Grand Prix World Championship
Encyclopedia
The Grand Prix World Championship, often abbreviated to GPWC, is a general term used to describe any proposed alternative world championship auto racing
series to rival Formula One
.
. GPWC has been superseded by the Grand Prix Manufacturers’ Association.
GPWC Holdings consisted of (and GPMA originally consisted of) Ferrari
, Mercedes-Benz
, BMW
, Renault
, Honda
and Toyota, six of F1's biggest players. The GPWC was created as a tool to assist the companies in bargaining with Bernie Ecclestone
for an agreeable extension to the 1997 Concorde Agreement
, the contract by whose terms the teams compete in F1.
Though the GPWC created definite plans to start a rival series in 2004, the FIA responded by openly trying to entice the breakaway teams with a one off 40 million dollar (US) incentive for their agreements, however the GPWC future was cast into doubt in mid-January 2005 when Ferrari
, FIAT's F1 team, announced it had secretly come to terms with Ecclestone and signed an extension to the Concorde Agreement for a one off payment amounting to 100 million dollars (US). Ecclestone expressed his expectation that the remaining teams would shortly follow suit despite the initial 40 million dollar (US) offer being retracted. However, at around the same time Honda
and Toyota showed interest in working together with GPWC.
teams had threatened to pull out of Formula One. On 18 June 2009, FOTA confirmed that they were to form a breakaway series starting in 2010. The teams were quoted saying "We've no alternative than to commence preparation for a new championship," following their four-hour long meeting. The FIA responded to the teams' move in a statement, saying: "We are disappointed but not surprised by FOTA's inability to reach a compromise in the best interests of the sport."
On 23 June 2009, FOTA took the threat further by leaking a provisional calendar for a breakaway series in order to counter claims by the FIA that the teams lacked the sufficient funding to organize their own tournament. The schedule included 17 races made up of some circuits that were currently hosting a Grand Prix in the 2009 Season
(such as Singapore), some circuits that had not held a Grand Prix in recent years (such as Jerez), and some that have never held a F1 Grand Prix. Some circuits were ones that have been controversially removed from F1 calendars by the FIA, including Montreal
having been removed from the 2009 Season.
However, on 24 June 2009, FOTA reached an agreement with the FIA to continue with F1. However, on 8 July, the FOTA
group of teams were informed that they were not yet officially entered for the 2010 season. On August 1, it was announced that the FIA had signed the new Concorde Agreement, bringing an end to the crisis and securing the sport's future until 2012.
21 March Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Mexico Last hosted F1 in 1992
11 April Jerez Spain Last hosted F1 in 1997
25 April Portimao Portugal Never hosted F1
2 May Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
San Marino
Last hosted F1 in 2006
23 May Circuit de Monte Carlo Monaco Current F1 host
6 June Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Canada Last hosted F1 in 2008
13 June Indianapolis Motor speedway
United States Last hosted F1 in 2007
11 July Silverstone
United Kingdom Current F1 host
25 July Magny-Cours
France Last hosted F1 in 2008
15 August Laustizring Germany Never hosted F1
29 August Helsinki Finland Never hosted F1
12 September Atuodrome de nationale Monza Italy Current F1 host
26 September Yas Marina Circuit United Arab Emirates Current F1 host (Dusk Race)
10 October Marina Bay Street Circuit Singapore Current F1 host (Night Race)
24 October Suzuka Circuit
Japan Last hosted F1 in 2006
7 November Adelaide Street Circuit
or Surfers' Paradise Australia Last hosted F1 in 1995/Never hosted F1
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
series to rival Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
.
1997-2005
The Grand Prix World Championship (GPWC), was a proposed alternative world championship to rival Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
. GPWC has been superseded by the Grand Prix Manufacturers’ Association.
GPWC Holdings consisted of (and GPMA originally consisted of) Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
, Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
and Toyota, six of F1's biggest players. The GPWC was created as a tool to assist the companies in bargaining with Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
for an agreeable extension to the 1997 Concorde Agreement
Concorde Agreement
The Concorde Agreement is a contract between the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , the Formula One teams and the Formula One Administration which dictates the terms by which the teams compete in races and take their share of the television revenues and prize money...
, the contract by whose terms the teams compete in F1.
