South Africa ear-marked for Grand Prix in 2013: Bernie has spoken

BERNIE Ecclestone confirmed last Friday that South Africa are right back on track to host a Grand Prix in 2013.

The controversial Formula One supremo, confirming that his rubber-burning circus would return to the United States after a five-year absence, has been hinting at a return to the tip of Africa for some months.

Today (December 20), South Africa's excellent eNews channel have announced Cape Town could host a Grand Prix the year after next - but that is old news to readers of South Africa's new Sunday tabloid Scoop!

I quoted Ecclestone confirming the 2013 situation last Sunday. And two weeks ago in Scoop! I reported that Ecclestone was looking to expand to Russia, Mexico and South Africa when he said: “Europe is finished. We will reduce the European races from seven to five.”

The pint-sized 81-year-old billionaire had suggested next year’s US race scheduled for a brand new circuit in Texas would never make it.

But on Saturday he told the BBC that Austin would go ahead on November 18 next year, with a second US race planned for New Jersey from 2013.

Ecclestone, 81, told Al Jazeera English: “The US has been slow to get F1 because they want to see a profit before they start.”

Then he spoke of a South African race from 2013 and insisted F1 would return to Bahrain next year after the cancellation of the 2011 grand prix.

Talking to veteran British broadcaster Sir David Frost, he said: “Formula 1 will not be big in America. But Formula 1 will be in Russia for 2014, and in South Africa by 2013 even.”

Ecclestone, the son of a fisherman who left school to race motorbikes aged 16, insists Bahrain remains an option despite continuing unrest in the country. He said: “We’re happy to go there if we are invited, we’ll be delighted.”

Cape Town lead the race to host a South African Grand Prix, with a consortium set to meet sports minister Fikile Mbalula over possible government back­ing for a notoriously expensive venture.

Mbalula said last week: “Their F1 proposal has come across my desk but we have not sat down. I hope to have a proper sitdown before Christmas to get a full briefing. At the moment I don’t want to put the cart before the horse.”

South Africa last hosted a Grand Prix at the Kyalami circuit near Midrand in 1993.

Confirming the return to the US, Ecclestone said: “Yes, there will be a race in Austin and we hope it will be there for the next 10 years.”

Representatives from Austin ­reached an agreement with F1 officials hours before the World Motor Sports Council met in New Delhi to approve the 2012 F1 ­racing calendar.

Red McCombs, the man behind Austin’s Grand Prix adventure, confirmed last week: “Mr Ecclestone received his cheque today for the USGP. We want to thank the fans supporting us, the local officials and businesses that have encouraged us, the state of Texas, Circuit of The Americas’ staff and Bernie himself.”

But just a month ago, Austin’s Grand Prix deal seemed so uncertain that officials halted work on the $300-million (R24 billion) 3.4 mile (4.2 km) circuit near the Texan capital.
That's typical of the way Formula One runs under Ecclestone. Even today on eNews, Cape Town Grand Prix consortium spokesmen were confirming they have a long way to go before talk of 2013 becomes official - but Bernie, as always, can scent a lucrative new venue before they're even on the grid.
For comments from Cape Town consortium on this story: http://www.facebook.com/capetowngrandprix#!/capetowngrandprix/posts/273997419316924?notif_t=feed_comment

See also: http://scoopnews.co.za/sa-set-for-cape-town-formula-1/

And http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2011/12/for-little-man-bernie-ecclestone.html

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, the pint-sized son of a fisherman, decides Europe is finished

For a little man, Bernie Ecclestone creates big waves. As Grand Prix grumblers ruminate over another one-horse race of a season, the man known around the world as “Mr Formula One” needed three words to stir up the petrolheads: “Europe is finished”.


But before South Africans – still dreaming of a Grand Prix back at Kyalami for the first time since 1993 or on the streets of Cape Town – start getting their hopes up, let’s examine this strange bod who runs Formula One with a small but perfectly formed iron fist.

Ecclestone stands just 5ft 2in (1.59m) high. He was born in a tiny village on the coast of Suffolk, the son of a fisherman. He left school at 16 to work at the local gasworks and tinker with the motorcycles he loved. His machinations in the motor-racing world since then have seen the little man rise from 38th to 25th in the Sunday Times list of the world’s richest people. They estimate his worth at 2.5billion (R35bn), with earnings of 25million (R30m) a year.

Not bad for the uneducated son of a fisherman.

