Liberty's Bratches: 'We are not here to please people'

Formula 1 commercial boss Sean Bratches delivered a clear message to the sport's teams, saying that when it comes to F1's future, Liberty Media is the one in the driver's seat.

Formula 1's managers continue to shape the sport's future, on the technical front, with a set of regulations which shall be ushered in from 2021, and on the commercial front, with the series' continued expansion and transformation.

As Liberty Media and teams head to a crucial period of discussions centered around technical rules and prize money distribution, fireworks are expected, with Ferrari in particular determined to see F1 cater to its interests or, if it does not, it could turn its back on Grand Prix racing as the Italian manufacturer's President, Sergio Marchionne, warned last year.

Bratches remains unfazed by teams' reactions to Liberty's vision however, and while F1's commercial boss remains open to compromise, he also insists that Liberty will be the one which ultimately makes the final call on the sport's future itinerary.

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"I think everyone understands where we want to take it but not everyone agrees," Bratches said at a Renault event in Paris on Thursday.

"We’re trying to work on compromises that improve the competitive nature of the sport. If we don’t have a competitive grid the fans are going to leave the sport.

"We are focused on doing what is right for the fans."

"If you look at the Premier League and teams like Swansea City their fans probably know they won’t win the league but when they go to a game against Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham or Liverpool they know they can win and it happens.

"We’re not here to please people. We’re here to make this sport as great as it can possibly can be. That is our pursuit.

"We are trying to be malleable in the boundaries of something that ultimately works. We don’t want to perpetuate the norm because otherwise you won’t have a sport."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.