COTA Austin - construction and infrastructure

[WhiteBlue]

All I get from this is... Basically the Austin GP organisers tried to rip Bernie, no ?

Or they thought they were too clever to get ripped off by his usual extortion scheme. Under internatinal standards the deal was sensible, but from an American perspective it was still madness. Perception is subject to your environmental conditioning.

[Pup]

Hellmund:
"The money part has never been my role. If I'd had the money I wouldn't have been willing 18 months ago to give up the majority of my project."

"Reporter: Who's supposed to pay (Ecclestone) for the rights?
Hellmund: The other partners in COTA."

"It's not my place to speak about the financing or the money. It's not my role."

Sorry, I didn't realize that this quote was coming from his press conference. It had been a while since I'd watched it.

My take is that he's being pretty weaselly here. I respect that you take him at his word, but I'm suspicious, and here's why -

First, I'm suspicious of him holding the press conference at all, particularly with his attorney sitting there. What purpose does it serve but to drive more doubts about the race and to jeopardize it further? Is he denying accusations? Dispelling rumors? If so, then what rumors or accusations? He never says. What message is he trying to send by having his attorney sitting next to him? Why does he have to be so careful about what he says? Why is it so necessary to state his defense right now, and such a dramatic fashion? Especially when the issue at hand is the financing and all he does with financial questions is shrug his shoulders? What information is he conveying here that the press needs to know? If he wants the race to go forward as much as he says, then why is he airing dirty laundry instead of biting his tongue? The answer to me is that he doesn't - he's got other motives.

Secondly, sad-puppy plus weasel words always sends up red flags to me. If he's been unjustly kicked to the curb, then why is he being so vague about the disagreement that led to it? If I put myself in his shoes, and take him at his word, then how would I act? What would I say? Well, if I'm in the right, I lay it all out. If there's some contractual gag clause that keeps me from doing so, then I say that's why I can't talk about it. What I don't do is try to obfuscate the very issue that I'm trying to defend myself against. And if talking about the issue might jeopardize me or something I care about in any way, then I certainly don't call a press conference.

Third, I think the question he avoids, which is essentially 'how can you go into an agreement like this without being clear on who's paying the bills', says it all. The question is smart. So, why no straight answer? He earlier gave what seems to be a straight answer about COTA being responsible for paying Bernie, so why not just tell the reporter that there was no confusion? That would be my answer.

Apart from all that, one big question I have is about the buyout. Tavo says that he offered to buy out the other partners. Actually, he says "we" offered to buy them out. So, who is "we"? Tavo spent a lot of time explaining how little money he has, so who is the mystery backer? Is it Bernie? If he's the financial dufus he claims to be, then why would he want to buy them out? Was it even a genuine offer, or just meant to trigger a shotgun clause? Why wouldn't he say, even when asked directly?

Anyway, if you want me to explain away the quotes above, I'd say that there seems to have been, stating it generously, confusion among the partners as to who was responsible for paying Bernie's fee - which, like the reporter said, seems a bit impossible. But if true, it does give him leeway to say that he wasn't responsible for paying the fee, if that is his position. His comment doesn't affect my opinion.

[dren]

Sounds like he was trying to be a middle man and jump out of the deal while "getting his" in the process.

[bhall]

Yes. It's called consulting.

[strad]

When is this December meeting that's supposed to seal our fate?

[hairy_scotsman]

I'm guessing the WMSC meeting will begin around 9am or so tomorrow in Delhi. They're 11.5 hours ahead of us, so it's about 10:45 PM there right now.

[WhiteBlue]

When is this December meeting that's supposed to seal our fate?

You can safely assume that it has already been decided by now. Bernie will have to take an official position at the meeting and I guess that cannot be changed in the last five minutes before the topic of the F1 calendar is discussed. He will have to submit a paper to the council ahead of the talks so that everybody gets updated on his proposal.

So my impression is that Epstein has blown it by now. If he had come to an agreement with Bernie it would have been published immediately.

[hairy_scotsman]

Hang tight guys...I have a good feeling about this, maybe even for 2012.

[strad]

Is it any wonder Bernie is so hated?
Can't stand him, never have.
Even he has admitted he is crazy...I don't know how he has retained his power for so long.

[hairy_scotsman]

Is it any wonder Bernie is so hated?
Can't stand him, never have.
Even he has admitted he is crazy...I don't know how he has retained his power for so long.

This wasn't Bernie's fault. Could have been settled months ago, and without all the drama and mess.

[hairy_scotsman]

Sighting: Tilke executive Christian Epp eating lunch at Wild Bubba's near Circuit of the Americas.


Good sign?

[Richard]

Who would be able to recognise Christian Epp ?

Was he with Elvis, Diana or John Lennon?

[hairy_scotsman]

Who would be able to recognise Christian Epp ?

Was he with Elvis, Diana or John Lennon?

I'd recognize him.

[Richard]

I'm impressed, its hard to even find a pic on the internet, there's not one on the Tilke site. I presume the sighting was by someone who's seen him visiting the site before?

He's in this pic, guess which one ...

[hairy_scotsman]

Susan Combs, Kevin Schwantz, Christian Epp.

I was sitting about a row back and to their right.