Magic Roundabout - F1 USA

[smokie]

Just skimmed through it on TiVo, especially the pre-race confusion.

IMO, in the circumstances, Ferrari should be held entirely to blame for the state in which F1 now finds itself in the US. They are the most arrogant team. If they had agreed to the chicane at least a race of sorts would have taken place and there would have been less grounds for the fans to be disgruntled.

And by far the worst interview was when Martin Brundle caught Bernie just before the race and Bernie was claiming to not know what was going on, and trying to be funny and teasing at the most pivotal time in recent F1 history. Martin was quite "in yer face" with his questioning but Bernie just made light of most of it, and certainly said nothing serious at all. Git.

Highlight was Martin then catching Mrs Ecclestone and suggesting that even a woman's intuition would have handled the situation better, and she should go and advise Bernie what he should do.

I also enjoyed Martin's comment at the podium when he said if Michael leaps around he would go and punch him in the face. Michael was suitably subdued, as was Rubens but you had to feel sorry for the guy who was 3rd, on his first ever podium (maybe his last, in a dying sport) celebrating alone up there. At least the crowd didn't boo him off.

[JonM]

I totally agree with Smokie, Ecclestone's behavior was as usual, totally unacceptable and once again showed him to be a total 4rse who doesn't care about the sport (?) or it's fans as long as he is leeching off his multi-millions per race. A pathetic excuse for a human being IMHO.

I thought that Martin Brundle articulated his view exceedingly well and was probably the only person to emerge from the whole debacle with any credit.

[Chris24]

Absolutely loved it when Martin stuck one on Bernie big time. Great when he said that he should interview Mrs Ecclestone, because she might make more sense of the matter. I bet Martin struggles with access at the next race though.

[Gordonwr]

Useful info for quiz night- The only time a diesel powered car has taken pole position for a G P was at Indy in 1952 by a Cummins Diesel which failed to finish but did take the start unlike the majority on Sunday. It looks like this farce will have big implications, maybe resulting in reverting to a single tyre supplier again.

[ecurie]

Yeah,

imagine Michelin being the only tyre supplier. There would have been no cars at all. Or would Ferrari suddenly have been in favour of the chicane.
How low can they sink to steal one victory ?

As for Bernie, why don't we just stop watching F1. When the millions stop coming in, he might actually listen to the fans and the non-Ferrari teams.

[Bob U]

As for Bernie, why don't we just stop watching F1. When the millions stop coming in, he might actually listen to the fans and the non-Ferrari teams.

My wife is a big fan of F1 and has been going to Silverstone and at least one other GP a year since 1992. This year however she has cried "enough"and has decided to say bollox to Bernie and his bunch of incompitent muppets and not even bother to watch it on TV. Love F1 or hate it, it is still motor sport and could  be an exciting specticle, if it is not viewers and fans should vote with there support and TV off buttons.
No viewers = no sponsors, no advertising revinue and no  major investments by car companies. Time to hit the meglomaniac dwarf where it hurts most, in his extremely large bank balance.

[Andy Zarse]

Fax, my one over-riding thought after learning of the utter debacle on sunday, was getting to a computer ASAP to read your reaction. Needless to say, I am not disappointed in your comments. I bet you were rubbing your hands with glee!

[Snoring Rhino]

Totally agree Bob, Brad and I bailed out of going to Silverstone in 2000 for exactly the same reasons, had some great times at Club corner, just destoryed by the coroprate entertainment priority as it linned Bernies pockets better.
B.E. must be the worlds most arrogant git - when he should be eating humble pie making light of a very serious let down -I am sure the writs must be flying around from the sponsors who simply didnt get what the paid for, just hope some of them get up to him (unlikly though).

[Andy Zarse]

I am sure the writs must be flying around from the sponsors who simply didnt get what the paid for, just hope some of them get up to him (unlikly though).

