Glock: Nothing to do with sport

[Dare]

From Planet F1

Another one bites the dust for financial reasons



Timo Glock has hit out at his Marussia exit after losing his race-seat for financial reasons.

On Monday, Marussia announced that they had parted ways with the German with immediate effect.

The decision brought to an end Glock's three-year association with the team in which he had been the only driver to survive year in and year out.

But while his past team-mates may have been replaced because they were under-performing, Glock was sacrificed for financial gain.

Team boss John Booth admitted: "The ongoing challenges facing the industry mean that we have had to take steps to secure our long-term future. Tough economic conditions prevail and the commercial landscape is difficult for everyone, Formula 1 teams included.

"We would like to thank Timo for working with us to reach this decision, especially as he had a valid contract, and also for the contribution he has made to our team."

Glock's former rivals took the Twitter in the wake of the announcement to wish the German, who is expected to head to DTM, the best for his future.

The 30-year-old replied to one message from Mark Webber by expressing his frustration that Formula One is having to turn to pay drivers in order to keep teams afloat.

"Hi mate, thanks a lot for that message, that means a lot to me!" Glock wrote.

"That's the way of F1 at the moment hope it will change again soon because like this it has nothing to do with sport!"

[F1fanaticBD]

Surely this sort issues should be addressed. I know there will always be pay-drivers, the might of money will always show its muscle, but there should be people who will also spot talent and promote it, so that the driver's with no backing could possibly race.

Almost everybody of the paddock seems to miss for various reason, sure was a popular guy..

[vintly]

He was lucky to have a seat for that long. We know that F1 isn't a meritocracy – some teams simply need pay drivers. This isn't ideal, but it's what it is, in F1 at least for the time being. His talent will be recognised and he'll get a drive elsewhere, surely earning a decent wedge every month. Oh and by the way, the 2012 F1 salary list has Glock at €3M for last year.

[Scott]

I kinda agree with Vintly.  If you don't bring along an extreme WOW factor, even at a back end team, then you won't be noticed, and your time in F1 will be short.  Even as it was, he had 4 seasons and change in F1 as a driver and a few more as a reserve/test driver.  Not a bad racing career.  It's not over yet, he could have many years in tin tops and INDY racing if he wants it. 

Millions in salary, model girlfriend.  Living the dream.  Be glad he got to the top series.

Pay drivers are simply well sponsored drivers.  They aren't always moneyed themselves.  If they've managed to get noticed and supported by the sponsors they bring with them, who is to say that they don't deserve to be in F1?

[John S]

Hell even Kimi got dumped by Ferrari to enhance their bigger financial interests, so no one's really safe in a seat unless they have really good sponsor backing.

 

[Irisado]

This is always going to be the problem for small teams, especially in this era.  Unless they actually do something to stop Formula 1 spending from going out of control, most teams are going to require at least one driver to bring sponsorship, and those at the back will require two more often than not.

It's a shame for Glock, and I doubt Marussia will find a better driver to replace him at such short notice, but you never know.

[Jericoke]

This is always going to be the problem for small teams, especially in this era.  Unless they actually do something to stop Formula 1 spending from going out of control, most teams are going to require at least one driver to bring sponsorship, and those at the back will require two more often than not.

It's a shame for Glock, and I doubt Marussia will find a better driver to replace him at such short notice, but you never know.

Formula One teams are funded by sponsors.  The sponsors want a bang for their buck.  Hamilton, Kimi and Alonso may not be 'pay' drivers, but all the same, Ferrari, McLaren et al are looking for the best drivers so that their big paying sponsors see that they are serious about winning in F1, and having the cars, with sponsor ads, on TV.

The 'unproven drivers' have to work hard to build a business relationship with sponsors, and sponsors have to gamble on the drivers they have a relationship with.  They can't just dump the face of their company and hire another guy every year, there's no 'brand' there, no 'value'.

The way to solve this is to increase the price of tickets and TV rights so that fans pay the cost of the teams directly.

Quite frankly, my contribution to McLaren, Ferrari and Redbull etc. is their share of the $5 I pay a month for the channel that covers F1 in Canada.  I  like F1, but I'm not paying $1000 a year to watch it on TV.  If that means guys like Glock and Kobiashi have to find work elsewhere so someone who is 1/10th a lap slower can finish 15th in their place, then that's the way it is.

[Ian]

$5 a month Jeri, that's one helluva bargain, I think sky charge  Brits about £25 a month.

[John S]

$5 a month Jeri, that's one helluva bargain, I think sky charge  Brits about £25 a month.

Only to us poor darlings that are not Sky customers Ian.    Sky subscribers can get it for the cost of the HD package, which I think is £10, or less, extra.

 

[Monty]

Sky is sold in bundles.
The lowest package price is about £22; you can then select films, sport, etc. at extra cost.
To get F1 you have to have the whole sports package at an additional £25.
HD is another £10
If (like me) you want Eurosport, Motors, etc. that's another £5
Thus you can easily be routinely ripped off to the tune of £700 - £1000 per year. Oh, and of course you have to live with endless adverts, and when it comes to F1, put up with some fairly indifferent presentation.

[John S]

Sky is sold in bundles.
The lowest package price is about £22; you can then select films, sport, etc. at extra cost.
To get F1 you have to have the whole sports package at an additional £25.
HD is another £10
If (like me) you want Eurosport, Motors, etc. that's another £5
Thus you can easily be routinely ripped off to the tune of £700 - £1000 per year. Oh, and of course you have to live with endless adverts, and when it comes to F1, put up with some fairly indifferent presentation.

Yeah but if you buy a basic Sky TV entertainment bundle and then add HD package you will get F1, you do not need to buy any sports package to get the F1 channel from SKY. You also get the F1 channel if you already have the full sports or HD package.

On Virgin, which I'm now on, you have to buy the Sky full sports package to get F1 channel alongside a TV entertainment bundle from Virgin.

[vintly]

Yeah but if you buy a basic Sky TV entertainment bundle and then add HD package you will get F1, you do not need to buy any sports package to get the F1 channel from SKY. You also get the F1 channel if you already have the full sports or HD package.

On Virgin, which I'm now on, you have to buy the Sky full sports package to get F1 channel alongside a TV entertainment bundle from Virgin.

This is correct, same for me John. With Sky the F1 HD channel is thrown in if you get the HD bundle - no need to get the sports bundle to get F1 channel. Contemplating switching to Sky...

[Jericoke]

$5 a month Jeri, that's one helluva bargain, I think sky charge  Brits about £25 a month.

I'm just watching in Standard Def.  $5 more for High Def.

Of course, the channel that carries F1 also carries:

• NHL Hockey (by far the channel's biggest liscence)
• CFL Football (like American football, but our balls are bigger)
• NFL Football (like Canadian football, but their balls are smaller)
• Tennis
• Golf
• NASCAR
• NBA Basketball (TV ratings are so low, that typically there are more people watching the game in person at the stadium than on TV, and they normally get about 12,000 people)

So Bernie's cut of my $5 can't be more than 20 cents or so.  Given 8 million total subscribers to TSN in Canada... he gets about $19 million from Canadian TV rights a year.

[Irisado]

The way to solve this is to increase the price of tickets and TV rights so that fans pay the cost of the teams directly.

I don't agree.  The way to solve this is for Ecclestone to give the teams as much bigger share of the money which F1 generates than they currently do.

[Scott]

I think you need to understand Jeri has a dry, sarcastic side to her.  Lol