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[sagi58]

It would seem that di Montezemolo is not alone in these two points:

 wrote:">Uneasy feeling around paddock as F1 does some soul searching

“Decline” is never a good word to see attached to anything one loves.

The tone in the F1 paddock this weekend is one of soul-searching, as people speak openly of a sport “in decline” and requiring a root and branch refresh.

Yesterday in the FIA drivers’ press conference, six current F1 drivers engaged with the idea, largely agreed that the sport needs a refresh and even proposed ideas as to how to improve things, taking ideas from other series. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso called for fans to make suggestions...

...The answer, as everyone knows, lies in the digital world, in social media and mobile platforms. But it’s much more complex than that. It requires promotion in key markets, it needs drivers to put far more effort into building up their profiles in their own countries and also in ones which do not have their own driver, to attract in new and younger audiences...

[sagi58]

And, what politically motivated goal is behind the scenes?? Is there one?? Or is paranoia running loose??

 wrote:">Uneasy feeling around paddock as F1 does some soul searching

...Montezemolo’s words are undermined by the perception that he wouldn’t be saying these things if Ferrari were winning, while cynics see some plot in Ecclestone’s words to drive down the share value of the sport so he can pull off some financial masterstroke.

But CVC, the majority shareholders, are too smart for that. They know they have a very valuable asset, but one that needs to be steered in the correct direction for the future. At present we have nothing but negativity coming from leading figures, talking the sport down.

...The FIA president Jean Todt has tried this year to drive through meaningful cost controls, but with 10 days until the deadline, the signs are that this will not happen...

...What is interesting here is that Montezemolo’s intervention is not one of his occasional salvoes; there is a feeling it is more co-ordinated than that, with Ecclestone in the loop and Todt’s FIA the target. [/b]

[spankyham]

Luca has been pretty much spot on in what he has been saying and warning F1 about since the introduction of this new era of F1.

Clearly F1 has contorted itself in the belief that whatever had to be done to keep Mercedes and Renault in F1 "must" be done. The problem is that people/viewers are deserting F1 in their droves. And it is NOT only about the sound of these new production car engines.

Like the boy who cried wolf, Luca case has been dismissed by some, because of his history of saying Ferrari could leave F1. But that doesn't change the fact that he is being proved right since the first race of the season.

Of course the fans that have hit the jackpot this season don't want anything to upset their applecart, so they want to ignore the plummeting viewership. It's reasonable that, if you are winning, you might enjoy the efficiency-fest that has replaced racing.

On the positive side, a lot more voices are now joining Luca. F1 was an extremely valuable commodity. The value is inherently in the viewers, and no amount of winning can stand that bigger drop in value.

Ferrari and Luca should be listened to, NOT, because of the number of titles they have. No, Ferrari should be listened to because Ferrari has LOST more than any other team in F1 history.

[spankyham]

Wow! It seems the Emporers cloths are starting to seen for what they really are. I almost can't believe it, but, Mike Lawrence or Pitpass.com (possibly the most vitriolic anti-Ferrari writer/publication on the planet - yes even worse than TJ13 ) has come out with an article which backs up what I posted over a week ago - Luca should be listened to.

The extent of the drop in support for F1 is really spelled out clearly in this article. For there to be a drop in viewership in Germany this year with a German team and a German driver leading both championships is almost unbelievable.

 wrote:">We Need To Listen To Luca

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Luca di Montezemolo appeared to threaten Ferrari's withdrawal from Formula One. That was never going to happen and there has since been clarification from the Ferrari camp.

Some people regarded di Montezemolo's comments as sour grapes because Ferrari has been struggling this year, but the guy has been associated with the Scuderia for forty years and there have been plenty of lean times in that period. While some say that Formula One needs Ferrari, it is more the case that Ferrari needs Formula One, and it needs the category to be credible.



Win or lose, Ferrari has been in Formula One since 1948. Other companies have taken part in motor sport to sell their road cars, and they have come and gone. Originally, Ferrari sold a few road cars to fund the racing and it was not until about 1957 that the 250GT had become what one might call a production car, though it was the 250GT SWB of 1960 which really attempted standardisation.

Over the years Ferrari has built a mystique like no other marque. According to those who measure such things, Ferrari is the world's most valuable brand, ahead of Rolex, Coca-Cola, Armani, even ahead of Pitpass.

It is its participation at the pinnacle of motor sport which gives Ferrari its edge. It is similar in other sports; some teams have a special glamour even during lean spells and that is due to their history. Luca di Montezemolo does not fear that Ferrari will be damaged by not winning this season, but that Formula One itself is losing its way and it is that that can damage Ferrari.

Ferrari is an interdependent off-shoot of Fiat and it owns Maserati and Alfa Romeo; at different times two of its great rivals. There is, no doubt, a lot of complicated paperwork and bean counting behind that. Fiat has enough on its plate with Chrysler, Lancia and Abarth, not to mention dormant marques like Moretti and Autobianchi.

Ferrari has said that it is monitoring Le Mans, but that does not mean that a Ferrari will race there again. There could, however, be entries from Alfa Romeo (four times a winner) or Maserati. We are talking about the vast and varied Fiat parts bin. The splendid Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and 8C Spyder used a modified Maserati platform and a Maserati V8 engine, tuned and built by Ferrari.

A joke used to be that in France the country owned the largest motor manufacturer; while in Italy, the largest motor manufacturer...

