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Can Formula One succeed without Bernie Ecclestone?
沒有了伯尼·埃克萊斯頓，F(xiàn)1能否繼續(xù)傳奇
Last lap for Ecclestone?
埃克萊斯頓能跑的最后一圈？
BERNIE ECCLESTONE, the boss of the Formula One Group, rarely sticks around for the finish of a Grand Prix.
F1的掌門人伯尼·埃克萊斯頓很少會(huì)在國(guó)際汽車大獎(jiǎng)賽結(jié)束后逗留。
This is meant to show what a serious businessman he is.
這意在顯示他是一個(gè)謹(jǐn)慎的商人。
Still, eyebrows lifted when he didn't turn up at all to last weekend's race at Hockenheim in Germany.
然而公眾的對(duì)他上周一直沒有出現(xiàn)在德國(guó)霍根海姆大獎(jiǎng)賽一事依舊表示驚訝。
An ongoing court case in Germany over a payment of 44m from Mr Ecclestone to a banker who was involved in the sale of Formula One to CVC Capital, a private-equity firm, in 2005 has put his future at the top of the sport in doubt.
在2005年，參與CVC資產(chǎn)合作伙伴公司收購(gòu)F1股份的銀行高管承認(rèn)收到了埃克萊斯頓4千4百萬好處費(fèi)，這件正在審理的案子讓伯尼在此項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)上掌門地位受到質(zhì)疑。
German media reported that, had Mr Ecclestone gone to Germany, he might have run into trouble.
德國(guó)媒體報(bào)道稱，如果埃克萊斯頓去了德國(guó)，他將陷入困境。
For CVC Capital, the uncertainty over Mr Ecclestone, who is 81, is becoming a problem.
對(duì)于CVC資產(chǎn)合作伙伴公司來說，81歲埃克萊斯頓的不可靠將成為最大的問題。
CVC took a huge risk in buying into the sport, at a time when several teams were threatening to break away and form a new outfit, in the hope of extracting a larger share of profits.
CVC為收購(gòu)F1管理公司承擔(dān)了巨大的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，因?yàn)闉樵诋?dāng)時(shí)有數(shù)支車隊(duì)為了爭(zhēng)取更大的利潤(rùn)分成，威脅退出F1另組建新賽事。
The breakaway never happened and CVC profited handsomely.
車隊(duì)退賽沒有發(fā)生，CVC也賺得漂亮的一手。
CVC had hoped to reduce its stake with an initial public offering of Formula One on the Singapore stock exchange.
CVC本打算通過在新加坡證券交易所為F1首次公開募股的方式減持股份。
However, in May it sold a total of 21% of the sport, for 1.6 billion, to three institutional investors:
但是在五月，CVC將16億美元即總資產(chǎn)的21%賣給了三個(gè)團(tuán)體投資人：
Waddell & Reid and BlackRock, both American asset managers, and Norges Bank Investment Management, Norway's state money manager.
同為資產(chǎn)管理者的Waddell & Reid和黑石，還有挪威銀行投資管理——挪威的國(guó)家資金管理者。
Combined with cash from the business, the sale gave CVC a tasty 300% return on its original investment—though an IPO could have earned it more.
盡管公開募股會(huì)賺的更多，結(jié)合從營(yíng)銷中獲得的現(xiàn)金，出售給團(tuán)體投資人還是帶給了CVC為原有投資300%的高額回報(bào)。
In June CVC postponed the proposed IPO, blaming market conditions.
在6月，CVC歸咎于市場(chǎng)行情，推遲了原有計(jì)劃的公開募股。
Private-equity firms do not often have to deal with chaps like Mr Ecclestone, who has dominated the sport for decades.
私募股權(quán)公司不需要經(jīng)常與像埃克萊斯頓這樣獻(xiàn)身于F1數(shù)十載的老伙計(jì)進(jìn)行交易。
In 2009 CVC had to join an apology made by Mr Ecclestone for seeming to praise Adolf Hitler.
