raikkster:

Couldn't find the answer on Google this time then?

My Racer111 has turned you all into a cynical bunch hasn't he.  

pt71:

katiekutie:

I'm hopeing that the track, a bit like Turkey, will gain in popularity with TV viewers especially, personally I would prefer somewhere with a bit more undulation but I guess thats not easy with a marina based circuit. I think it's Bernie and CVC who decide where we go to race, not the FIA, and yes, you are right to say the 7% year on year increase is totally unreasonable. Only the very wealthy countries with governments that are prepared to subsidise the events will be getting them before long and that will not include the UK unfortunately.

Living on a boat in Monaco, some people must dream about that sort of thing! Sorry to hear about your stepfather but congratulations on the impending birth. Hope the ski-ing is good too. 

 

Thanks Katie,  I don't think I got my point accross with regards to the FIA and staging the event.  Regardless of who decides where to go etc it's the FIA who decides whether or not a track complies with safety regulations etc.  You would think with this big cost cutting exercise they are trying implement then they would be saying... "Stop lets look at how this portrays F1 and the FIA" whilst it's all well and good the glitz and glamour having these at the expense of traditional racing circuits and depriving the fans of home GP's (and I'm not just talking about England) just because they don't live up to the spectacle of what BE/CVC want F1 to be.  They risk alienating a lot of fans with their current course of action.  And while I believe that the Far/Middle East should also be allowed to host their own races this should not come at the detriment to the rest of the world just because they don't meet opulence of the new world order.

I kind of had the same feeling watching the ADGP that I got when watching the news that the bankers were still getting huge bonuses.  You know global downturn and still watching the culprits getting rewarded.  FIA telling the teams to vastly reduce costs and stifling competition and then lording it up with the Arab royalty on huge yachts and massive parties.

I can see what you are saying about the FIA's involvement but I'm afraid I'm a bit sceptical about their whole attitude to the cost cutting plans. They all seem to be driven by CVC's need to reduce their overheads as much as reducing the cost of competing. The only bit of mitigation I can offer is that the plans were laid and the construction on the circuit started well before the global downturn bit, but I would have to say that you don't get the impression here that there has been a downturn, seems much stronger than Europe in that way.

 

pt71:

raikkster:

Couldn't find the answer on Google this time then?

My Racer111 has turned you all into a cynical bunch hasn't he.  

No, it has nothing to do with Racer's posts mate, but several of her previous ones. I believe she also posted here previously under a different username.  I do believe that her and Racer 111 are equally genuine if that helps though. 

pt71:

katiekutie:

I'm hopeing that the track, a bit like Turkey, will gain in popularity with TV viewers especially, personally I would prefer somewhere with a bit more undulation but I guess thats not easy with a marina based circuit. I think it's Bernie and CVC who decide where we go to race, not the FIA, and yes, you are right to say the 7% year on year increase is totally unreasonable. Only the very wealthy countries with governments that are prepared to subsidise the events will be getting them before long and that will not include the UK unfortunately.

Living on a boat in Monaco, some people must dream about that sort of thing! Sorry to hear about your stepfather but congratulations on the impending birth. Hope the ski-ing is good too. 

 

Thanks Katie,  I don't think I got my point accross with regards to the FIA and staging the event.  Regardless of who decides where to go etc it's the FIA who decides whether or not a track complies with safety regulations etc.  You would think with this big cost cutting exercise they are trying implement then they would be saying... "Stop lets look at how this portrays F1 and the FIA" whilst it's all well and good the glitz and glamour having these at the expense of traditional racing circuits and depriving the fans of home GP's (and I'm not just talking about England) just because they don't live up to the spectacle of what BE/CVC want F1 to be.  They risk alienating a lot of fans with their current course of action.  And while I believe that the Far/Middle East should also be allowed to host their own races this should not come at the detriment to the rest of the world just because they don't meet opulence of the new world order.

