So, Bernie claims that Ferrari is "obligated" to run in F1. If he can support that in court, then Ferrari can send out a car ... with inertial dampers and a "movable floor". Then the transient stewards would give them a six race suspension. You can't force a team to compete. Heck, send an over-sized rear wing and invite Formula Lost to run another year of changing race results. By 2011, the F1 name will be available for the new series to pick up off the trash heap.
The title is just that. You want to watch a Championship title then GP2 can step up. The whole purpose of GP2 was to feed driver talent to F1. I follow it for that reason. Other than that its a spec car series that no-one cares about. (It does have better racing but that can be our secret) As an attorney I can see how you confuse the governing body and rules as the "product".
I prefer LS to Indy as well (never been there, though). I was thinking more of marketing to the US public.
Been playing electrician so I've missed most of the live practice this am but I got a big chuckle out of what Peter Windsor and Bob Varsha have said. Peter said his congratulations to the head of Toyota about the breakaway was meant in a cynical way and he was totally shocked that John (guy from Toyota) took at as a celebratory congratulation. Windsor was SHOCKED and Varsha was the same way. Peter started attempting to ask Howett(?) all sorts of questions to which he received no answers only told it will be all announced in the upcoming weeks. WAY TO GO FOTA! ! ! ! ! Carol
Bernie can claim whatever he wants. In the end, he will lose. IMO, Bernie and Max took on the wrong guy when they tried to bully Luca. Luca is the head of an industrial empire that will easily survive without either of them or their formula circus. The reverse is much more painful. When Luca took over Ferrari, it was producing mostly crap road cars and hadn't succeeded in F1 in a long time. Now Ferrari's cachet is without equal in the business. A man of such great accomplishment is certainly not going to let a perverted old fool and -an even older- greedy swindler bully him around endlessly for any amount of money. The careers of Max and Bernie are just about over. Luca's is just picking up momentum. And yes, I have always admired Luca. Including the "Come to Jesus" he had with Kimi.
If the on track stuff were only as exciting If FOTA does carry through with their threat and succeed the old F1 won't last a year. As usual Max has used the FIA, his personal fiefdom, to promote himself over all else. The organization has been too weak to stop him and now faces what in effect is it's ruin. At this point I don't see how anyone within the FIA can stop Max and there's no way in He** he's backing down without a gun to his head. Unless Bernie steps in at the last minute (wasn't that yesterday?) with some up till now unheard solution FOTA will have to carry out it's threat.
I was thinking that PW can not be considered an impartial reporter as he has a horse in the race and it is not doing well...
He just showed himself to the world. Now he's putting Silverstone aside trying to promote Donnington with all sorts of historical facts - of course, that's where his team will have to go. Windsor needs to get out of the scene as his comments of late are not at all impartial. Varsha is becoming similar and now add Hobbs to the list from his comments on tv. Carol
FYI, the product is the entertainment value of the racing. And, letting a union-FOTA control the FIA will result in the same mediocre product as the UAW caused with the USA auto industry ...and then total FAILURE. The FIA must stand it's ground...
Great catch - I just heard the same thing (going to work late today so I can watch practice ) But it raises the point - how on earth can Windsor remain as a supposedly impartial commentator? He was almost condescending and angry in his comments towards Howett (sp?).... he was saying "congratulations for killing F1". Obviously Windsor is now screwed unless a reconciliation takes place. Not only that, he must be careful to toe the line with the FIA because otherwise he is going to run afoul of the foul Max. He isn't in much of a position to jump to the FOTA series, so he's now likely the most biased one out there, AND he has a forum to tell us all about it. It will be interesting to see what he says and what level of personal commentary he will add to the situation. But IMO, adding his little shot to Howett was uncalled for and inappropriate.
They appear to be one of the five teams signed up to be running a car in F1 next year. They entered unconditionally....they are committed. Of course they could always claim lack of funds and pack up their tent. Which would lead them to be free to apply to compete in FOTA-1 the following year. Mark
just where they are in the Bernie/Max used to be Formula One - GP3 as it were. As Peter Windsor said long ago they are committed and have been.... Carol
While I feel bad for USF1 I'm excited to see what's going to happen from all of this. I read through about half the thread and some poeple are making some interesting points for both sides. Guess we'll just have to wait and see for a while...
I am very excited and interested to see where this will go as well. I hope the breakaway series is legit and not just a bluff...
I thought it was overly insular, if not incestuous, that he was doing reporting and acting in an official capacity for the FIA even before he started his team. Now his relationship has become an embarassment to all. But that's just the way the FIA does things I guess.
LOL and +1. However, I keep thinking of an old Bernie quote... "They think they've got me by the balls...their hands aren't big enough."
Just read that the ACO group which sanctions LeMans 24hrs and LeMans series in US, Japan, and Europe has offered to sanction FOTA series. One more stepping stone down.
