- 05 Dec 08, 05:25#83713
So it has come to this. Sitting by my computer at 4.46am after an entire night of writing about Green failings in the Russian Civil war and I decide I can't be bothered going to sleep, but instead will muse over some of my thoughts about the sport up to this point.
First off lemmie apologise if my random, yet argumentative tendencies have been missed over the past few weeks. If not - let me apologise anyways. University usually causes havoc with people’s lives at this time of year and what with Santa coming along soon I find my time evaporate and my insomnia creep up on me.
But yes, back to the subject at hand. For the past fortnight I have been astonished by the recent events which have come to fruition. For one thing I can’t believe James Allen’s blogs are actually really excellent. In fact he broke the Honda story tonight. Check him out www.jamesallenonf1.com.
I seem to recall this summer Bernie Eccelstone being quizzed over the possibility of motor racing making an appearance at the next Olympics. Quite rightly Bernard rubbished the proposals claiming that the Olympic games were about athlete versus athlete and that a motorised vehicle defeated this purpose. Well surely the roles should be reversed when it comes to Formula 1. Medals of any kind have no place in Grand Prix racing. Sure It is used in that random championship A1Gp, but they couldn’t even give all of their teams cars at the beginning of the season. What do they know about a proper motorsport? Need I say more?
Newer viewers to Formula 1, helped by the rise of our new World champion will struggle as it is to get their heads around the new 2009 regulations. I mean most of them probably didn’t know slick tyres were part of the sport until the end of 1997. However to most of them Formula 1 didn’t even exist until 2007! But I’m not here to moan about the “fair weather” fans, I’m just pointing out the obvious. The average guy on the street, stuffed from a Sunday dinner or hung over will turn on the TV and notice that random cars are racing. Not knowing anything about the sport, bar Hamilton probably, they will continue to watch unless there’s something good on another station. Do these people care about KERS or cost cutting or the new design of the Front wing? No of course not, these people want to be entertained like all of us. Those who do enjoy the race and think to themselves “hell I may just get another beer” or “hell that was great I may start following” will obviously be confused by the changing over rules every year.
And what about FOTA’s proposition to alter the qualifying session? Why fix something when it isn’t broken? Single lap qualifying sucked. Well and truly.
The new format is generally exciting, easy to understand for the irregular viewer, and contains both the aspects of heavy and light fuel running. However knowing F1 it’ll probably change again!
I’m sidetracking I know, but just like the points system, qualifying does not need changed! If F1 want to change the point system they should go back to the pre 2003 score card!
Cost cutting is still on the agenda for Formula One, and will be for the foreseeable future. Why the rules changes for next year means that F1 teams spending more than ever means they save money is a good question which hasn’t really been discussed. I mean they would save money in the long term - yet I don’t see the rules going unchanged yet again in the next decade, do you? More money down the pan!
In saying that , I quite welcome FOTA proposals for the reintroduction of Turbo engines. I’m sure that’ll have pissed Max off that he was beaten too it! Mosley’s ideas on standardised engines, amongst other things, aren’t Formula One and will surely drive the manufacturers out.
However - Hang on a second, isn’t that already happening without the standardisation?
Honda’s shock decision to pull out of Formula One has really exposed the terrible situation the sport is in at the moment. With Berger selling up, I thought Red Bull were lining up to sell Torro Rosso off, and they may still do.
But Honda? A team committed to their green image? A team that gave up on last years car to spend all their time preparing their 2009 challenger? A team that invested millions of dollars in Ross Brawn, Jenson Button, and would have if Alonso had signed? It just doesn’t make sense - they had as big a budget as any of the major manufacturer teams.
So how financially secure are the manufacturers, and is this the end of their dominance in Formula One?
I think that today may see the start of a slow decline of the sport. With Honda gone, presumably to fight Audi and Peugeot in Sportcars, who’s to say that Toyota don’t follow suit?
The Japanese car makers are a funny bunch. I seem to remember when Toyota pulled out of Champ Cars, Honda were quick enough to leave - albeit for the IRL. (or was that the other way around?)
