Full Throttle

In what is surely the final death rattle for the Canadian Grand Prix Gérald Tremblay, Mayor of Montréal, has called Bernie Ecclestone’s demands “unreasonable.”

“We were constantly guided in our negotiations by principles of responsible management. However, despite our endeavours and those of the business community, the unreasonable demands of Formula One exceeded the taxpayer’s ability to pay. I would like to thank my colleagues from the federal and provincial governments and members of the business community who joined forces in an attempt to save the Grand Prix.

Their concerted efforts attest to Montréal’s vitality and could prove an opportunity for creating a development fund for new events of all kinds that would stimulate the economy, tourism and employment,” said the Mayor of Montréal.

A quick check of the Quebec Gov. website - which happens to be down as I write this - didn’t note any mentions of Bernie being a half-witted, overbearing, greedy bastard either before the site was apparently overloaded with well-wishers saying “good-riddance Bernie.” (Huh, guess they’re really pissed. Even the track website in “unavailable“)

Well, the last part is speculation, I’m not sure why it’s down. But with Ecclestone demanding $26 million for the 2009 season with escalation clauses sending the payments into the stratosphere by 2013 - over $31.5 million each year - it’s plain Bernie is in fact a half-witted, overbearing, greedy bastard.

Most of us already new that, so it isn’t news just affirmation of the status quo.

The list of dead F1 venues grows with each passing month. The series lost the United States Grand Prix following the 2007 season, and had already lost the French Grand Prix for 2008 for the foreseeable future.

The German Grand Prix is also reportedly to be in serious financial trouble, and the Chinese Grand Prix warned last week that they will no longer take significant losses when their contract ends in 2010.

At the current rate the F1 schedule will have less events per year than heat races at a local dirt track on Saturday night.

But that’s one way to cut expenses to the manufactures, they won’t have to travel so much. I doubt BMW, Honda, Toyota or Mercedes with think that way but what to hell, you have to look at the bright side.

With Ecclestone playing a modern day Ronnie Biggs and the FIA being run by “The Littlest Perv” - whose job was only saved by a gaggle of third-world despots and dictators with their hands out - saving travel expenses is about all the good news to be had.