- 27 Jun 14, 05:52#405999
"He was the fastest driver I ever saw - faster even than Fangio"
________________________- Mike Hawthorn on Alberto Ascari
While F1 is spiraling downwards with plummeting viewership, Le Man is doing exactly the opposite according to information at the WEC website.
In short, LM has, in the same year F1 has seen huge drop in its viewing audience, LM has increased its already impressive following, both through the media and in person.
The thing is, LM has stuck to racing, no gimmicks. There is no talk of budget caps, or desperate moves to change the face of the sport to attract or keep any team. No efforts to make the sport fit the financial model of any particular team. They currently, like F1 used to, say - if you want to race in LMP1, then you fit our bill - if not - go race elsewhere. And now they are reaping the rewards.
A simple comparison. LM has no talk of budget caps, refueling, no testing limits and creative regulations and a growing viewer base.
F1 has gimmick after gimmick and has twisted its core to suit the financial model dictated by Renault and Mercedes. We have DRS, no team testing, stifling regulations, sounds-like-#$@%, no refueling, and now standing starts, parc ferme from FP3 even less testing, less wind tunnel time and less CFD work possible.
Most importantly, in all classes at LM, each driver can push and race to their personal maximum every moment they are in the car. They can "race" from start to checkered flag. In F1, we may get a few laps of racing, but most of the race the prime consideration for every driver and team is conservation. We even have a graphic to celebrate how little we are racing and much we are conserving
If F1 wants to keep its mantle as the premier motor sports racing series in the world, it needs to get back to pure racing, diversity and engineering creativity. If that doesn't suit a companies business model, then stiff-shinola. let them leave or threaten to leave. We did without all teams at various times of F1 history and we can do without them again.
In short, LM has, in the same year F1 has seen huge drop in its viewing audience, LM has increased its already impressive following, both through the media and in person.
The thing is, LM has stuck to racing, no gimmicks. There is no talk of budget caps, or desperate moves to change the face of the sport to attract or keep any team. No efforts to make the sport fit the financial model of any particular team. They currently, like F1 used to, say - if you want to race in LMP1, then you fit our bill - if not - go race elsewhere. And now they are reaping the rewards.
A simple comparison. LM has no talk of budget caps, refueling, no testing limits and creative regulations and a growing viewer base.
F1 has gimmick after gimmick and has twisted its core to suit the financial model dictated by Renault and Mercedes. We have DRS, no team testing, stifling regulations, sounds-like-#$@%, no refueling, and now standing starts, parc ferme from FP3 even less testing, less wind tunnel time and less CFD work possible.
Most importantly, in all classes at LM, each driver can push and race to their personal maximum every moment they are in the car. They can "race" from start to checkered flag. In F1, we may get a few laps of racing, but most of the race the prime consideration for every driver and team is conservation. We even have a graphic to celebrate how little we are racing and much we are conserving
If F1 wants to keep its mantle as the premier motor sports racing series in the world, it needs to get back to pure racing, diversity and engineering creativity. If that doesn't suit a companies business model, then stiff-shinola. let them leave or threaten to leave. We did without all teams at various times of F1 history and we can do without them again.
"He was the fastest driver I ever saw - faster even than Fangio"
________________________- Mike Hawthorn on Alberto Ascari
