Liberty Media targets grand prix in Africa
Liberty Media is now targeting a race on the continent of Africa.
With the new F1 owner adding a race in the Netherlands for 2020, former supremo Bernie Ecclestone observed: "We're missing a South African grand prix to talk about a real world championship."
But Sean Bratches, who is Liberty's F1 commercial boss, told the Dutch publication Formule 1 that the sport is in talks with potential African promoters.
"We are now racing on five continents," he said. "Africa is the last habitable continent that we don't race on.
"We want to change that."
Bratches added that there is strong interest from a promoter in Morocco to organise a Moroccan Grand Prix. Marrakech is located in North Africa.
Liberty is also actively looking to switch the location of the Brazilian grand prix, with F1's promoters director Chloe Targett-Adams set to meet imminently with officials in Rio de Janeiro.
Globo reports that the meeting will take place in Rio's Copacabana Palace hotel.
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It will be fantastic to have F1 GP back in South Africa!! We already have the (upgraded) Kyalami track (plus the infrastructure) in Johannesburg. Bring it on!!
There was a Union of South Africa Gp when it was an apartheid state an maybe should return but not because of what Ecclestone says,
Regarding Morocco, these guy will put a race anywhere that pays and I don't think there should be considered. What kind of racing history does Morocco have?
In 1958 there was a Moroccan Grand Prix near Casablanca...
I am down with that but I meant is how much high level sports car racing history is there and still going on with platinum drivers or ProAm. How many people attend sports car races there, is there a racing industry that already exists? Morocco is a very different place today and it will not be supported by many citizens but F1 can be bought by the cream of society.
To be honest I don't think F1 should dump any races on the premise of going somewhere else. Don't dump Mexico for a new race when it has been a successful one because Morocco will pay more for a race not 10 years of great racing. Cookie cutter tracks and all the rest is gutting F1. F1 must keep its core and not dilute the product. I think that 20 races is just the right amount or 1 too many.
South Africa did produce a world champion in F1, and they threw off apartheid but the current government has some corruption issues so maybe I spoke too fast about S. Africa. So I'll leave it at F1 want to have too many races and should keep those it has.
All Liberty Media is interested in is MONEY!!
Hey guys, let's take our sport to a country whose GNI is less than F1 total annual expenditure so our viewers can get a whole new spin on the haves and have nots communities on a global scale. Ok, but let's fully engage the locals in the process and leave a s***load of money there every year to create opportunities for that community. Great idea! Let's do that too! but what about if Merc are still winning everything everywhere? well my boy, they are the haves and the rest have not spent or tried hard enough....
Hey CdC, we already have a race in Melbourne Australia, so no need for another third world circuit.
From my understanding, Liberty spent $4Billon for F1 and has $4Billion debt. At 4%, they need to net $30million per (21) race. Probably my numbers may be wrong but regardless the interest cost of each race is extremely high. AvariceEklestone must laughing his ass off.
From my understanding, Liberty spent $4Billon for F1 and has $4Billion debt. At 4%, they need to net $30million per (21) race. Probably my numbers may be wrong but regardless the interest cost of each race is extremely high. AvariceEklestone must laughing his ass off. P.S. If I made this comment earlier, I would like to know when.
From my understanding, Liberty spent $4Billon for F1 and has $4Billion debt. At 4%, they need to net $30million per (21) race. Probably my numbers may be wrong but regardless the interest cost of each race is extremely high. AvariceEklestone must laughing his ass off. P.S. If I made this comment earlier, I would like to know when. If so, where is it?
Think it's a little under six million per race but still a big number
That's at a more likely 3 percent