It wouldn’t surprise me if Toyota pulled out of the sport. They haven’t exactly got value for money and if recent reports are correct, they aren’t willing to fund a grand prix at Fuji anymore.
Certainly for now, Ferrari and Mclaren are secure - but for how long? And even if they survive, will the rest?
My major concern is who will fill the void of Honda and of other teams if they have to pull the plug? There are no longer handfuls of possible entrants into the sport like there were even ten years ago. Nobody has the sort of money to throw on a team let alone find sponsors for the cars. Shall we blame the tobacco advertising ban? We might as well… I sure as hell miss them… Not that I’ve ever smoked…
Customer cars? Different F1 Classes? - Surely not? I’d grin and bear customer cars as long as they were prevented for fighting for the major championship, but really, in essence its not Formula One.
If we return to Honda’s exit, to conclude. What will happen to Jenson Button? Is he as good as Honda thought? They invested millions into a man who - although didn’t have the car - wasn’t anywhere near as good as Rubens Barrichello. Despite this, it was Rubens being told to hang up his helmet to be replaced by either Di Grassi or Senna. Another question: What was the point of testing them? Ok, the team didn’t expect the news, but surely the board room in Japan knew?
Where does this leave Button, Di Grassi or Senna?
Well Bruno will go back to GP2, that was always the plan. Luca is unknown but he has the talent to get a drive in lower formula.
Jenson Button? Is there any driver in a top car at the moment (apart from Nelson Piquet) who you would honestly replace him with? (waits for the odd Heikki outcry)
He doesn’t have the sponsorship to bring to the likes of Force India or Torro Rosso and his disgraceful handling of his contract surely has burnt his bridges with Williams?
Hopefully a deal can be put together with the customer Ferrari engines, and this team can survive for the sake of the sport. Eighteen cars - says it all really!
So as I sign off, apologising for posting this long and probably confusing rant, I want to wish everyone on this forum a Merry Christmas in advance.
While I do that I want you to think of the hundreds of Honda workers, spending their Christmas with the uncertainty of their livelihoods being taken away from them.
First off lemmie apologise if my random, yet argumentative tendencies have been missed over the past few weeks. If not - let me apologise anyways. University usually causes havoc with people’s lives at this time of year and what with Santa coming along soon I find my time evaporate and my insomnia creep up on me.
But yes, back to the subject at hand. For the past fortnight I have been astonished by the recent events which have come to fruition. For one thing I can’t believe James Allen’s blogs are actually really excellent. In fact he broke the Honda story tonight. Check him out www.jamesallenonf1.com.
I seem to recall this summer Bernie Eccelstone being quizzed over the possibility of motor racing making an appearance at the next Olympics. Quite rightly Bernard rubbished the proposals claiming that the Olympic games were about athlete versus athlete and that a motorised vehicle defeated this purpose. Well surely the roles should be reversed when it comes to Formula 1. Medals of any kind have no place in Grand Prix racing. Sure It is used in that random championship A1Gp, but they couldn’t even give all of their teams cars at the beginning of the season. What do they know about a proper motorsport? Need I say more?
Newer viewers to Formula 1, helped by the rise of our new World champion will struggle as it is to get their heads around the new 2009 regulations. I mean most of them probably didn’t know slick tyres were part of the sport until the end of 1997. However to most of them Formula 1 didn’t even exist until 2007! But I’m not here to moan about the “fair weather” fans, I’m just pointing out the obvious. The average guy on the street, stuffed from a Sunday dinner or hung over will turn on the TV and notice that random cars are racing. Not knowing anything about the sport, bar Hamilton probably, they will continue to watch unless there’s something good on another station. Do these people care about KERS or cost cutting or the new design of the Front wing? No of course not, these people want to be entertained like all of us. Those who do enjoy the race and think to themselves “hell I may just get another beer” or “hell that was great I may start following” will obviously be confused by the changing over rules every year.