在2009年CVC不得不參與到埃克萊斯頓關(guān)于自己表揚(yáng)希特勒的言論的道歉中。
Also that year Sir Martin Sorrell, the boss of WPP, an advertising giant,
在同一年中，WPP，這個(gè)廣告業(yè)巨頭的總裁，F(xiàn)1董事會(huì)成員之一蘇銘天爵士，
who sits on the Formula One Group's board, protested when Mr Ecclestone complained that a life ban from Formula One given to Flavio Briatore, Renault's team chief, for ordering a driver to crash, was excessive.
對(duì)埃克萊斯頓的抱怨表示反對(duì)，因?yàn)榘？巳R斯頓認(rèn)為認(rèn)為對(duì)于雷諾車隊(duì)隊(duì)長(zhǎng)弗拉維奧·布里亞托利操縱車手故意撞車被終生禁止參與F1任何賽車事務(wù)的處置太過分了。
Now CVC is waiting to see whether Mr Ecclestone will be charged in connection with the case involving the German banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky.
現(xiàn)在CVC正在作壁上觀，看埃克萊斯頓是否因與德國(guó)銀行家Gerhard Gribkowsky 受賄案關(guān)聯(lián)而被控訴。
On June 27th Mr Gribkowsky was found guilty in Munich of receiving corrupt payments, and given a prison sentence, which he is now appealing.
7月27日，Gribkowsky被查出于慕尼黑受賄，已被判入獄，但他現(xiàn)在正在申訴。
According to people close to the sport, if the German authorities charge Mr Ecclestone with a non-trivial offence in relation to the payment to Mr Gribkowsky,
根據(jù)體育圈的人說，如果德國(guó)當(dāng)局對(duì)埃克萊斯頓給Gerhard Gribkowsky行賄一事判他嚴(yán)重犯罪，就算他聲稱自己是被勒索，
he will be permanently removed as chief executive of Formula One Group.
他也將永久被剝奪F1首席執(zhí)行官的職位。
CVC's managing partner, Donald Mackenzie, is said to be worried about how his possible departure might affect the business.
CVC的合伙人之一麥肯齊，據(jù)說他很擔(dān)心埃克萊斯頓可能的離開對(duì)商業(yè)帶來的影響。
The Formula One Group depends on reaching agreement with a dozen racing teams and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, which regulates racing.
F1的正常運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)離不開12支參賽車隊(duì)的合作以及負(fù)責(zé)管理賽車項(xiàng)目的國(guó)際汽車聯(lián)合會(huì)的支持。
In the past Mr Ecclestone has handled the teams brilliantly, using divide-and-rule tactics to prevent any serious rebellion and to keep a large share of revenues for his firm.
在過去的日子里，埃克萊斯頓運(yùn)籌帷幄，運(yùn)用分而治之的策略杜絕任何違規(guī)行為并為自己的公司保持巨大的收益。
He maintains close relations with circuit owners and governments, which together make up the sport's largest source of revenue, in the form of hosting fees.
賽道所有者和政府以主辦的形式為整個(gè)賽事的收益投入巨資，埃克萊斯頓則與這些人保持著緊密的聯(lián)系。
It is not obvious who inside the business could succeed him; Mr Ecclestone reportedly jokes that a number two could send faxes and bring coffee, but nothing else.
目前在賽車圈內(nèi)尚未發(fā)現(xiàn)合適繼任者；埃克萊斯頓據(jù)報(bào)道有過這樣的玩笑話：二把手可以發(fā)傳真可以買咖啡，但是除了這些也沒什么別的能耐了。
Bernie's blinkers
伯尼的馬失前蹄
Mr Ecclestone is a skilled dealmaker;
埃克萊斯頓是個(gè)經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的交易商，
but he has missed out on two areas of opportunity for the sport.
但他在這項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)的兩個(gè)方面錯(cuò)失良機(jī)。
The first of these is the internet. Formula One has barely begun to develop its business online.
第一個(gè)是網(wǎng)絡(luò)；F1基本沒有開發(fā)其商業(yè)網(wǎng)絡(luò)，
Licensing Formula One brands and content to video-games firms could generate pots of money, as could online betting.