An interesting point. I spoke to a neighbour this morning, who co-incidentally last night at the local garage bumped into another guy who lives nearby. This guy is the chief executive of one of the biggest drinks companies in the world and last year they decided to sponsor a certain team based in Woking. Apparently he had just stepped of the plane back from Indy and was absolutely fuming. His comment was that it was a f**k*ng long way to go just to have breakfast with Juan Pablo Montoya. He was clearly pissed off with having his valuable time wasted in such a manner. It will be interesting to see if there are any knock on effects.

[Fax]

Thanks Andy,
Glad I didn't disappoint.  I'm on vacation this week so a little late getting to the computer this morning.  Hope you guys all had a great time at the Sarthe, looked like a terrific (if a little toasty) time.  I'm still fuming over the whole FIAsco at Indy (and I only drove two hours and had free tickets).  I arrogance of all parties concerned is just mind-numbing.  I've felt from the outset that F1 had no business at Indy, it needed to be at a proper road racing circut to succed over here, not on a street circut in Vegas either, they tried that once already and failed miserably.
Its all irrelevant now, F1's a rotting corpse in this country now. I doubt very seriously we'll ever see another USGP in our lifetime.
Fax

[Robbo SPS]

From the 25 minute highlights package i saw last night on ITV2 i thought that Paul Stodart came out very well. Visably pissed off and upset, despite his cars scoring points.

[Doris]

F1 has just absolutely f**cked themselves up the ass as far as F1 in the US in concerned.  

I think it would be fair to say that F1 has f**ed themselves up the ass full stop, not just in the US.  The US farce this year has just highlighted how much of circus it really is and how the clowns running it haven't got a clue.  I used to watch F1 religiously.  Haven't watched a race this season and don't intend to.  

[johnevans3]

Go to this link to see a cartoon from the Indy paper.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050621/OPINION02/306210001/1093

I think it will be a long time, if ever, that F1 will hoodwick US race enthusiasts again.  I just hope it doesn't spill over into ALMS and the kind of racing that most of us on this forum truely love here in the US.

[Steve Pyro]

Go to this link to see a cartoon from the Indy paper.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050621/OPINION02/306210001/1093

This one



thanks to indystar.com

[Kate Shaw]

I pretty much stopped watching F1 when Prost retired and Senna was killed -- having taken an instant dislike to Michael Schumacher (hencforth TGF).  After Austria I stopped watching the initial broadcasts and only watched those races in which I was sure TGF did not win.  After "Indy" I have stopped watching it period.

Having witnessed the wrath of the NA$CAR crowd when the Champ Car race in Texas was cancelled due to several near-death experiences by drivers who blacked out in one certain turn and crashed heavily (Mo Gugelman performing this feat TWICE) -- I am unimpressed by those fans who would rather see a driver die than a race cancelled, and who dare to call drivers "sissies" and "cowards" because they prefer to remain alive.  

As in the Texas case, it's entirely psosible that Michelin didn't know what would happen when a lot of cars at speed hit the Brickyard together; and I credit them for admitting that it was possible someone would die if they went out on those tires that weekend.  It would have been more economically feasible for them to close their eyes and pray that nothing went wrong -- remember the Space Shuttle that was launched when many people knew death was a very big likelihood, but launched it was because they didn't want to be 'embarrassed' by being called names?  Do you think there wasn't any 'embarrassment' in having caused the deaths of innocent people in an attempt to save their own flabby backsides from a bunch of people calling them "sissies"?

Remember, too, that America is the most litigious country in the world, if not the Solar System.  Had Michelin closed its eyes and said nothing, and had Fernando Alonso suffered a major blowout and launched his car into that of TGF, killing them both, the echoes of the ensuing litigation -- not to mention the huge crackdown on ALL forms of racing for generations to come -- would have been something not a single one of us wanted to see.

The silver lining in this michegoss is probably that now, with the Americans screaming and yelling (especially the American SPONSORS), even Bernie (but probably not Max) will have to see that something has to be done except wait for Bernie to die.