Organisers of the inaugural Indian grand prix have sold 80,000 tickets ahead of Sunday’s race.
The capacity of the new Buddh circuit is 120,000, the AFP news agency said.

“We have sold close to 80,000 tickets which is pretty encouraging considering that its the first F1 race ever in the country,” said a spokesman for race promoter Jaypee.

“Of course we would have been happier had we sold off 90 per cent tickets because ticket sales are the only source of revenue for us. But there are still a few days to go and we are keeping our fingers crossed,” he added.

In a late bid to fill the circuit, tickets are now being sold at a discounted rate.

London’s Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary wrote on Tuesday that the Buddh circuit is “rough and almost ready” for Sunday’s race.

“But what do you expect?” smiled the country’s motor federation president Vicky Chandhok. “I think people anticipated worse.”

This weekend is proof that India, now a major economic player on the global scale, has also arrived in formula one.

“I would not put it past the (race promoter) Jaypee Group to start investing in a formula one team,” said Chandhok. “That may be the next step.”

Another hurdle has been mounted ahead of India’s troubled preparation for its inaugural grand prix.
Amid talk the new Buddh circuit is barely ready for this weekend’s race, the Indian supreme court last week ordered that a quarter of the proceeds of the ticket sales be withheld over a tax dispute.

But the latest dispute could cost organisers Jaypee crucial national media coverage, and worryingly the row is with the sport’s powerful Formula One Management (FOM).

The Hindustan Times reports that Indian television channels are threatening to boycott covering the event because of FOM’s restrictive access to the race feed.

Jaypee’s communications boss Askari Zaidi warned reporters that they must cover the race.

“When they signed their accreditation form, they agreed to the terms and conditions, so I expect them to cover the event,” he said.

He added that FOM is so restrictive when it comes to the television feed that even Jaypee, the promoter of the event and owner of the circuit, was denied access.

“We requested them to allow us to bring in cameras, but were refused. Even after we asked them to look into the matter, they refused, saying we could only buy a one minute feed of the race,” said Zaidi.

It has been a troubled build-up for the Indian race, but motor sport clubs of India president Vicky Chandhok insists the organisers will learn for the future.

“India has never hosted such a big event. It’s the largest ever,” he told the Times of India. “No IPL (cricket), no Commonwealth Games comes anywhere close to it.”

The boss of F1′s Spa-Francorchamps race is not sure the presence of a Belgian driver will boost the popularity of next year’s grand prix.

After it was announced that Jerome d’Ambrosio will race with the Virgin team in 2011, the circuit’s chiefs predicted the 24-year-old’s appointment will have a “positive impact” on the Belgian grand prix next August.

But race promoter Andre Maes is not so sure.

“This can only be positive,” he told La Libre newspaper.

“But will it boost ticket sales? I don’t know. Did the presence of (1994 Lotus driver Philippe) Adams or (2004 Minardi Friday driver Bas) Leinders cause many more Belgians to come?

“So, the impact (on the GP) will depend on how he goes during the first races,” added Maes.

Maes indicated that the likely problem will be not only the performance of the Virgin car, but also d’Ambrosio’s personality.

“I do not know about his popularity,” he continued. “He remained relatively unknown in GP2 — he is not a star. I am convinced that nine tenths of the viewers on RTBF don’t know the sound of his voice.”

Organisers of the historic Belgian grand prix are concerned about the future of F1′s popular Spa-Francorchamps round beyond 2012.

Whilst revealing this week that 40,000 tickets have been sold so far for the forthcoming August 29 event, the officials said Spa is under increasing pressure from international venues who have more money to spend.

“The ticket sales for this year are relatively good,” said spokesman Christian Lahaye.

“We hope to reach the figure of 2007, with 65,000 tickets sold, to allow us to achieve a balanced financial position,” he added.

According to the Flemish newspaper De Morgen, Spa’s F1 future could depend on the new Concorde Agreement post-2012 expanding the annual calendar to up to 25 races.

With the influx of new international races promising much higher annual promotion fees, the report said Spa-Francorchamps’ race organisers are worried.

“There is no shortage of candidates (for grands prix),” Spa-Francorchamps circuit boss Andre Maes is quoted by Belga news agency.

“Even France doesn’t have a grand prix,” he said.

The organisers of the European grand prix at Valencia have questioned the accuracy of a leaked draft of next year’s formula one race calendar.

After Hungary, an unofficial 20-race calendar was published by a German outlet, showing the Valencia street event scheduled for late August.

But after a late August date in 2009, organisers Valmor Sport had successfully lobbied for a change to late July for this season.

The lower ambient temperatures and the avoidance of clashes with Spanish holidays were credited for the higher ticket sales.

