Liberty blames Bernie Ecclestone for F1's growing calendar problems
Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei has blamed Bernie Ecclestone for creating some of the problems that Formula 1's new owner is facing as it attempts to renew grand prix contracts
Although the new management has managed to extend some race deals in the past two years, this year the contracts of the British, German, Spanish, Italian and Mexican GPs are all coming to an end - and no renewals have been agreed as yet.
In addition to differences of opinion over hosting fees, Mexico and Spain both have issues with the public funding that has hitherto supported the races.
Maffei said that former F1 boss Ecclestone had not helped matters by suggesting that races were paying too much under the very deals that he originally put together.
"Bernie had done a very good job, arguably too good a job, and had drained the promoters," Maffei told a Deutsche Bank conference.
"And we got a lot of blow back, partly because we're public now and they can see the prices, and also partly because Bernie suggested to a lot of them that they were overpaying. That didn't help the cause.
"Exacerbating that are governments trying to pull back subsidies, in Mexico, other places - Spain. So that creates some challenges."
Asked about potential new events, Maffei suggested that a race in Africa was among those high on the agenda.
"We remain working on Miami, but there are obstacles to a lot of that," he said.
"We've looked at other alternatives in the US, including Las Vegas [where F1 raced in 1981/82, pictured above]. We've looked at other alternatives in Africa. We're trying to solidify some of the western European races and bring those in.
"That core fanbase is strong, and there are some in the works that may very well come to pass in those traditional western European places.
"You're always trying to balance both solidifying where you are strong, or core, which is historically western Europe, and then adding other things, like expansion to Vietnam, potentially a second race in China, potentially a race in Africa.
"We're not yet prepared to announce any, but there's a careful mix or blend of where you want to grow and where you want to solidify."
The Vietnam GP secured for 2020 is the first new event Liberty has added to the calendar.
Maffei said it "will be more exciting and a positive improvement over Malaysia, which was not differentiated enough from Singapore".
Red Bull brings forward F1 car update from China to Australian GP
Ferrari's Mission Winnow Formula 1 team 'here to stay' for 2019
How F1 teams and personnel react in pressurised situations
OPINION: The pressure is firmly on Red Bull and Mercedes as Formula 1 2021 embarks on its final double-header. How the respective teams deal with that will be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the drivers' and constructors' championships, as Autosport's technical consultant and ex-McLaren F1 engineer explains
Why Ferrari is sure its long-term Leclerc investment will be vindicated
Humble yet blisteringly quick, Charles Leclerc is the driver Ferrari sees as its next world champion, and a rightful heir to the greats of Ferrari’s past – even though, by the team’s own admission, he’s not the finished article yet. Here's why it is confident that the 24-year-old can be the man to end a drought stretching back to 2008
The downside to F1's show and tell proposal
Technology lies at the heart of the F1 story and it fascinates fans, which is why the commercial rights holder plans to compel teams to show more of their ‘secrets’. STUART CODLING fears this will encourage techno-quackery…
How getting sacked gave Mercedes F1’s tech wizard lasting benefits
He’s had a hand in world championship-winning Formula 1 cars for Benetton, Renault and Mercedes, and was also a cog in the Schumacher-Ferrari axis. Having recently ‘moved upstairs’ as Mercedes chief technical officer, James Allison tells STUART CODLING about his career path and why being axed by Benetton was one of the best things that ever happened to him
The remarkable qualities that propelled Kubica’s F1 comeback
It’s easy to look at Robert Kubica’s second Formula 1 career and feel a sense of sadness that he didn’t reach the heights for which he seemed destined. But as BEN ANDERSON discovered, performance and results are almost meaningless in this context – something more fundamental and incredible happened…
The humbling changes Ricciardo made to deliver the goods for McLaren
From being lapped by his own team-mate in Monaco to winning at Monza, it’s been a tumultuous first season at McLaren for Daniel Ricciardo. But, as he tells STUART CODLING, there’s more to the story of his turnaround than having a lovely summer holiday during Formula 1's summer break...
The potential benefits of losing the F1 constructors' title
As the battle continues to rage over the F1 2021 drivers' championship, teams up and down the grid are turning their attentions to the prize money attributed to each position in the constructors' standings. But F1's sliding scale rules governing windtunnel and CFD use will soften the blow for those who miss out on the top places
The invisible enemy that’s made Hamilton’s title charge tougher
After winning his past few Formula 1 titles at a canter, Lewis Hamilton currently trails Max Verstappen by eight points heading into the final double-header of 2021. Although Red Bull has been his biggest on-track challenge, Hamilton feels that he has just as much to grapple with away from the circuit