F1 signs its own death warrant.
Alien Born
21-06-2005, 19:23
After the fiasco that was Sunday's F1 US Grand Prix, one would have thought that FIA and F1 would have wanted to lie low for a while and let it blow over, but no. They are not that clever.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4110808.stm
Accusing drivers of bringing the sport into disrepute for not racing in unsafe conditions. I wonder what the drivers association, headed by the wundermensch himself (M Schumacher) will do about this. Nothing probably as MS drives for Ferarri.
theres a thread here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=426857)
but that doesnt really matter
if they punish the teams then they will be gone to the GPWC at the end of 2007, it really is as simple as that. All that will be left of F1 will be what we saw on Sunday....Ferrari and one or two small teams trundling around in their own race. all chance of working it out will be gone
Alien Born
21-06-2005, 19:27
Sorry, didn't see it.
Additionally, that thread was about the farce on Sunday, not about this new development in stupidity.
Yea, thats fair enough.
Ive been calling for Mosley to go for a couple of years now, and rejoiced last year when he announced his retirement. and then cursed him to hell when he changed his mind.
He really seems to have lost the plot a bit....he might be wanting to keep F1 together, and Ecclestone sure as hell wants to keep his cash stream, but theyre going the wrong way about it.
Sitting down and talking to the manufacturers and working out a compromise would be sensible, announcing a deal with Ferrari that gives Ferrari more money, and the other teams the same is not the way to go about it.
Bunnyducks
21-06-2005, 19:36
You are hereby forgiven AB. :D
Some knowledgeable guys in that other thread raised some good points though. For instance, in Interlagos, in 2002, Bridgestone was in a similar situation... the race was postponed a couple of times, so the conditions would better suit Goodyear's tyres (well, you prob. know more about it than I, being in Brazil and all...).
You are hereby forgiven AB. :D
Some knowledgeable guys in that other thread raised some good points though. For instance, in Interlagos, in 2002, Bridgestone was in a similar situation... the race was postponed a couple of times, so the conditions would better suit Goodyear's tyres (well, you prob. know more about it than I, being in Brazil and all...).
2003, actually :p
it was a vaguely similar situation...Bridgestone didnt bring a strong enough wet weather tyre with them, whereas Michelin did. The Michelin teams agreed to pospone the race a while, and then to start under safety car, so that there woulnt be a 10 car grid.
Mildly ironic that a Bridgestone car (Fisichella) then won as a result of a Michelin car (Alonso) crashing.
And an example I would have used where cars were forced to run on a track where they wouldnt be safe would bt Montjuich Park in Spain in, i think, 1975. The safety barriers were decidedly less than safe, some just resting against their support posts. The race was forced to go ahead. Rolf Stomellon then crashed, went over the unsafe barrier, and 5 spectators were killed.
Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone both owned teams racing in that race (Mosley joined owned MARCH, and Ecclestone owned Brabham), and were both prepared to boycott the race until they were told that all the teams had to race or their equipment would be impounded under breach of contract.
Over the last few months I have realised that I know all together far too much about F1.
Bunnyducks
21-06-2005, 19:40
And: I really can't see how pointing fingers is going to be helpful in this situation (I mean the teams, Michelin, FIA, etc.). If adults can't handle a situation like this when they have TWO days to do it, I see little future for the 'sport'.
(I should maybe clarify something: although I started the other thread, I don't feel strongly about F1 at all. I just watch it cos I want to see accidents (yeah! call me heartless!))