I kind of had the same feeling watching the ADGP that I got when watching the news that the bankers were still getting huge bonuses.  You know global downturn and still watching the culprits getting rewarded.  FIA telling the teams to vastly reduce costs and stifling competition and then lording it up with the Arab royalty on huge yachts and massive parties.

Great post pt71, you've said exactly what I was thinking.  Your previous post about EJ saying they just got it done, was spot on too.  Yes, they got it done, by throwing money at it.  And all the talk about cost cutting for the teams, compared to the no-cost-spared circuit and the entertainment packages, do they think people won't notice?  As you say, it's just like the bankers and their bonuses.  Someome said, "the rich are different", and you have to wonder if they do think differently from the rest of us.

justrace:

RaggedEdge:

I just wonder how much of that money will end up funding terrorist activities, and the opium production in Afghanistan...

Call me old fashioned, but the middle east has way too many links to terrorism for me to ever want to spend a dime there...

The FIA probably feels right at home...

I don't think old fashined is quite the right word to describe you and your posts. I think out of touch like Al Qaeda is more appropriate.

If you were an Al Qaeda Operative, I'm sure you would head up the department of information...

amazing to see what high gas prices have paid for,i think these oil countries are looking at other ways of making money because they know that new technologies will reduce the oil dependecy that countries like the united states have ,i think it is smart for them to not want all income to come from oil

pt71:

katiekutie:

I'm hopeing that the track, a bit like Turkey, will gain in popularity with TV viewers especially, personally I would prefer somewhere with a bit more undulation but I guess thats not easy with a marina based circuit. I think it's Bernie and CVC who decide where we go to race, not the FIA, and yes, you are right to say the 7% year on year increase is totally unreasonable. Only the very wealthy countries with governments that are prepared to subsidise the events will be getting them before long and that will not include the UK unfortunately.

Living on a boat in Monaco, some people must dream about that sort of thing! Sorry to hear about your stepfather but congratulations on the impending birth. Hope the ski-ing is good too. 

 

Thanks Katie,  I don't think I got my point accross with regards to the FIA and staging the event.  Regardless of who decides where to go etc it's the FIA who decides whether or not a track complies with safety regulations etc.  You would think with this big cost cutting exercise they are trying implement then they would be saying... "Stop lets look at how this portrays F1 and the FIA" whilst it's all well and good the glitz and glamour having these at the expense of traditional racing circuits and depriving the fans of home GP's (and I'm not just talking about England) just because they don't live up to the spectacle of what BE/CVC want F1 to be.  They risk alienating a lot of fans with their current course of action.  And while I believe that the Far/Middle East should also be allowed to host their own races this should not come at the detriment to the rest of the world just because they don't meet opulence of the new world order.

I kind of had the same feeling watching the ADGP that I got when watching the news that the bankers were still getting huge bonuses.  You know global downturn and still watching the culprits getting rewarded.  FIA telling the teams to vastly reduce costs and stifling competition and then lording it up with the Arab royalty on huge yachts and massive parties.

I think you're spot on. We've already lost the French and Canadian GP's (though I believe the latter may be coming back) and now the British and Belgian GP's are under threat too! These venues are what made F1 what it is and let's face it the West is where all the teams are based and the majority of the fans too.

Bernie will do well not to bite the hand that feeds him. 

 

 

katiekutie:

drapes:

I thought Abu Dhabi missed the point by a mile!!!!!!

The emphasis was all about the venue and the cost of development!

The camera angles were all about the venue.

The whole thing came across as some tacky funfair crossed with a cruise ship disco!

F1 hit an all time low this weekend..............

A boring boring tedious event!

F1 Abu Dhabi? I'd rather watch beer go flat!!

 

The rest of your post is drivel as usual aname.. 

 

  

 

I take it you were watching on TV?

