But things may not be as bleak as they seem, at least not as far as the Sachsenring circuit is concerned. After reports, relayed here, from the regional arm of the German tabloid Bild that the Sachsenring could lose the German Grand Prix, the German-language motorsports magazine Speedweek did some further digging into the matter. What their investigations turned up was much better news: according to veteran GP reporter Gunther Wiesinger, the chances of the Sachsenring not hosting the German MotoGP round are as good as zero. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta told Wiesinger that the two parties involved - Dorna and the ADAC, the German equivalent of the Automobile Association that organize the event and own the Sachsenring circuit - were certain to find a solution. "I do not see a problem for the future of the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring," Ezpeleta told Wiesinger.
The argument comes down to money - naturally - but the main problem is not so much the increased sanctioning fee that Dorna is asking of the Sachsenring - reported to be 4 million Euros - but rather the revenue from advertising hoardings and program sales at the circuit. Right now, according to the Speedweek report, that money goes to Dorna, but the ADAC are trying to persuade Dorna to hand that revenue stream to them. That would allow the circuit to raise sufficient cash to pay the sanctioning fee, but Dorna's concern is that they have sold the advertising space to ENI, the Italian oil company that is also a sponsor in the Moto2 series. An agreement may be possible that would see Dorna hand over the revenues to the ADAC, but with the stipulation that the sponsorship of at least some of that advertising remains unchanged.
The ADAC are determined to retain the event, however. The German MotoGP round brings in some 25 million Euros in revenue to the region, income which the area cannot afford to lose. But the ADAC cannot afford to run the event at a loss, and so some kind of compromise will have to be reached for the contract to be extended. Both parties have an interest in reaching such a compromise, as the German Grand Prix has one of the highest attendance figures of the season, with numbers to match the Spanish rounds at Jerez and Valencia. Moving the round to another circuit is thought to be unlikely, with no other region likely to draw the huge crowds that the Sachsenring does, and dropping the German Grand Prix would detract even further from the international nature of the MotoGP World Championship. The Sachsenring contract looks safe, but it may take some time to thrash out the details.
Las Vegas, Miami Beach and Charlotte Will Again Host Championship Celebrations
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 20, 2011) ? NASCAR has announced dates and sites for its 2011 postseason championship celebrations. Riding the momentum of 2010?s highly successful awards shows, all of this year?s events will return to the same sites.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony will again be held at Wynn Las Vegas. This year, the ceremony is set for Friday, Dec. 2 and will feature the top 10 drivers in the final series standings. The event will culminate NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion?s Week in Las Vegas.
As in previous years, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony will be accompanied by a number of events designed with fans and media in mind ? starting with the immensely popular ?NASCAR Victory Lap,? an annual procession of the top 12 drivers in their race cars on Las Vegas Blvd., followed by NASCAR After The Lap, a Q&A event with the top 12 drivers; and the yearly NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon. Details for these events ? as well as many others that will provide a lead-in to the ceremony ? will be announced later this year.
In addition, the combined awards banquet for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take place in South Florida at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, one of the jewels of the South Beach area. The date is Nov. 21, the Monday following the season-ending Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
NASCAR?s celebration of the top short-track drivers from throughout North America will return to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. for a special week of activities concluding with the crowning of NASCAR?s developmental series champions.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet will be Friday, Dec. 9. The NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards Banquet ? celebrating the champions of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (East and West), the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and the NASCAR Mexico Series presented by Toyota ? will be held the following day, Saturday, Dec. 10.
... which is quite welcome after my previous musings on the horrendous storms Moy and I suffered last week in Thailand. To which end, check out this photo of the hotel next to ours - brand new it is, and now completely knackered.
The real heat in Malaysia has nothing on the action between Red Bull and McLaren. Things are a lot closer here than was the case at Albert Park. Because of the huge straights, KERS plays a much bigger part here and that's where the McLaren excels, even though RBR were running their system today.
Mark Webber was much closer to Vettel today than two weeks ago, but he still looked physically sick in the press conference, chewing on his top lip and looking like a man who's beaten before he's even really started.
Before every race this season, Formula 1 Fancast will be delving into the past to bring you the very best of the action from previous editions of the next Grand Prix on the race calendar.
We?ll be looking back at some of the best moments from years gone by, and asking you to suggest some of the moments that have lived on in the memory. First up is the Turkish Grand Prix, and while the Istanbul race is one of the younger events on the race calendar, it has thrown up its fair share of drama.
With the race little over two weeks away, scroll down to see what we think are the three key moments that have made the Turkish Grand Prix what it is today.
Disagree? Get in touch on Twitter (@formula1fancast), Facebook (search Formula 1 Fancast) or leave a comment below!
2010 ? Red Bull battle starts a war
Where else could we begin except last year?s race? Perhaps the most defining point of last year?s dramatic championship shoot-out, Sebastian Vettel?s attempted move past team-mate Mark Webber on lap 40 of the 2010 race set in motion a series of events that saw the Milton Keynes-based outfit stretched to within an inch of breaking as a dispute about favouritism threatened to tear the team apart.
