formula 1 racing

Dennis Joins The Spa Debate
09-02-2002
Ron Dennis has urged Formula One's authorities to think very carefully about dropping the charismatic Belgian Grand Prix from the Formula One calendar.

As the Grand Prix circus rolls out of the picturesque Ardennes region after another blast at the drivers' favourite circuit, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the future of the Belgian race.

The Belgian government, like many other European and developed nations, have announced their intention to ban all tobacco and related advertising from sport as of August, 2003.

Unlike Australia, Malaysia, Germany and a host of other Formula One host countries, however, Spa-Francorchamps will not be given an exemption allowing the Formula One cars to remain fully branded in next year's race.

And, with Turkey, Bahrain, China and Russia knocking on the Grand Prix door, Ron Dennis adds his voice to the debate that Belgium might lose their historic berth on the FIA World Championship schedule.

'There are seventeen races permitted in the current world championship and there are several countries prepared to go further in their overall package,' said the McLaren Group chief.

As well as offering a tobacco-ban haven, then, a growing trend in the sport is for Grand Prix hosts to provide better 'Venues, facilities, circuits and inevitably a better package for the electronic and print media,' Dennis said.

While Bernie Ecclestone eyes the commercial advantages of taking his circus elsewhere, however, Ron Dennis qualifies his argument by adding that Spa-Francorchamps is a unique, charismatic, popular F1 destination.

'Spa is a particularly challenging circuit and has the charisma that stems from Eau Rouge, through the length of the track to the fact that it sometimes rains halfway round - all of these things,' Dennis adds.

'We have to be careful about moving too far away from the heritage elements of racing but there has to be a balance. I think organisers sometimes play heavily on that aspect.'

Ron Dennis, of course, refers to the position of strength the historic, charismatic venues have in trying the patience of the authorities when it comes to negotiating the commercial package.

'Putting aside Spa, can you conceive not having a Monaco Grand Prix? No? Well, imagine the advantage that places the organisers in,' he muses.

'To a certain degree some of the circuits trade on that to try to optimise their own commercial position. And that means that as a revenue-generating race this is probably right at the bottom of the scale.

'If someone like Turkey or Bahrain comes in and the commercial terms are significantly better - which gets passed down to everybody - then you have to look at it and ask if this is the way to up the quality of grand prix racing.'

Bernie Ecclestone, F1 commercial supremo, hinted on the weekend that Spa's Grand Prix could come under threat from as early as 2004.

'I'm not feeling welcome here,' said the 71-year-old on Friday. 'It seems that the making of money is justification enough to be called a criminal,' he added, referring to personal assaults in the Belgian press.

'Clearly, Belgium do not want their Grand Prix anymore.'

Michael Schumacher, who carries a similarly momentous influence in Formula One circles, was eager to promote the discovery of a solution that would ensure the future of the Belgian Grand Prix.

'It has been like this for two or three years now,' says the Ferrari-driving Schumacher. 'People have kept questioning the race's future.'

'In the past they have always found a solution,' added the German. 'I hope they will find a solution this time.

'The memory of my first win here is one of my best ever and it was the starting point for a very good future, though nobody could have expected then what would have happened.'

The German, who harks from Kerpen just across the Belgian border, adds: 'It certainly is a love story for me with this circuit. It is one of the best we have along with Suzuka.

Ecclestone, however, is obstinate: 'There can't be one rule for one track, and another for the rest,' he insisted.

'There are other countries who want us and we have to consider them.'

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