Formula One Returning Home?
(10 votes, average: 4.40 out of 5) 
Loading ...Ever since I was little, my dad would start bragging and getting excited about the Formula One weekend weeeeeks before and when it was finally time, he would make sure to wake up early, sit in front of the television and start yelling and cheering for his favorite drivers.
When we think of Formula 1, we automatically think Montreal summer, closing off many streets, traffic, downtown full of people who come from abroad… my dad yelling in front of the television. I think most Montrealers were as disappointed as I was when news came out that F1 would no longer be held in Montreal following a financial dispute last year. I mean, come on… Montreal has been hosting the Grand Prix since 1978. It attracts hundreds and thousands of people and brings in more than $100 million for the economy. Why would anyone in the right mind put all this in jeopardy?
I got excited again (and got my dad excited) as I came across some articles last week. It looks like negotiations are going on between Grand Prix F1 du Canada Inc. and Formula One management and if everything goes well, Montreal will be on the Formula 1 schedule again for June 2010. Normand Legault, the F1 promoter who no longer wants to be involved, said: “I never doubted that the Canadian race would regain its rightful place on the F1 schedule and my discussions with F1 management led me to believe that the event would return soon”. Now there is a down side to this; the only way to have the race back is by having the support of the provincial and municipal governments (which means our money). Mayor Gerald Tremblay stated that the F1’s return had to make economic sense.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed for F1 to be back and let’s pray that it won’t cost us tax payers an arm and a leg!
The tables have finally turned around: Bernie Ecclestone has come crawling back to Montreal.
Yes Bernie, we’ll gladly host the F1 for you, with an added cost.
While I’m not a fan of the whole organization (can’t say I enjoy watching cars turn around a track for hours…) I do understand the economic boost it brings to our city. I think Ecclestone was an idiot last year by taking the event away from us and giving it to Turkey. Did anyone read how bad the turnout was? The event promoters couldn’t sell enough tickets. As a result, the stands were empty, as football (soccer) dominates the Middle East. What were they thinking?
Hosting the F1 in North America makes more money for Ecclestone. How? Thanks to something called a time zone difference, Europeans can come home from work and actually watch the whole event on television. With the plethora of ads that will be crammed down every viewer, the money we’re asking from Ecclestone is peanuts.
Hooray for an upcoming weekend of hell downtown in the early future.
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