Vettel marked the collision which ended his race and gifted victory to McLaren with his now infamous ?crazy? hand gesture, and Christian Horner flirted with danger and played the blame game when he suggested Webber was at fault, an opinion at odds with most observers.
The controversial front wing swap at the British Grand Prix, the ?not bad for a number two driver? radio transmission, Webber?s championship capitulation, and Vettel?s late charge to become the youngest F1 champion of all time can all be traced back to this moment. Enjoy.
2005 ? Alonso gains upper hand on the way to maiden championship title
The 2005 edition also had an impact on the destination of the drivers? championship that year. The inaugural race set pulses racing as then Renault driver Fernando Alonso duelled aggressively with Championship rival and McLaren driver Kimi Raikkonen as the pair tussled for the lead, but it was an incident later in the race that steered the championship towards the Spaniard and away from the Finn.
Turn eight at Istanbul Park has earned a reputation as one of the most fiendish corners on the race calendar, and it was an incident involving McLaren?s Juan Pablo Montoya in the very first race that helped establish that notoriety.
Comfortably in second place with Raikkonen in the lead and Alonso behind him in third, the Colombian looked to be an immovable object for Alonso as he looked to minimise the damage of Raikkonen?s inevitable race win.
With three laps to go Montoya collided with Jordan backmarker Tiago Monteiro, damaging his diffuser, and when it came to negotiating the 165 mph quadruple apex left-hander on the penultimate lap, there was little he could do as horrendous under-steer guided him well off track to hand Alonso 2nd place and most crucially momentum for the championship run-in. Alonso wouldn?t finish outside the top three for the remainder of the season on his way to his first world title.
Watch Here (external link)
2007 ? Hamilton explodes onto the scene
The third ever race in Istanbul also ranks as one of the defining moments in the championship that year. Lewis Hamilton?s now infamous debut season was marred by in-fighting between the British rookie and team-mate Fernando Alonso, and ultimately disappointment as the now Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen came from nowhere to snatch the crown away from the squabbling McLaren drivers.
Hamilton, who had set a new record having secured nine consecutive podium finishes in his first season, more than any other driver in history, was on course for his 11th podium finish behind Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, when turn eight struck again.
Going into the brutal corner, the Englishman?s tyre exploded under the extreme loads the corner exerts, demoting him from what looked to be an assured 3rd place down to 5th. There was plenty more drama to come that season both on and off the track, but with Raikkonen snatching the title by just a single point, Hamilton was left to rue the events of the 2007 Turkish Grand Prix.
Keep checking Formula1Fancast for the latest ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix which takes place on 6th, 7th and 8th May. Make sure you follow us on Twitter too.
Seattle, WA ? Team San Manuel Yamaha Red Bull?s James Stewart showed more than 52,000 fans in Seattle?s QWEST Stadium, what the speed and determination of a multi-time champion looks like as he posted a convincing win Saturday night on a deeply rutted track. The day started out well, with Stewart posting increasingly fast lap times in practice before the night?s event started.
When Shelby unveiled their new, slithery GT500 Super Snake, we thought this was all that we were going to get in New York. Don’t get us wrong, we were pleased with the package, but now that the company has also unveiled the GTS package based on the V6 Mustang, we twice as happy as we were at the beginning. The GTS package will be offered in both coupe and convertible version with prices starting from $9,995.
The main add-on for the GTS package is a Ford Racing handling pack including new springs, tuned stabilizer bars, and front strut tower brace, and the fresh air package for the normally aspirated V6 tune or V8. Other noteworthy additions are the new Borla exhaust system, Shelby / Baer brakes, redesigned classic Shelby hood, a black billet upper grill with Ford ?Running Pony? emblem, unique Shelby front fascias, and Shelby stripes and badges. The Mustang also comes with an official Shelby CSM interior plate.
"Our Shelby GTS is a fantastic way to pump up the capabilities of a stock Mustang within a budget without sacrificing performance," added Mr. Luft. "It?s a car that reaches a younger buyer while acknowledging the economic realities of our times."
Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali is looking for the Maranello-based outfit to take 'a step in the right direction' in Turkey in two weeks time, although he knows there is unlikely to be a sudden change in the pecking order at Istanbul Park.
?This championship has not started the way we would have wanted or hoped for. Our car definitely needs to improve its performance, especially in qualifying. We must work very hard over the coming weeks, especially on the aerodynamics,? he stated.
?We know our problems can?t be solved by waving a magic wand, all in one go [though], especially as our rivals are not going to sit around twiddling their thumbs: all the same, we need to take a step in the right direction, right from the next race.?
The need to make progress was underlined earlier this week, when Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo came out and 'demanded' that the level of performance be upped.
The Scuderia is currently third in the Constructors? Championship, 55 points behind the leaders, Red Bull Racing.
