Ermilin: Liberty will struggle to sell F1
Liberty Media will struggle to sell F1 for a profit.
That is the view of Igor Yermilin, president of Russia's motor racing federation.
He was asked by Russia's Sportbox publication about rumours that, beset with growing problems and unrest, the American company might be looking to sell.
"The situation is completely expected," Yermilin said.
"The current management wanted to start improving formula one but it turned out to be a lot more difficult.
"They have neither the experience nor the ability to finely control the process, as Bernie Ecclestone did. And all the uncertainties that arise in such a situation generate the rumours," he said.
"All the loud statements from Liberty Media are slowly stopping and now we hear almost nothing from them.
"There are still no new technical regulations. The Concorde Agreement expires soon but that is not very clear, and there are problems with the original promoters who have had grands prix for decades," added Yermilin.
As for the sale rumours, Yermilin said Liberty Media would certainly make a loss.
"It is very difficult to find a buyer who is ready to spend the amount the Americans would need after everything they have spent. They would need to sell it more expensively than they bought it, but there is hardly anyone who is ready to do that," he said.
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The minute Liberty took control of Formula One, it lost all of its traditions and dignity. Note, I have followed the sport since the early 1960's and have a core understanding of what Formula One culture means to real motorsport fans. I predict Liberty will sell at a loss and hopefully the new owners will re-establish or solidify the traditional races in Europe and at a lower cost to the promotors. The only one at Liberty I have any faith in is Ross Brawn.
KGP
Liberty must sell it now.
The thoroughly unappealing current direction - terrible engines and absurd venues, will only make it more painful in future.
Formula 1 is an elite, not elitist, sport, with big money behind it, and needed, to sustain its DNA.
Liberty is an American company with a truly American core of "values." Liberty is obsessed with the egalitarian, with all derogatory ramifications, gospel. America, for the past 30 years has been adrift in the ocean of "ideas."
It became obvious where the Formula is going when they started pushing the anti-sexist gospel, elimination of grid girls. Whether the girls should have stayed or not is, in a way, irrelevant. But that was an indication of how convoluted ideas and priorities of the Liberty Media are.
However one takes it it is problematic when the top management trivializes sport where teams' budgets run as high as half a billion dollars a year. Trying to be all things to all people unavoidably reduces the sport to its lowest common denominator.
Get into the 21st century Simon. Getting rid of half dressed grid girls is one.of the best moves yet- are you 100 years old or just a sexist f**l ! Move into the current and future and get out off the past please!
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It doesn't matter what century it is.
You'll never stop people from looking at people, and wanting to be looked at by people.
No matter how much you want to.
Touche!
Less than 20 years ago people were invoking 20th century as the last word in everything from the way one drunk his wine, made love, bought trousers, went on vacation to the way one chose which team to support. I guess 20th century is no longer the thing. I wonder if the 21st century is not going to suffer the same fate in about 81 years. None of us are likely to be around, so we won't have to answer....
Pam, I went to see Eastwood's The Mule and enjoyed it for the reasons I'm sure you are clueless about.
Let's just say that I identified with the beast of burden on account of being stubborn. I readily admit to being very bad at being told what to do.
Democracy.THE Grid Girls had no say in the decision to end their careers.That was made by MEN
so much for the rights of women ,in this enlightened world of political correctness in F1 ,and yet scantly dressed women adorn 80%of all auto shows and sales,let us be fair and just,give the grid girls the vote
On the lighter note: ever since the mechanics stopped decorating their shops with Playboy centerfolds my Alfas don't run right.
Yip the sooner Liberty get out the better - unlike other forms of sport, F1 is unique and as a follower, since 1967, I agree with Kim G Phillip - F1 has TRUE FANS and once Liberty got involved it was clear that F1 tradition stands to suffer at the cost of the formula. We need F1 in the right hands owned by TRUE F1 fans and not money hungry business mongers