Blake wrote:
Exediron wrote:
Herb wrote:
Blake wrote:
Fine... then let the teams all have their own profits from branded items rather than having divided amongst all teams. Let the teams negotiate with each venue for a share if revenue based on their fan base in attendance. Lets face it some teams mean more to F1 than do others. Some bring more money and fans into the sport... and a small handful of teams have made F1 into the popular sport that is today...
You cant deny their impact... well i guess you can, but it would be s bit foolish.
I'd be fine with teams keeping the profits from merch sales. I'm surprised they don't already, whenever I've bought McLaren tops I've paid McLaren directly.
Attendance revenue is different though. How do you work that out? And just because a fan is wearing a Ferrari top, it doesn't mean they wouldn't attend should Ferrari leave F1.
I won't deny Ferrari are good for F1. But you also can't deny that the Ferrari brand wouldn't be the same without Formula 1.
Both good points.
Firstly, I absolutely do think teams should get equal payments and keep their own merchandise money. That would make a team's extra income directly proportional to their fanbase and the people they bring into the sport, making it much more fair. Ferrari would doubtless still get the most, but through a much better mechanism.
Second, Ferrari relies on F1 to be what it is. It's a mutually beneficial relationship, but I fully believe that Ferrari needs F1 more than F1 needs Ferrari. The same is even more true of McLaren and Williams; Williams is nothing without F1, and even with the struggles McLaren is currently experiencing, the mere fact of their F1 pedigree makes their cars stand out in a way that a new supercar manufacturer can't hope to match. The teams give F1 value, but F1 also gives the teams a lot in return.
Actually, Ferrari does need for F1 to be what it is... hell, they pretty much, with the assistance of a very, very few other teams built the sport into what it is. Would F1 survive without Ferrari and McLaren... probably, would it be the F1 you love, not likely. Would Ferrari survive without F1? I have no doubt. Yes, they have created a bit of a "monster" in that their history is so involved with F1, especially after getting their donkeys kicked by Fords big dollar effort in sports cars in the 60s. However, were they to find themselves outside of F1, there are other options that they could turn to that would maintain their image. Sports cars in particular. Their brand image is incredibly strong right now. Over half of the Top 100 collector car sales as of last year are Ferraris. Just today, there are articles that Ferrari has now passed Tesla as the strongest automotive stock on the exchange, and as usual, their production is sold out for months/years in advance. They certainly have benefited by their F1 involvement, but the name and the reputation is quite well established, as you said.
Ferrari's entire advertisement comes through F1, and their involvement therein. The arrangement the Ferrari and F1 have is almost symbiotic, one needs the other to flourish. That much isn't in any doubt. I agree fully with Exediron insomuch that teams should get equal payment on a base level, and given your constant preaching that Ferrari and it's fanbase bring more to the table than anyone else, surely you wouldn't be against the idea that the teams could recoup all profits on their merchandise? By your own postings, you truly believe that more people show up to an F1 race to watch Ferrari over (at the time our discussion was about Marussia, but I digress) any of the 'lesser' teams. If that truly comes to pass, then surely Ferrari shift more gear than any other team and can recoup money in that fashion, in keeping with their standing within the sport?
The 5% they get now before anyone else is the shining beacon of just how bad it got towards the end of the Ecclestone era. Bernie did great things, but as his power was on the wane he cut some fast and loose deals with several teams in order to reinforce the bottom line and his own seat at the top table. This 'leak' of payments is nothing new, it was fairly common knowledge, but it's been done by a 'team' now, and i'm sure its yet another salvo across the bows of Liberty as they settle in the role of running F1.