“The change of date is helping the ticket sales,” F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone admitted.

The provisional 28 August race date for 2011 has therefore surprised Valmor.

According to EFE news agency, sources at the Valencia company are questioning the accuracy of the leaked calendar, insisting that “although it is not yet official, we believe it (the race) will stay in June”.

Valmor Sport said it will wait for an official schedule published by the FIA before commenting.

The sources added: “After conversations we had with Ecclestone and the FIA during the grand prix and thereafter, the idea is that next year (the race) will also be on a similar date in June.”

The FIA is likely to publish an official provisional calendar after September’s meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

Valencia’s earlier date for its grand prix this weekend has resulted in higher ticket sales.

Last year, high ambient temperatures and clashing Spanish holidays meant spectator numbers were low for the European grand prix in late August.

Valencia’s street race was moved to late June for this season, amid suggestions the real problem is that the layout does not produce good racing.

“The city is making an enormous effort but I assume there’s a long way to go,” F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone said in an interview with Spain’s El Mundo newspaper.

“The change of date is helping the ticket sales, as well as the signing of Fernando Alonso with Ferrari,” he added.

In AS newspaper, race promoter Valmor’s boss Jorge Martinez Aspar confirmed that ticket sales for this weekend’s event have gone “well beyond the sales of last year”.

“There will not be as many people as in the first year (2008), but it is much better than last year,” Aspar added.

A warm and sunny weekend of weather is expected in the port city this weekend, with the only possibility of light rain forecast for Friday.
(GMM)

Jun.11 (GMM)  Karun Chandhok has set out his stall for a switch from struggling HRT to the Force India team for 2011.

The Indian rookie said in Montreal that while he is happy to have proved competitive alongside Bruno Senna so far this year, it would make more sense to be on the lineup of the team headed by his countryman Vijay Mallya.

Billionaire Mallya was recently quoted as doubting an Indian is ready to drive a Force India.

But Chandhok, 26, said on Thursday: “I’d love to drive for Force India at some point in my career, whether it happens next year or not, because I think in some ways I’m an ambassador for the sport in our country.”

With Delhi now set to join the F1 calendar, Chandhok insists it is the perfect time to unite an Indian driver with the Silverstone based team.

“A lot of what happens to the sport in that part of the world depends on us a little bit, and I think if you have an Indian driver in an Indian car at the Indian grand prix, it’s a no-brainer in terms of ticket sales,” he insisted.

Chandhok acknowledges that Mallya’s assessments of his form have been cool to date due to inconsistent performances from his GP2 teams.

“So I think this year he’s been quite surprised because I’ve been competitive against Bruno and I think generally I’ve done quite a good job.

“This is just what I hear from people around him; we haven’t really had a conversation about it yet,” he added.

Chandhok also admits that staying with the new Spanish team HRT might not be a bad call.

“If these guys carry out the plans which the (team owners) Carabantes have talked to me about, they can be a very competitive team in the future.

“So far they seem happy with what I’m doing.  Jose Ramon is very keen to try to do something for next year as well,” he added.

Ageing water pipes could threaten Canada’s formula one race, according to a report by Montreal city auditor Jacques Bergeron.

A report summary published in the Montreal Gazette said much of the water system on the man-made Il Notre Dame dates back to the mid-60s, when it was built for Expo 67.

It is now the site of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, scene of next month’s eighth round of the 2010 world championship.

The audit report said there have been 32 water pipe breaks between 2003 and 2008 and a “rupture … could jeopardise the formula one event”.

In other Canadian grand prix news, the race’s new promoter Francois Dumontier has admitted the race has not attracted a title sponsor for 2010.

La Presse, estimating the financial shortfall at $4-5 million, quotes him as saying big companies in the country and region should “look more closely at this wonderful event”.

On a brighter note, Dumontier said ticket sales are up 12 per cent compared to the last time Montreal hosted formula one in 2008.

(GMM)

May 7 (GMM)  July’s German grand prix is not yet sold out, despite the Hockenheim race being held for the first time in two years.

Moreover, Michael Schumacher has made his return from three years of retirement, while there are five other German drivers on the 2010 grid.

In the Barcelona paddock, it was announced by track boss Georg Seiler that 55,000 tickets for race-day Sunday have been sold to date.

But he is quoted by the German news agency SID as confirming that ticket sales did increase in the wake of Schumacher’s decision to return, meaning that the event should break even in 2010.

In 2008, 62,000 spectators attended the Hockenheim race.

But a capacity crowd would be 75,000, and Seiler revealed that 120,000 tickets could be sold if temporary grandstands are erected.