There was a stage when he actually drove racing cars – but that was just after the second World War, and he collided during a Formula Three race at Brand’s Hatch and ended up in a neighbouring car park.

Ever the pragmatist, Ecclestone moved seamlessly into team ownership with Connaught, Cooper and Brabham before setting up the Formula One Constructors Association with Frank Williams, Colin Chapman, Teddy Mayer, Ken Tyrrell, and a very interesting chap called Max Mosley (google him, fascinating).

Television rights soon became a major earner and as he rose in power (but not always popularity) Bernie started to realise people would pay good money to host Formula One Grands Prix around the world.

This quote from former World Champion Damon Hill, now representing England’s Silverstone track, perhaps sums up the problem: "There's always been the question of the FOM fee, and ultimately that is the deciding factor. To quote Bernie, he once said: 'You can have anything you like, as long as you pay too much for it,' but we can't pay too much for something... The problem is money goes out and away. There's a question whether that money even returns to Formula One."

Now, less than a week after the end of a supremely boring 2011 season – won, way back in October, by a runaway train called Sebastian Vettel – Ecclestone is putting the squeeze on the Europeans, who have always been reluctant to splash the cash on hosting a sport which already requires a major financial outlay just to stay afloat, as Kyalami’s owners found out twenty years ago.

Given the current economic crisis in England, Spain, Portugal and just about every creaking continental country, Berne’s timing is, as usual, impeccable. With one eye on bright, shiny new nations like Mexico, South Africa and Russia, he told the world this week: "I think in the next few years Europe will be left with only five races. I think Europe is finished. It will be a good place for tourism but little else. Europe is a thing of the past."

Nice work, Bernie. With the likes of India, Korea, Malaysia and Abu Dhabi already on board, he is willing to overlook minor inconveniences like popular uprisings in Bahrain while worrying about the finances of the planned US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas next year.

It looks like the Yanks won’t come up with the money. So where do we go next? "Russia for sure, we have a contract there.” Bernie grins, “Maybe South Africa, Mexico.”

But surely Europe, with names like Fangio, two Hills, Schumacher, Mansell, Alonso and Vettel to conjure with, will always be the spiritual home of the fastest men in the world? Bernie sneers: "It used to be."

Next season, there are eight scheduled races in Europe. England, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Monaco are classics. France and their historic Magny Cours lay-out are long gone. The Spanish must fear for their double-header – Barcelona can expect to go before Valencia – while Hungary’s Budapest may also be in doubt, assuming Ecclestone sticks with the five big ones in Europe – he has already posed questions about the future development of Silverstone.

Bernie’s proposed reduction of European involvement to five out of twenty races won’t make him popular in the traditional heartlands of Formula One – though South Africans would be over the moon if a fairy godmother came up with the billions necessary to attract a Grand Prix in the modern age.

But Ecclestone won’t be derailed. Like the other great sporting dictators – Sepp Blatter springs to mind – he knows the big money lies in new, hungry nations. Countries that spend money like water while taking their eye off the needs of the common people.

And he’s a hardy soul. He needed a triple coronary bypass in 1999. He had two wheels stolen off his brand new Mercedes CLS55 AMG in London in 2005, the same year he caused a bit of stir when he said of Danica Patrick's fourth-place finish at the Indianapolis 500: "She did a good job, didn't she? Super. Didn't think she'd be able to make it like that. You know, I've got one of these wonderful ideas that women should be all dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances."

Two days later, Ecclestone saw 14 of 20 cars refuse to race in the 2005 United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway amid concern over the safety of their Michelin tyres. Six cars eventually raced. But the Formula One circus continued unfazed.

On 21 July 2007, Ecclestone said he was going to buy Arsenal… he ended up with QPR. Now he wants to buy Saab from the Swedes. It appears nothing can stop the little man with the big wives and model daughters (at this point, have a quick look at the images of Petra Ecclestone. Phwoar!).

Not that Bernie worries too much. On 24 November last year, he and girlfriend Fabiana Flosi were ambushed by four men who robbed them of jewellery worth £200,000 and handed Ecclestone what he later called “a good whacking”.

Ecclestone’s response after being released from hospital? "I see a figure of £200,000 mentioned but that is b******s. They won't be going far on what they took off us."

If nothing else, Bernard Charles Ecclestone is a survivor. But whether that’s good news for Formula One, particularly South Africans hoping for a vroom with a view, is questionable.