Brawnista - 28 June 2009 08:38 AM

RE: starting own series

In the distant past, wasn't the Indy 500 part of the "circus" with an "option" to race but not eligible for WDC/WCC points ?




I recall that Jim Clark did race at Indy.

I don't know how that would look in the present twisted legal commercial infrastructure of the FOM but there are now 3 week gaps in between races.

If they don't have any races in North America, perhaps teams could race but not as part of the Championship ? The funding would have to be agreed to by the Promoters and teams on travel costs but it would be one way of getting around Ecclestone's hand in the cookie jar.

Surely for the same costs as say the 2007 fees at around $25M US per race, there would be enough funding for a non-championship series of races, although it'd have to be at tracks as stef pointed out that would meet the FIA safety standards (e.g. paddock area).

Then FOTA could put their money where their mouth is when it comes to giving lip-service around the topic of how important the North American market is to F1 manufacturers (a fuzzy notion that somehow car sales in the US is nebulously linked to F1 fan awareness which I find dubious).

You could have just the manufacturers race too. They could "afford" it. Teams like Renault (who have no sales in the US) and independents would have to be funded by the promoters.

Here's ("here" being literally over here in North America) FOTA's chance to trial ideas using non-championship races independent of the FIA.

From 1950 to 1960, the Indianapolis 500 Mile was given World Championship points. It was a way of enticing the F1 drivers and teams to compete in the race. Its why the top finishers of the Indy 500 were part of the World Championship tables. So, one could say that winners of the Indy 500 have won a Formula One event

Maelochs - 01 July 2009 11:09 AM

It happened shortly before R. Miller broke the story. It was officially announced June 30.

And hence my mentioning of it was not out of line or incorrect.

double post