Two Championships for 2010

[rffp]

This is just an exercise of the imagination, I believe (and hope) FIA and the manufacturers will reach a solution. But what will happen in 2010 if they don't reach an agreement? The one two-tier championship will become two one-tier championships.

FIA F-1 will be disputed by:
Williams
Force India
Brawn
USGP
Lola
iSport
Prodrive

Manufacturers F-1 will be disputed by:
McLaren
Ferrari
Renault
Toyota
BMW Sauber
Red Bull
Toro Rosso

Any other teams to those two championships?

[WeirdKerr]

Maybe we are gonna be in for a Cart/IRL style split........

[Paul Hayes]

Maybe we are gonna be in for a Cart/IRL style split........

I hope not. I don't think the parties involved will be that stupid and pig-headed. But sadly you never know with F1.

[Yannick]

Big questions in these trying times:

If you were a TV station, which of the two series would you prefer to broadcast?

If you were Bernie, how would you manage it to become the owner of the TV rights to both of the two series?

Where would the FOTA series run their races, when Max would strip all tracks that have got a deal with FOTA off of their FIA Grade 1 license?

That list surely would include Silverstone (FOTA) vs Donington (FIA), Toyota-owned Fuji (FOTA) vs Suzuka (FIA), whereas the races that the fans want in the calendar every year, according to the first FIA survey, would stay with the FIA: Monza, Spa, Monaco. Count the Ferrari-owned Imola (FOTA), and those refusing to pay Bernie's horrenduous fees to the manufacturer's side as well: Montreal (FOTA), Indianapolis (FOTA), Magny-Cours (FOTA). In Germany, the debt-ridden Hockenheim is scheduled for 2010, and it may be their last GP, whereas Nürburgring say they can afford the FOM fees only every 2 years with their local government help. So in Germany, too, there are two tracks - one for each series, depending on whose turn it is at the time.
With a little imagination, that leaves Barcelona (FIA) VS Portimao (FOTA), Bahrain (FIA) VS Dubai (FOTA), and Abu Dhabi with its Ferrari theme park would most certainly also be on the side of the FOTA. Max's exclusives would then turn out to be Interlagos (FIA), Hungaroring (FIA), Singapore (FIA), Istambul (FIA) and Sepang (FIA).
In Australia, there would even be a possibility of something like this: Melbourne (FIA) VS Surfers Paradise (FOTA).

As much as the thought of two competing series is scary in terms of economic sustainability (just look at the remainder of the split in Indycar), the thought of so many Grand Prix events is seductive.

And wouldn't it be absolutely hilarious and totally reject worthy to have both races of Valencia Marina (FIA) and Valencia Ricardo Tormo (FOTA) being staged in competition to each other on the same day?

So here is my suggestion for the FOTA calendar:

1) Kyalami
2) Dubai
3) Portimao
4) Imola
5) Silverstone
6) Magny-Cours
7) Montreal
8) Indianapolis
9) German GP TBA (Nürburgring maybe?)
10) Valencia Ricardo Tormo
11) Abu Dhabi
12) Surfers Paradise

PLUS a 13th event, the one that gets dropped from Bernie's calendar of the FIA series to make room for the Korean round.
And maybe FOTA find two or three additional venues (Shanghai surely would agree to hold races for both series), and they are at 16 GPs.

Bernie's FIA calendar would look like that:

1) Melbourne
2) Sepang
3) Shanghai
4) Sakhir
5) Barcelona
6) Istambul
7) Monaco
8) Donington
9) Hockenheim (for the last time in 2010?)
10) Hungaroring
11) Valencia Marina
12) Spa
13) Monza
14) South Korean GP
15) Singapore
16) Interlagos

Suzuka with its 2 year alternating contract would be missing here, since it's on this year.

Let's find out how these things are going to turn out.

[thehemogoblin]

I'm completely siding with the FOTA here.

[rffp]

Actually F-1 is stuck in a delicate situation. If the manufacturers are left to their own devices they actually may cause more damage than Max and Bernie.
It is always good to remember that Toyota is under heavy pressure to deliver, Carlos Ghosn is looking for a pretext to pull the plug on Renault, BMW has already shown signs that their commitment is questionable, besides Ford and Honda have already gone away from F-1. The ongoing economic crisis has kept away new manufacturers from coming to F-1, such as Volkswagen and Hyundai. There aren't enough manufacturers to make a championship! FOTA wants to take measures to cut costs, but it is always good to remember that it was because of the manufacturers that the costs have skyrocketed in the last 10 years.

On the other hand, as Autosport's Dieter Recken pointed out in this week's edition of the magazine, a F-1 without the manufacturers would be economically feeble. As mentioned there, the idea of a Prodrive-Cosworth battling against an iSport-Cosworth for the title isn't too appealing for the public, audience and advertisers.

There is plenty of opportunities to set F-1 on the right track, but people should never understimate the capacity for people to screw up!

[WeirdKerr]

Im not really that bothered who builds the cars or engines, as long as the best drivers are driving them.... I seem to rememeber back in the late 70s there were rumblings back then that Ferrari would pull out.... (im too young to remember back then, and only really started to watch f1 in the late 80s) also seem to remember ferrari threatening to pull out in the mid 80s and go to indy car....

[Yannick]

So who would the drivers be in the 2 rivalling series? Let's have an early silly season!

FIA F-1 will be disputed by:
Williams (Rosberg, but he might want to leave; Nakajima but he might be replaced by Kobayashi if he doesn't deliver soon)
Force India (Liuzzi seems to have a race seat in his contract for next year; the better of the other two will be kept on)
Brawn (Button; Barrichello)
USGP ( the experienced ? let's call him "Stig" maybe Bourdais; the unnamed rookie from the US)
Lola (Davidson?,
iSport (Bruno Senna for certain;
Prodrive (Pedro De La Rosa seems likely; the other one ? )

Manufacturers F-1 will be disputed by:
McLaren (Hamilton; are they going to keep Kovalainen?)
Ferrari (Raikkonen currently performs better than Massa, but one of them might be sacked if Alonso joins them)
Renault (can you imagine Nelsinho as their #1 driver if Alonso were to join Ferrari?; who should replace Alonso?)
Toyota (Glock; Trulli; and isn't Nakajima in line for the works drive as well?)
BMW Sauber (Kubica; Heidfeld)
Red Bull (Vettel; Webber - unless Webber and Buemi change drives)
Toro Rosso (see one line above; Hartley)

Which drivers will turn up in the cars of what series will depend a lot on if a team considers shutting down completely before the FOTA series is founded.

So basically, the FIA series would be: cheaper cars (Max), testing ban (Max), higher priced tickets (Bernie), higher fees for circuits (Bernie), higher priced TV rights (Bernie)
whereas the FOTA series could offer: high-end cars (Luca), unlimited testing opportunities (John Howett), lower ticket prices (to compete with the original series), lower fees for circuits (to gain access to worldwide venues on rather short notice), lower priced TV rights (to get onto the TV on short notice)

So which one do you think is the better business model?

[XurizManson]

Ferrari (Raikkonen currently performs better than Massa, but one of them might be sacked if Alonso joins them)

Are you kidding? Better?

[Life w12]

Ferrari (Raikkonen currently performs better than Massa, but one of them might be sacked if Alonso joins them)

Are you kidding? Better?

He's a better drinker