't see them being eager to share a race slot.  I guess it's possible that Vietnam's enthusiasm for hosting F1 will drop after a few years of handing Liberty many tens of millions of dollars, but in that case I suspect they'd just call it quits rather than alternating with Malaysia.

[Chrill]

Singapore has been vocal about reducing cost though, going as far as saying "maybe we don't need F1 anymore, we got what we wanted out of it". Definitely a bargaining tool for future negotiations with Liberty, but I could easily see Singapore and Malaysia alternating. Fitting Vietnam into the mix is less likely, I admit.