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.