Baku 2022 Pre-Race Thread

You care about what they do on track. Others care about this as well as what the drivers think - especially on controversial issues. Like it or not, there are a lot of people who care and are interested in the athletes beyond the court, field, or track. Some athletes choose to use their platform, some don’t. I don’t think it’s fair to say that the ones choosing to speak have “no sense”.

 

Well said. Who said they gave up their RIGHT to speak as human beings lol. They didnt at all. Again this is easily ignored if one is so irritated lol.

 

History has shown F1 to finally stand up for a 'cause' or purpose as it did in this detail -

1. 
   By the beginning of the 1980s, South Africa was under incredible pressure to end its policy of racial segregation, known as apartheid.
   
   Most sports had placed sanctions against South African teams and athletes many years before—the country had been expelled from FIFA in 1961, for example, and from the International Olympic Committee in 1970, per the Mail and Guardian.
   
   However, F1 continued holding an annual race at the Kyalami circuit near Johannesburg until 1985. That year, French teams Ligier and Renault boycotted the race in protest. Meanwhile, Marlboro removed its logo from McLaren's cars, according to CNN's Ed Foster (you can see Alain Prost's blank McLaren in the video above, which shows the end of the race).
   
   Finally, the pressure proved too much for F1 and the sport did not return to South Africa until 1992, once apartheid had ended. The stain of being one of the last sports to officially oppose the racist policy lingers, though.
   

 

Yet F1 happily continues to race in places where they continue to lob gays of buildings and enslave people every day, lol.

Instead of virtue signaling F1 would make a far grander statement by refusing to race in those places, no? Because gays in all those other countries are fully accepted.

The rainbow sticker is just copying what every other global company does every June.

So we arrive back at Matthieu's original point, it's all a bunch of BS forced at us. And he's 100% correct.

 

seems they allow that kind of penetration

 

Yeah, that didn't make any pollution at all!! Drivers say where is my helmet.

 

The last thing you want when watching sport or entertainment is some jackass preaching you his ideas.

 

Except for the "track" part, this goes for all of mankind.
a) freedom to speak
b) smart enough to avoid speaking on sensitive things or controversies
c) nobody really cares what they say
d) nobody should be forced to listen

 

I watched two practice sessions today and didn’t hear anyone preaching. I heard “enhanced” audio trying to make the cars sound good, and I heard LEC trying to figure out the right engine mode. And bouncing, and the wind,...

 

Why do you care so much about what they think? Do you value their opinions as being especially informed? I didn't say they have “no sense.” I implied that some of them don’t have enough sense not to use their public platform to promote their political and cultural opinions, no matter what they are. Frankly I think what they do is mostly a cynical attempt at grabbing more publicity. And I don’t mean to single out F1 drivers. They're far from the worst offenders in the public celebrity realm.

 

Who, indeed? Whose post advocated that? Most people give up certain speech rights, as in complying with an employer’s requirements, etc.

 

Speaking personally, because I don't expect to be confronted by some issues when I simply want to watch F1.

 

I actually don’t care that much about their views; passing interest only. I just don’t understand the “shut up and drive” point of view, though. I don’t think it shows a lack of good sense if a driver doesn’t simply shut up.

 

I understand but I think my point might have been missed.

 

It’s simply a matter of leaving political and cultural issues off the playing field. If I were a team owner my drivers would be prohibited by contract from addressing such matters though the wearing of symbols of personal beliefs on uniforms and helmets. Those spaces are for approved sponsors only. Of course, they would be free to drive for other teams if they could not accept those terms.

I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it, but I can’t recall any other professional sport where the athletes are permitted to wear personal “statement” or “cause” patches on their uniforms unless they are part of a league promotion, as in the NBA or NFL, which I also disapprove of for the same reason: don’t bring it onto the field of play.

 

Different level, but there are several things I do very well and because of it I have contact with a fairly large group. When I interact with them I stick to my area of expertise. When I am asked to opine on some social matters I simply say " I really like to keep my personal beliefs personal and stick to my professional areas". I don't see why professional media people can't do that. I pay my money to see you race. Just my .02$.

 

I like sport (or any entertainment for that matter) to be neutral and not become a platform for any social or political issue.

Call me old fashion, but I don't like when people use sport to promote their agenda.

 

Sport is a place where we should be able to forget about all of that, not be reminded of it.

 

Tomorrow will be crazy…Baku, Le Mans, Road America.

 

Can’t wait to see Ferrari back at Le Mans next year.
I will surely go there to see the race.

 

Next year, there will be not only Toyota at Le Mans, but also Peugeot, Porsche, and possibly Cadillac to deal with for Ferrari.