F1 will not change approach despite promoters’ concern

F1 promoters association expecting more cooperation from Liberty Media

Formula One’s chief executive, Chase Carey, has hit back in his row with race promoters by insisting the sport’s owners will not change their approach.

F1 met with unhappy grands prix chiefs in London last week after they issued a statement criticising how the sport is being run.

Carey, who took over from Bernie Ecclestone following Liberty Media’s £6.4bn acquisition of F1 two years ago, is usually hesitant to speak in public. But responding to the promoters’ group, the American, understood to have been upset by the criticism, said: “It’s not going to change what we are doing.

“It’s part of life, you are going to find a bunch of people who have something to complain about and are going to make noise. We will go forward and do what we are doing.”

On the eve of last week’s summit, the Formula One Promoters’ Association, that claimed to represent 16 of the 21 grands prix and of which Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle is chairman, accused the sport’s owners of lacking clarity.

Carey, who was speaking to ESPN, added: “We already had a day set up to talk about initiatives and they, well, only a couple of guys, put out a press release saying we need to talk about initiatives. That was the strangest part.”

The British Grand Prix is set to fall off the F1 calendar at the end of the year unless a new deal can be agreed.

The British Racing Drivers’ Club, owners of the Northamptonshire circuit, initiated a break clause in their contract in 2017 over escalating hosting fees.

They will pay an estimated £20m to stage this year’s event. Monza, Hockenheim, Barcelona and Mexico City are also entering the final season of their respective contracts.

It was announced on Tuesday that F1 has renewed its deal to race in Azerbaijan until at least 2023.

And in an apparent warning to Silverstone, Carey added: “There are issues we have got to wrestle around, and we do have others that are being aggressive about wanting to be a part of the calendar. We don’t have that many slots.

“Silverstone chose to make it public a couple of years ago, but we have continued to deal with it as a private discussion, with them and our other partners.”

Meanwhile, F1 will have a race in Azerbaijan until at least 2023 after a new deal was announced on Tuesday. The grand prix on the streets of Baku was due to expire next season, but a three-year extension has been agreed. – www.theguardian.com