Lifted from Autosport: The full story: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85059 Apparently, they've all had to remove their tractors from the trailers! [I dunno how they can be "branded" illegally where the trailers aren't, but we're dealing with F1 lunacy it seems.....] Cheers, Ian
It says its between the teams and Allsport... but Bernie owns most of Allsport! such a bunch of BS and they want to know why F-1 is in trouble????????????????
It is? With respect, the racing is as close as it's ever been and many different teams on the podium. 3 new teams this year, and another coming next and we'll be back to "full" grids. I wouldn't mind being in that kind of trouble!....... Cheers, Ian
I would agree F1 is not in trouble, I do not see any of the current major teams leaving the sport, and at least two of the new teams will be around for another year. I also think Bernie is correct with this statement as it sounds just like the first step in the demise of CART. It was very obvious Ferrari tried to take the advantage with the Montezemelo/Mosley debacle. Says Bernie: "It will never work because it is made by teams that fight against each other on the tracks," Ecclestone told the Italian newspaper. "When the teams examine rules, everyone tries to get an advantage. The teams wanted to divide F1, but now they understand that it is good to give importance to the money that they get (from FOM). There is no space for FOTA... " No successful racing series has even been run by the teams. Although, the final deciding factor in certain matters such as the new tires for 2011 are up to the FIA, not Bernie. Jean Todt reminded FOTA to back off on their choice of tires, the FIA would decide. And he too was correct.
1. An internal F1 team union made up of bitter foes who's goal is to create external commercial agreements and is destine to out live its usefulness.
Nonsense. F1 is doing just fine. All that talk about the end of F1 because the car manufacturers retreated was just that: talk
Yes. The involvement of the car manufacturers is cyclical. Once they're making money with their car productions again, they'll look for the most prestigious, fastest and technologically advanced form of motorsport and come back to F1.
I have a feeling that the new engine formula will draw some back to the sport and maybe some new ones as well (VW/Audi).
I stand by my comment. F-1 is in financial trouble, there are only 13 teams, yes this year has been better racing wise, but you keep hearing about cutting cost, etc... new 107% rule next year, will drive cost up... everyone will have to have KERS, etc... As for the major manufactures coming back.. nope - why? Honda, Toyota, BMW? why spend Billions to get nothing in return. Advertizing rates have been going down, tobacco $ has been taken out and needs to be replaced by what? that to me is why F-1 is in trouble. there is a lack of real money coming into the sport, and Bernie and his crowd are taking it all... that is why FOTA exists... its all about money. thats just the business side of things! The cars are terrible looking - no translatable technology to street cars.... its just really a spec formula... not much different than CART way back then before it split and faded... I've been following F-1 for 43 years... In my opinion its a shadow of its former self.
I feel the same, just as we would love to see the return of some manufacturers in F1, it would be great to see Ferrari increase its involvement in other series
Eye of the beholder and all. F1 is hardly a spec series. It's highly evolved at this point is all. The differences are subtle in appearance, but they are huge differences. It's not dramatic like ages past because it's so evolved that teams are fighting for tenths of a second. We are very far past the point of diminishing returns.
Ha, out of every 1000 people you ask, I bet over 900 think the 09+ cars look worse than their predecessors. Did I say F1 was a spec series? No, but anyone can see that F1 is moving in that direction. Is it there yet? Hell no. However, standard ECUs, frozen engines with rev-limiters, testing bans, one-make tires, etc. are all big moves in the spec direction. It seems evolved but I think it has regressed from a technical evolution standpoint. Downsizing motors, putting rev limiters on cars, standardizing ECUs, banning innovations like the F-duct for next year, standard tires, etc. is not what I call evolution. For example, if they want trickle-down technology for road cars why put so many restrictions on KERS? Rather than true hard-edge innovation we see engineers focusing on reliability rather than pushing the envelope like years past. Just my 2 cents.
oh christ not the debate again whether the cars are good looking or not. Who the F cares, honestly?! It's about the racing no? If you want to see pretty cars go to a museum or something. F1 needs to be very simple: x amount of fuel for the race, unlimited for practice/quali. lower and wider rear wings no stupid diffusers which still spoil the air behind other cars and no overtaking is possible remove the stupid tire rule where you can only use compound A or B, and you still have to use both. It was fun in the first 2 races because no one knew how or what, but then everyone figured out how they can use it the best and thats that. defreeze the engine thing, let them figure out what they want. extra test days on either thursday or monday, if not possible for whatever reason, preschedule where the teams can test + 10 days extra spread over the year. There you have it. F1 is awesome again.
I agree with the notion that we need to have F-1 be more open. Bring back moveable aero, active suspensions, multi cylinder, exotic petrol, etc... that is what makes F1 - F1! - you have to have all this innovation otherwise its going to be like NASCAR - which is really a soap opera, I dont consider it real racing, its to artificially contrived. that is what F-1 is becoming. Today you CANNOT separate the busienss from the "sport" its just too intertwined. that is why I feel F-1 is really in trouble. its only way is to become a spec series. Unless somebody is willing to lose a lot of Money? I just dont see who that will be.