JULY 20, 2002

Is there an alternative to the GPWC?

WITH Bernie Ecclestone currently in what seems to be gridlock with the banks over the Kirch shares in SLEC and the Formula 1 world being rather suspicious of the manufacturer-backed Grand Prix World Championship concept there is an opportunity for someone else to make a bid for the commercial rights to Formula 1 racing. A few years ago there would have been a major opportunity for TV companies but these days very few of these have got through the recession without damage and many of them are struggling seriously because they overspent to acquire sports rights.

Any potential bidder for the rights of the sports would have to be willing to guarantee large sums of money for those involved.

It remains to be seen whether or not such a company could be found and so the main focus of the sport remains on the major players to find a solution to their disputes.