Tacky it most certainly is not. You have to be here to appreciate it all, to experience it. I accept fully that the TV audience is extremely important, it generates a lot of revenue, and I'm not sure that Bernie/CVC have got that bit right (as I've said in another thread), there's room for improvement. Boring? I wasnt bored, I throughly enjoyed the whole weekend, not only the racing but the other events as well, Beyonce was great! There's much talk of the lack of overtaking but I don't think it was any worse than Silverstone this year. I'll leave you to watch your beer go flat, I'm off to dinner and a few glasses of champers - it wont get the chance to go flat!!! 

 

I hesitate to point out the obvious to you Katie.....but this thread is about the race!

And I always thought that you were a fan of the racing.

drapes:

katiekutie:

drapes:

I thought Abu Dhabi missed the point by a mile!!!!!!

The emphasis was all about the venue and the cost of development!

The camera angles were all about the venue.

The whole thing came across as some tacky funfair crossed with a cruise ship disco!

F1 hit an all time low this weekend..............

A boring boring tedious event!

F1 Abu Dhabi? I'd rather watch beer go flat!!

 

The rest of your post is drivel as usual aname.. 

 

  

 

I take it you were watching on TV?

Tacky it most certainly is not. You have to be here to appreciate it all, to experience it. I accept fully that the TV audience is extremely important, it generates a lot of revenue, and I'm not sure that Bernie/CVC have got that bit right (as I've said in another thread), there's room for improvement. Boring? I wasnt bored, I throughly enjoyed the whole weekend, not only the racing but the other events as well, Beyonce was great! There's much talk of the lack of overtaking but I don't think it was any worse than Silverstone this year. I'll leave you to watch your beer go flat, I'm off to dinner and a few glasses of champers - it wont get the chance to go flat!!! 

 

I hesitate to point out the obvious to you Katie.....but this thread is about the race!

And I always thought that you were a fan of the racing.

The title of the thread is "Was I the only one who found Abu Dhabi abhorent?" it does not actually mention the race. To me the race is much more than 2 hours on a sunday afternoon in England. I enjoy the whole build up to those two hours, the practice, qualifying and the side shows. The race is partly won during qualifying and that is just as important as the race it's self, add in the stratagies used by the teams and the guess work that goes with that from a spectators point of view and that is what I find is exciting. Yes, I enjoyed the concert and the ambience and so anyone should who bothers to go to an event in person rather than watch it on TV, whats wrong with that?

Got to go catch my plane, I'll catch you back in England.

 

raikkster:

katiekutie:

pt71:

katiekutie:

I take it you were watching on TV?

Tacky it most certainly is not. You have to be here to appreciate it all, to experience it. I accept fully that the TV audience is extremely important, it generates a lot of revenue, and I'm not sure that Bernie/CVC have got that bit right (as I've said in another thread), there's room for improvement. Boring? I wasnt bored, I throughly enjoyed the whole weekend, not only the racing but the other events as well, Beyonce was great! There's much talk of the lack of overtaking but I don't think it was any worse than Silverstone this year. I'll leave you to watch your beer go flat, I'm off to dinner and a few glasses of champers - it wont get the chance to go flat!!! 

 

If you don't mind me asking Katie how much were the tickets not including the flight and was the Beyoncé ticket included in the price?  If this was the same price as the weekend at Silverstone then I have to admit I'll be seriously impressed.  

If this is a lot more expensive then you cannot defend Abu Dhabi.  The majority of people who view F1 do it from their armchairs and aren't privileged enough to attend these events.  And whilst I agree it is completely different being there in person (I grew up in Monaco, hence me being a huge F1 fan and my parents still live there) and I try to get out there as much as possible, Monaco will always hold a place in my heart, but Valencia is extremely boring on TV and tbh I found Abu Dhabi a bit of the same.  Unfortunately it has become about the venue and not about the racing or people that make it important, Brazil was a far more entertaining race and look how much they spend.  The whole weekend was about money and partying rather than racing and that lessens F1 in any true racing fan.