“We hope Schumacher starts to win races.  Then with six German drivers we would be looking at a full house — anything else would be incomprehensible,” he admitted.

Apr.22 (GMM)  Despite earlier fears that the race was endangered, the Spanish grand prix next month will not be affected by the European ash cloud.

As all the sport’s freight – including the cars – were stranded in Shanghai with FOM’s six 747s unable to leave Europe, it was feared earlier this week that the fifth round of the world championship might have to be called off.

But although many F1 figures have in recent days been zig-zagging back to Europe via a host of bizarre routes, European airports and routines were returning to normal throughout Wednesday as the ash cloud subsided — even though the volcano in Iceland is still erupting.

Air China said flights to Europe are now departing.

“Eurocontrol expects approximately 21,000 flights to take place today (Wednesday) in European airspace.  On a normal Wednesday, we would expect 28,000,” the air control organisation said in a statement.

Circuit de Catalunya chief Ramon Prederas said on Thursday that “everything is in place” for the May 5 Spanish grand prix.

“We are ready and working with absolute normality.  The cloud of the volcano did not affect us,” he is quoted as saying by Diario Sport, revealing that ticket sales are currently 10 per cent higher than at the same time last year.

It is also believed that F1′s freight landed successfully in Bilbao, Spain, where the team’s empty trucks were headed on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, contrary to earlier reports, Bernie Ecclestone did in fact give Sebastian Vettel – as well as Michael Schumacher – a seat on his private plane for a return trip to the UK.

Lotus’ AirAsia charter has now arrived in Europe from Kuala Lumpur, and Nico Hulkenberg touched down in Zurich ahead of his return home to the UK.

The funding of Formula 1 is a mystery for many fans and even those inside the sport’s inner circles have trouble understanding the complexities. What is generally known is that funding for Formula 1 consists of huge sponsorship, television coverage and merchandise sales. The merchandise sales are somewhat of an afterthought for sponsors but as the popularity of Formula 1 is growing the merchandise market is also on the increase.
Formula 1 is like many other sports in respect to television coverage. Advertisers will pay for slots in the TV coverage and may even sponsor a specific channel’s coverage of an event. This lucrative method brings vast amounts of funding to the organising body of Formula 1, the FIA as well as its funding company, Formula One. This is important as Formula One is in the driving seat of presenting the Formula 1 package to the public, hence it needs immense funding to carry out these roles.
The Formula 1 teams support themselves in a number of ways; the bigger teams will be able to court sponsors from some of the biggest names in business, whereas smaller teams must make do with lower profiles patrons. Teams also produce their own merchandise ranges to cater for the needs of the average fans; once again the more popular teams obviously make more money.
Venues in the Formula 1 calendar are somewhat limited with their advertising freedom. As Formula 1 is ran by a small number of big business share holders the venue bosses are pushed out of the commercial decisions. Most venues do not have the rights to place their own signage and must pay to host the race. The majority of money made by venues is in the ticket and merchandise sales once fans are inside the track.
This explains why Formula 1 tickets can be very expensive, mainly due to venue managers trying to recoup some of the 13 million dollars they fork out annually to host a race. Hosting a Formula 1 race however is more about the prestige of being a premier world race track.
Formula One is the name of the business behind the sport of Formula 1; it is these businessmen and financiers that control how each race is funded and which sponsors are given preferential treatment. They also decide how much to ‘top up’ F1 teams’ merchandise and sponsorship profits; although this is kept a secret and can sometimes cause friction between teams.
The teams in recent years have not been making enough money from merchandise and sponsorship sales and are beginning to barter for more money from Formula One. Their argument is that they are the entertainers in the sport and so should get a bigger slice of the cake, whether this will be successful is doubtable.
The drivers are not paid from Formula One funds but are employees of the racing teams. The astronomical sums that many of them receive are incomprehensible to those on an average wage, they are however the best drivers in the world and have worked hard to get where they are. The popular drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso can also sign separate merchandising deals, usually for such luxury items as watches and jewellery.
The Formula 1 gravy train is driven by the big business that is Formula One, while Bernie Ecclestone holds a small part of the power in Formula 1; the big businesses that put up a lot of the funding ultimately demand respect. The bankers of the Formula One Company balance payment and income to keep Formula 1 at the pinnacle of motor racing entertainment.
Seemingly the biggest losers in the Formula 1 world are the venues, as ticket sales are most probably the smallest income when compared with the huge TV sponsorship and merchandise deals. In what is seen as an exclusive sport for the rich, the average fan can only afford his team’s merchandise. With high ticket prices and the worldwide nature of the sport it is hard for anyone but the super rich to follow this sport closely from the trackside.