[cavvy]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

A four car race? Or six, or eight? For that money? Can't imagine it would have helped. Really, I think beefing up the V8's was the best solution. And with Tagliani, Pruett, Blundell, Brabham and Christian Fittipaldi joining in for this year they've got a very appealing package.

Appeal to who Jimmy?

Dont know if this fills in any of the missing peices of the jigsaw:
With four more years still to go on the contract, which included the payment of $11.6 million a year for IMG to run the event, the Government was forced to pay out $2.5 million in a commercial settlement.

The Government also saved itself from having to chase after the $1.8 million fee controversially paid to A1GP by assigning the liability to IMG as part of the settlement.

In return, the Government keeps assets such as fences, concrete barriers and other material needed to run the event, valued at up to $10 million.

Premier Anna Bligh said although the partnership with IMG had served the event well since 1995, when things went wrong it was unable to provide the Government with the ability to directly influence what was happening.

"Taxpayers gain the assets and importantly the taxpayers and Government are no longer bound by a contract that would have seen them having to pay $11.6 million every year to IMG," she said.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...oast-news.html