Though the GPWC created definite plans to start a rival series in 2004, the FIA responded by openly trying to entice the breakaway teams with a one off 40 million dollar (US) incentive for their agreements, however the GPWC future was cast into doubt in mid-January 2005 when Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
, FIAT's F1 team, announced it had secretly come to terms with Ecclestone and signed an extension to the Concorde Agreement for a one off payment amounting to 100 million dollars (US). Ecclestone expressed his expectation that the remaining teams would shortly follow suit despite the initial 40 million dollar (US) offer being retracted. However, at around the same time Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
and Toyota showed interest in working together with GPWC.
Breakaway Series
Following the FIA's announcement of unilateral rule changes for the 2010 season including voluntary budget limits, the FOTAFormula One Teams Association
The Formula One Teams Association is a group of Formula One teams that was formed at a meeting in Maranello on 29 July 2008. This organisation gives the teams a united voice in their ongoing discussions with the FIA and The Formula One Group regarding the future of Formula One. It is headed by...
teams had threatened to pull out of Formula One. On 18 June 2009, FOTA confirmed that they were to form a breakaway series starting in 2010. The teams were quoted saying "We've no alternative than to commence preparation for a new championship," following their four-hour long meeting. The FIA responded to the teams' move in a statement, saying: "We are disappointed but not surprised by FOTA's inability to reach a compromise in the best interests of the sport."
On 23 June 2009, FOTA took the threat further by leaking a provisional calendar for a breakaway series in order to counter claims by the FIA that the teams lacked the sufficient funding to organize their own tournament. The schedule included 17 races made up of some circuits that were currently hosting a Grand Prix in the 2009 Season
2009 Formula One season
The 2009 Formula One season was the 60th FIA Formula One World Championship season. The season took place over 17 rounds, and started with the on 29 March 2009. It ended on 1 November 2009 with the inaugural ....
(such as Singapore), some circuits that had not held a Grand Prix in recent years (such as Jerez), and some that have never held a F1 Grand Prix. Some circuits were ones that have been controversially removed from F1 calendars by the FIA, including Montreal
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor racing circuit, venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series....
having been removed from the 2009 Season.
However, on 24 June 2009, FOTA reached an agreement with the FIA to continue with F1. However, on 8 July, the FOTA
Formula One Teams Association
The Formula One Teams Association is a group of Formula One teams that was formed at a meeting in Maranello on 29 July 2008. This organisation gives the teams a united voice in their ongoing discussions with the FIA and The Formula One Group regarding the future of Formula One. It is headed by...
group of teams were informed that they were not yet officially entered for the 2010 season. On August 1, it was announced that the FIA had signed the new Concorde Agreement, bringing an end to the crisis and securing the sport's future until 2012.
Proposed 2010 calendar
7 March Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez Argentina Last hosted F1 in 199821 March Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Mexico Last hosted F1 in 1992
11 April Jerez Spain Last hosted F1 in 1997
25 April Portimao Portugal Never hosted F1
2 May Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello....
San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
Last hosted F1 in 2006
23 May Circuit de Monte Carlo Monaco Current F1 host
6 June Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor racing circuit, venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series....
Canada Last hosted F1 in 2008
13 June Indianapolis Motor speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
United States Last hosted F1 in 2007
11 July Silverstone
Silverstone
Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Banbury...
United Kingdom Current F1 host
25 July Magny-Cours
Magny-Cours
Magny-Cours is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.It is best known for being the home of the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, a famous motor racing circuit . It formerly hosted the Formula One French Grand Prix.-References:* -External links:*...
France Last hosted F1 in 2008
15 August Laustizring Germany Never hosted F1
29 August Helsinki Finland Never hosted F1
12 September Atuodrome de nationale Monza Italy Current F1 host
26 September Yas Marina Circuit United Arab Emirates Current F1 host (Dusk Race)
10 October Marina Bay Street Circuit Singapore Current F1 host (Night Race)
24 October Suzuka Circuit
Suzuka Circuit
, Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:...
Japan Last hosted F1 in 2006
7 November Adelaide Street Circuit
Adelaide Street Circuit
The Adelaide Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit in the East Parklands adjacent to the central business district of the city of Adelaide in South Australia....
or Surfers' Paradise Australia Last hosted F1 in 1995/Never hosted F1