In 1955, Ferrari was in trouble, it had run out of ideas in F1. Meanwhile Lancia was in a severe financial crisis. Fiat brokered a deal which saw the Lancia D50s handed over to Ferrari together with Lancia's chief designer, the great Vittorio Jano. On top of that Fiat added a cash subsidy.

The reason was that Ferrari's track successes raised the profile of the whole Italian car industry which was still struggling to reach full production following WWII. France and Germany were trying hard as well (Britain's factories had largely remained intact) and Ferrari gave Fiat an edge in the market. When a Ferrari won a Grand Prix, or Le Mans, it was an advertisement for Italian engineering and style.

One of the most remarkable things about post-war Italy is how it has become a world leader in style.

Di Montezemolo is worried that F1 is losing its grip and has called for a summit meeting in Maranello prior to the Italian GP. TV ratings for Grands Prix are slipping particularly in Germany, Italy and South America.

Di Montezemolo believes that young people are losing interest, and they are the future of the sport. As TV rating drop, so does the amount teams can charge sponsors, and sponsorship is the key to F1's survival. We know that there are several teams on the grid today whose financial position is marginal.

Bernie has never seen the point of social networking, but Luca is keen to get F1 fired up in this area. That is only one example.

We have DRS, funny tyres and now titanium plates have been tried to generate sparks. We are to have standing starts after a safety car period and shorter practice sessions. Hardly a day goes by without some new idea to put the zing back into F1.



There have been some good races this year, but I cannot say that I have understood them in any serious detail because the formula is so complicated. Apart from tyre strategy, we have fuel strategy and extra power buttons. The FIA has concentrated on the technology at the expense of the show and this is the main thrust of di Montezemolo's argument.

As this column has pointed out before, Formula One has never been about technical advances, all the worthwhile innovations have come from sports cars. Renault won Le Mans with a turbo car before it won a Grand Prix with one. Things that many motorists take for granted in road cars, like all-wheel drive and traction control, are banned from F1.
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Motor racing is as simple as the first guy who reckoned he could run the fastest or throw a rock the furthest. Turn that primal urge into a sport and it should become a show.

Of course, Luca di Montezemolo is not going to give up any of the advantages Ferrari has, which is why he opposed a spending cap. Make no mistake, he's fighting his corner because if F1 declines so Ferrari, as a brand, declines. It just so happens that, on this occasion, his thinking chimes with that of the fans, you and me.

TV audiences are falling in Germany even when a German team, and a German driver, lead both championships. When that occurs, something is seriously wrong because it goes against the basic instinct of all followers of sport, which is to be partisan.

Nobody can predict what, if anything, will come from di Montezemolo's unofficial summit. Perhaps it is even the case that Formula One has peaked and is now in decline. Other sports have enjoyed great popularity and have declined,

Ferrari is not about to leave Formula One. Ferrari may be monitoring sports car racing, but it would make better commercial sense to enter cars from either Maserati or Alfa Romeo, with Ferrari technical input and different names on the cam covers.

[sagi58]

Correct me if I'm wrong; but, wasn't this an idea of di Montezemolo's?

 wrote:">F1: Ecclestone says third cars are the way to go

Bernie Ecclestone wants big teams to run third cars in Formula 1, and says smaller outfits should quit the sport if they cannot afford it.

Just a week after F1's commercial boss said he would be happy if some of grand prix's backmarkers closed down, Ecclestone has revealed his vision for the future. He reckons F1 would be better off if it was filled with fewer teams running more cars, rather than how it currently is.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport talking about what the current small teams should do since costs are out of control, Ecclestone said: "They must stop. If you don't have the finances, you quit. I'm ready for a Formula 1 with eight teams with three cars each.

"Is it better to have a third Ferrari or a Caterham? Ferrari could maybe find new sponsors in the USA and an American driver: fantastic. It is the same for the others.

"Take Caterham: It has invested lots of money and it would need just as much, so it looks for paying drivers. What for, since it has never been competitive?"

Ecclestone believes the best way to attract new names to F1 is to get them to buy current squads, rather than starting squads from scratch.

"It's not easy to start from scratch, F1 costs money," he said. "To buy a team with a wind tunnel, simulator and so on, one requires an investment of around 150 million euros [$205m]. And you haven't even started: then you need the drivers, the right technicians to build the car, and the good ones are few and expensive. That's why Ferrari wanted [Adrian] Newey..."

[spankyham]

Luca has proposed and supported both 3rd cars or customer cars for quite some time. I think either would work, but I'd like to see customer cars. Just like engines a team can choose to purchase a complete chassis and drive train from approved teams, ie Ferrari or Mercedes. The supplier teams should have to make long (ie 10 year) commitments to not only race but also continue supply. This has worked in the past and I believe would work for the future. It would make sense to restrict any chassis supplier to 6 or so cars per season.

I think Williams has proved this year that being a customer with a smaller budget doesn't prevent you from creating a car that can compete with the original supplier.

[spankyham]

I find this article kinda worrying.

Basically Bernie wants to bring Flavio in to sort out F1 popularity woes, and Lauda thinks we don't need Flavio, we should just do what Bernie wants.

It's worrying because Flavio and Bernie are the last people I want providing future direction to F1.

[sagi58]

Isn't it ironic that Ecclestone wants someone who is no longer popular in F1 to work on F1's popularity?