And what about FOTA’s proposition to alter the qualifying session? Why fix something when it isn’t broken? Single lap qualifying sucked. Well and truly.
The new format is generally exciting, easy to understand for the irregular viewer, and contains both the aspects of heavy and light fuel running. However knowing F1 it’ll probably change again!
I’m sidetracking I know, but just like the points system, qualifying does not need changed! If F1 want to change the point system they should go back to the pre 2003 score card!
Cost cutting is still on the agenda for Formula One, and will be for the foreseeable future. Why the rules changes for next year means that F1 teams spending more than ever means they save money is a good question which hasn’t really been discussed. I mean they would save money in the long term - yet I don’t see the rules going unchanged yet again in the next decade, do you? More money down the pan!
In saying that , I quite welcome FOTA proposals for the reintroduction of Turbo engines. I’m sure that’ll have pissed Max off that he was beaten too it! Mosley’s ideas on standardised engines, amongst other things, aren’t Formula One and will surely drive the manufacturers out.
However - Hang on a second, isn’t that already happening without the standardisation?
Honda’s shock decision to pull out of Formula One has really exposed the terrible situation the sport is in at the moment. With Berger selling up, I thought Red Bull were lining up to sell Torro Rosso off, and they may still do.
But Honda? A team committed to their green image? A team that gave up on last years car to spend all their time preparing their 2009 challenger? A team that invested millions of dollars in Ross Brawn, Jenson Button, and would have if Alonso had signed? It just doesn’t make sense - they had as big a budget as any of the major manufacturer teams.
So how financially secure are the manufacturers, and is this the end of their dominance in Formula One?
I think that today may see the start of a slow decline of the sport. With Honda gone, presumably to fight Audi and Peugeot in Sportcars, who’s to say that Toyota don’t follow suit?
The Japanese car makers are a funny bunch. I seem to remember when Toyota pulled out of Champ Cars, Honda were quick enough to leave - albeit for the IRL. (or was that the other way around?)
It wouldn’t surprise me if Toyota pulled out of the sport. They haven’t exactly got value for money and if recent reports are correct, they aren’t willing to fund a grand prix at Fuji anymore.
Certainly for now, Ferrari and Mclaren are secure - but for how long? And even if they survive, will the rest?
My major concern is who will fill the void of Honda and of other teams if they have to pull the plug? There are no longer handfuls of possible entrants into the sport like there were even ten years ago. Nobody has the sort of money to throw on a team let alone find sponsors for the cars. Shall we blame the tobacco advertising ban? We might as well… I sure as hell miss them… Not that I’ve ever smoked…
Customer cars? Different F1 Classes? - Surely not? I’d grin and bear customer cars as long as they were prevented for fighting for the major championship, but really, in essence its not Formula One.
If we return to Honda’s exit, to conclude. What will happen to Jenson Button? Is he as good as Honda thought? They invested millions into a man who - although didn’t have the car - wasn’t anywhere near as good as Rubens Barrichello. Despite this, it was Rubens being told to hang up his helmet to be replaced by either Di Grassi or Senna. Another question: What was the point of testing them? Ok, the team didn’t expect the news, but surely the board room in Japan knew?
Where does this leave Button, Di Grassi or Senna?
Well Bruno will go back to GP2, that was always the plan. Luca is unknown but he has the talent to get a drive in lower formula.
Jenson Button? Is there any driver in a top car at the moment (apart from Nelson Piquet) who you would honestly replace him with? (waits for the odd Heikki outcry)
He doesn’t have the sponsorship to bring to the likes of Force India or Torro Rosso and his disgraceful handling of his contract surely has burnt his bridges with Williams?
Hopefully a deal can be put together with the customer Ferrari engines, and this team can survive for the sake of the sport. Eighteen cars - says it all really!
So as I sign off, apologising for posting this long and probably confusing rant, I want to wish everyone on this forum a Merry Christmas in advance.
While I do that I want you to think of the hundreds of Honda workers, spending their Christmas with the uncertainty of their livelihoods being taken away from them.
Forumula One: The World's Greatest Sport
