WDC!
You might want to reconsider that statement. On the contrary, I am willing to wager that not only does the average NASCAR fan know the name of Gordon's team owner, he also knows the crew chief and the first names of the entire pit crew, he could even probably recite every sponsor on Gordon's car.
Calm down, it was a joke. I believe more Nascar fans know more about Nascar engines than we do about F1 engines. They {I am sure} also know more about track bar adjustments, tire pressures, spring rubbers, suspension set up, fuel loads, who's car will be fast on lap 150, than lap 50. There's a lot more fan involvement in Nascar than F1. We may know how high the revs go but very few know what the engine looks like and what goes into it. Say what you want about Nascar but it is a huge sport with many 10's of millions of fans with 1,000 x more excitement than F1. Every week for the last 9 years I've heard/ read people complaining about "HOW BORING" F1 is, Nascar doesn't have that problem at all. More fans flock to Nascar in the states year after year while F1 fans become intermittent spectators due to being bored off their chairs.
well i'm glad to see you've nailed the subject of this thread. i don't think it was "would you cheer for hitler or what a redneck knows about noisy boxes going around in a circle. it was do you think the wdc is more important than the wcc. i think the others here might me more interested in your opinion on the subject of this thread rather than your opinion of my quips. 62 250 gto thanx for covering my 6.
OK. I chose WDC. No one but the most dedicated fan can tell you who won the WCC in 1966 but most everyone knows that Brabham won his third WDC that year. Put it another way, did you really find 1999 all that satisfying? Ferrari won the WCC but lost the WDC to Mika. No one but the teams care about the WCC, everyone cares about the WDC.
Not sure why anyone even bothers with the WCC. It is a driver's championship first and foremost. Just look at any book or video collection looking back at the past decades. They might mention WCC in a footnote, but they're all based on the driver who won that year. As it should be. WCC is the consolation prize for those few occasions where one team has the better car, but was unfortunate not to get the title for other circumstances. 1982 comes to mind.
Looking back at the 1999 season, Mika Salo says the WCC was more important. http://www.the-paddock.net/content/view/241948/49/
+1 I'm still wondering whether Salo is eternally pondering the question what-if? He gave away his one and only win in F1 (and a Ferrari F1) at the German GP for the team, so Eddie could get the max points. What an incredible sacrifice. I bet he expected more rides for Ferrari and was utterly disappointed when Luca called MS back from retirement.
That proves my point, if the team's weren't so concerned about the WDC then there would be no need for team orders. Who cares who finishes first if Ferrari has a locked-in 1-2? The team scores maximum points either way. That team orders were imposed in Germany that year simply illustrates the value that is placed on the WDC. As far as I am concerned, the WCC is a consolation prize.
Yeah if Salo had not pulled over for Irvine, I wonder if someone like Frank Williams or Flavio would have admired his passion and offered him a seat. Personally, I wouldn't have pulled over for anything, even if they threatened to fire me over the radio lol.
Poor Mika was in a very unique situation, should he: a) Move over and win Ferrari's sympathies and thereby assuring himself more races with further chances on wins etc or b) Ignore the team orders and enjoy the day in the sun as it will be his only day anyway He picked a) probably hoping it would lead to more. Alas it didn't. Ferrari gave him at least some GT crumbs.
yeah boy. that was some finish. mika has really shone in the gt cars. i actually think this is a magician or wand issue. can a great driver win in a bad car? does a great car make a winning driver? does a fan who favors a driver follow him from team to team or does your allegiance stay with the car?
I'm glad he found his niche, but I did mean it in a bad way. If it ain't F1, it ain't worth it. Just me 2 cents.
me? i just enjoy non-spec racing like F1 and ALMS. I enjoy passes like that video and Sato passing Alonso in the Canadian GP (after Alonso's mistakes though). i like to see which cars the drivers/team have and why they switch/stay.
What? There are only 22 seats available in F1 man. How about a little open mindedness? There's some great racing out there, besides F1.
I believe the WDC is more important as a title, even to the teams themselves and even if they know after the 'silly' that the champion is going somewhere else next season. The public at large assumes whatever car the champion drove that year would probably be the championship team. Most of the time they'd be right, and if they weren't, I don't imagine it would hurt all that much if by association everyone assumed they were. Imo, F1 addicts don't make up the majority of the viewership and only the diehards would actually care or know who was awarded the WCC.