向電子游戲公司出售F1品牌商標(biāo)和賽事相關(guān)內(nèi)容的使用權(quán)可以帶來大量的金錢收入，媲美網(wǎng)上投注。
Second, Formula One has failed to establish itself in America, despite corporate sponsors' need for exposure in the world's biggest market.
第二則是盡管贊助商需要在這個(gè)世界最大的市場(chǎng)中露面，F(xiàn)1還是沒有進(jìn)軍美國(guó)。
Partly because of the steep fees that Mr Ecclestone charges to host a Grand Prix, circuits often end up losing money and stop hosting the event;
一部分是由于埃克萊斯頓所需舉辦大獎(jiǎng)賽的經(jīng)費(fèi)逐年攀升，賽道所有者往往賠本最終停止舉辦比賽
there has been no American race for the past five years.
美國(guó)已經(jīng)在過去的五年沒有舉辦了。
That will soon change, with Austin, Texas, hosting a race in November and plans for a Grand Prix in New Jersey in June 2013.
這即將發(fā)生改變，德州的奧斯汀市將在11月舉辦比賽并計(jì)劃將于2013年6月在新澤西舉辦大獎(jiǎng)賽。
Red Bull, a team owned by an Austrian energy-drinks firm, is said to be looking at launching a new Stars and Stripes Formula One team with American drivers.
由澳大利亞功能飲料公司所有的車隊(duì)紅牛，據(jù)說將成為一個(gè)由美籍車手參與的新星條旗車隊(duì)，
Local drivers boost audiences.
本地的車手則會(huì)增加觀眾的數(shù)量。
Although losing Mr Ecclestone may not be as big a car crash as some fear, there are other risks for the company that sits atop the sport.
盡管失去了埃克萊斯頓可能不會(huì)像撞車那么讓人害怕，然而其他的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)對(duì)于該公司來說則比比賽本身更重要。
The biggest is that the teams will demand more money.
最大的問題就是車隊(duì)會(huì)索取更多的利潤(rùn)分成。
Without them, after all, there is no show, and they are the sport's biggest cost.
畢竟沒有這些車隊(duì)，那就沒有比賽可言，但他們是整個(gè)賽事中花費(fèi)最大的。
Over time, the racers have claimed an ever larger slice of the cake.
隨著時(shí)間的推移，參賽者要求分到的蛋糕越來越大塊。
In 2003 the teams collectively commanded an estimated 27% of the profits that Formula One derived from its three main businesses.
2003年，車隊(duì)總共要求的經(jīng)費(fèi)大約占F1從三大主要商業(yè)項(xiàng)目收益的27%。
In a new deal that lasts until 2020, now signed by nearly all of the teams, they will get 63%.
在一項(xiàng)持續(xù)至2020年，現(xiàn)在所有車隊(duì)幾乎都簽署了的新交易中，他們將分到收益的63%。
And some people wonder if Formula One can carry on charging governments so much to host races.
有些人懷疑F1還能否繼續(xù)像現(xiàn)在這樣向政府收取大量承辦費(fèi)用。
By expanding outside traditional markets in Europe, Formula One has been able to keep raising its fees;
通過跳出歐洲傳統(tǒng)市場(chǎng)進(jìn)行擴(kuò)張，F(xiàn)1已經(jīng)可以持續(xù)不斷地募集經(jīng)費(fèi)；
non-European governments such as Singapore's or India's pay two-fifths more on average to host Grands Prix than traditional markets.
非歐洲國(guó)家政府例如新加坡和印度，相比傳統(tǒng)市場(chǎng)平均支付了舉辦大獎(jiǎng)賽費(fèi)用的五分之二。
For now, demand from governments comfortably exceeds the number of racing slots available. Mr Ecclestone has no shortage of calls from countries such as C te d'Ivoire and Bulgaria seeking the prestige of hosting a race.
目前，政府的需求遠(yuǎn)大于已有可用于比賽的賽道數(shù)量。埃克萊斯頓呼吁像科特迪瓦和保加利亞這樣，試圖通過舉辦比賽增加威望的國(guó)家毫無壓力。
Soon, however, they may be calling someone else.
不過不久之后，這些國(guó)家可能要聯(lián)系其他人了。