I really don't know what the ticket prices are, grandad did all the bookings and I was not involved. I'm told the admission prices are comparable with other venues but..., in fairness, we booked for the whole weekend and a bit more - fly back tomorrow - so it's not directly comparable with Silverstone where we go for the three days. I would'nt try to defend it against Silverstone but then Silverstone does not have the sort of facilities this place has and I guess you get what you pay for, it terms of value for money I think it's good. I agree that the vast majority of people watch the race on screen and that there needs to be some attention paid to how thats presented, I've said on other threads that there is room for improvement. I like Valencia, but again, from being there, I've watched the replay on TV and would have to agree that it's not the greatest spectacle, I suppose it's difficult to get good camera positions with those concrete walls - Abu Dhabi is better in that there are several good sized run-off areas and a more panoramic view than you can get between the walls of Valencia. Brazil was a very good race, probably the best this year, and it's usually a good race every year, there is something about that circuit and if you could package it and take it to somewhere like Abu Dhabi you really would be on a winner. The whole weekend about money and partying? Whilst there was an element of that - helped by it being the last event this season so the teams all had parties - I dont think thats the whole story. There can be no doubt that Abu Dhabi went all out to impress people around the world and they really do want people to look at what they have there and give it serious consideration for a vacation, it was a weekend of advertising the venue in some respects. There are lots of other things planned for this place, they seem to go in for a lot of music events as well.

Interesting you grew up in Monaco, I have an aunt - she's not really an aunt, she was my mothers best friend at school and I've always called her auntie - who has an apartment which overlooks the chicane after the tunnel. She's not a great fan of race week and often goes to our place in Spain and lets us use her apartment in return, works well for us!

It's just gone half past twelve so time for a spot of lunch, guess I'll have to start packing, bet it's wet and cold back in England!

 

Couldn't find the answer on Google this time then?

Or could have just asked her Grandad who she is apparentley with.

Love the bit about about her Auntie who is not her Auntie....

the_hump:

Or could have just asked her Grandad who she is apparentley with.

Love the bit about about her Auntie who is not her Auntie....

Where have you been, uncle hump?

justrace:

the_hump:

Or could have just asked her Grandad who she is apparentley with.

Love the bit about about her Auntie who is not her Auntie....

Where have you been, uncle hump?

Have you missed me ? Ive just returned from Abu Dhabi....

Or closer to the truth - Recovering from Swine Flu...

andy karter:

I think you're spot on. We've already lost the French and Canadian GP's (though I believe the latter may be coming back) and now the British and Belgian GP's are under threat too! These venues are what made F1 what it is and let's face it the West is where all the teams are based and the majority of the fans too.

Bernie will do well not to bite the hand that feeds him. 

 

 

 

Belgium's issues have nothing to do with the FIA or CVC; but everything to do with Local Council at Spa-Francorchamps

the_hump:

justrace:

the_hump:

Or could have just asked her Grandad who she is apparentley with.

Love the bit about about her Auntie who is not her Auntie....

Where have you been, uncle hump?

Have you missed me ? Ive just returned from Abu Dhabi....

Or closer to the truth - Recovering from Swine Flu...

Oink, oink...

 

RaggedEdge:

I just wonder how much of that money will end up funding terrorist activities, and the opium production in Afghanistan...

Call me old fashioned, but the middle east has way too many links to terrorism for me to ever want to spend a dime there...

The FIA probably feels right at home...

What a naive statement!

The Middle East is not a single country and as far as I am aware the United Arab Emirates has never been implicated in any terrorist activity.  Even when I worked in the Gulf in the 70s Abu Dhabi and Dubai were just starting to be developed and had good relationships with the UK.

Some Gulf countries go even further than that.  Oman has such good links with the UK to the extent that British Royal Navy Officers get seconded to the Omani Navy and help to keep the entrance to the Gulf open.