Ecclestone and Truck Racing
23. January 2015There’s no love lost between Bernie Ecclestone and the truck racing community, in Germany and everywhere. Formula 1’s top brass has never had any regard for the FIA European Truck Racing Championship — or many other motorsport series for that matter. The truck racers, on the other hand, are very attentive to what goes on in Formula 1, because the FIA ETRC has always had to align itself with big boss Bernie’s plans when it comes to races on F1 circuits. But Ecclestone astounded everyone last week with his announcement that the German Grand Prix would be run, not on the Nürburgring as envisaged, but in Hockenheim.
Should that actually happen, the truck racers and all fans of the sport would be livid. This year the Truck Grand Prix on the Ring, which is the climactic event of the FIA ETRC, turns 30 and it would be only fitting for this anniversary to be celebrated over the traditional TGP weekend in mid-July. But Mr E made this a bone of contention by block-booking the Ring – according to the officials – for the whole month of July. And so, for the first time, this year’s TGP will take place in June.
This is going to require a colossal effort on the part of the teams involved, knocking down their tents after the race in Nogaro, tearing across 1,300 km to the Eifel, and then setting them up again at the Ring — in all of three days. Everything has to be ready by the Thursday morning, when the TGP traditionally kicks off. Which leaves precious little time for service and repair.
True, the truck racers did accomplish a somewhat similar feat in 2013, when the TGP followed a week after the race in Austria. But don’t forget, the journey from Styria to the Eifel is almost 500 km shorter.
The TGP isn’t going to be rescheduled now, even if the F1 race does indeed shift to the Hockenheimring and the Nürburgring is freed up for July.
At the moment all we have is the announcement by Ecclestone and subsequent comments issued by the Hockenheimring (“If all pieces fall into place, there’s a 100 percent chance that the Formula 1 race will be run in Hockenheim in 2015”) and the Nürburgring (“We have taken note of Mr Ecclestone’s statements, but offer no comment. We would, of course, be pleased to host a Formula 1 race on the Nürburgring this year. But a Formula 1 race must also be remunerative for the circuit.”)
The crux of the matter, then, appears to be the potential revenue, or anticipated inadequacy thereof.
But affronted vanity could also be a factor. A year ago, when discussions about the sale of the Nürburgring reached their climax, Ecclestone had declared: “We have made an offer and now wait to see if it is accepted.” But the Briton’s chances were reckoned to be considerably poor then, given that the district court in Munich had just admitted a case of bribery against him. That effectively ruled him out as a potential buyer of the Nürburgring, and the circuit eventually went to Capricorn.
When it became known towards the middle of last year that Formula 1 was about to conclude a five-year contract with the new owners, Ecclestone declared: “I have met the people from Capricorn and discussed with them how we could seal a longer-term deal. I would welcome that.”
There were already contracts in place with the Hockenheimring — for some years now the German GP is held on the Nürburgring and the Hockenheimring every alternate year. But Ecclestone was also quoted citing exit clauses.
In the event, obviously, no contract was concluded with the Nürburgring for 2015, which also means neither German circuit now has a contract for this year’s German GP.
Impressions:
