The F1 drama theater rolls on

F

foehammer111

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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/racing/06/05/F1_breakaway.ap/index.html

Just when it looked like F1 would be saved, now the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) says that will start a break-away series if FIA rejects their entries for the 2010 season.

See, this is what is killing the sport. All the drama queens prancing around with their own agendas, and the internal politics needs to stop. I thought F1 was about racing exotic cars all over the world.

If I wanted to see grown men throwing hissy fits, and calling each other names I'd go watch C-SPAN.
 
looks like "we can't work it out"

F1 faces uncertainty as 8 teams plan rival series

SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Formula One's future was in turmoil Friday after Ferrari, McLaren and six other teams announced plans for a rival series following the collapse of heated negotiations with the sport's organizers over a budget cap for next season.

The FIA, the sport's governing body, responded by accusing the Formula One Teams Association of trying to dictate the rules of motorsport and intentionally triggering the biggest crisis to engulf F1 since the championship began in 1950....
 
RIP F1: 1950 - 2009

Honestly, I'm surprised that they are making a break away series. I think the car makers would have been better off merging with an existing series like A1GP or IRL. Ferrari already provides provides engines for A1GP.

IRL could really use the help too. The technology, drivers, and financial backing that these teams could bring to IRL back into a more competitive state, and actually give NASCAR a run for it's money.

Oh well. Looks like the drama queens have brought down one of the oldest racing series in the world. I wonder how this will effect the British GP on Sunday.
 
this is just too idiotic and financially stupid for both sides. i can't believe there won't yet be a compromise. maybe have 2 classes for f1 teams?
 
SlowNeasy said:
maybe have 2 classes for f1 teams?
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FOTA was strongly opposed to this. They felt that F1 should have 1 car class, and one championship. The new rules for 2010 that Mosley proposed would have created a two-tier system. One for budgeted teams, and one for non-budget teams.

I think F1 needed to die off. It had gotten too political, and bloated that it could no longer be an effective racing series. Too much was focused on what was happening off the track, that it over shadowed the racing.

Even then, the racing has been sub-par for many years. They've had a tough time achieving pairity, and only 3 or 4 cars had a chance of winning any given race. Plus with the way the rules are setup, it has become like an arms race to see who could develop the next big thing to give them an edge over the other teams.
 
SlowNeasy said:
this is just too idiotic and financially stupid for both sides. i can't believe there won't yet be a compromise. maybe have 2 classes for f1 teams?
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That's what started the whole thing. With the budget cap FIA plans, there will basically be 2 classes, those who aren't under the cap and those that are. And the ones that aren't would have a different set of rules.
 
foehammer111 said:
http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4272080

Now FIA is saying that they are going to sue the 8 break-away teams for breach of contract. FIA claims that these 8 teams have contracts to race in F1 through the 2012 season.
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It never ends. I love F1, but this is really going to hurt. For one thing, how long is F1's TV deal with Speed? I know the FIA doesn't really care about the US, but there's a potentiall huge market here. And what about a TV deal with a potentailly second series?
 
I'll bet that IF this break actually comes to pass, the new organization will have a minimum of three races in North America, leaving F1 to race in that epitome of a prestigue auto sales market, Turkey. (I wonder how many Ferarri's are sold in Istanbul each year? As many as are sold in SoCal, Miami, or Vegas, alone?)
 
John Galt said:
I'll bet that IF this break actually comes to pass, the new organization will have a minimum of three races in North America
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very interesting observation, if they come to Miami, I'll go watch! ...OK, I know, not the point...

After Tony George almost destroyed open wheel racing in the US by causing a 'split' I can't believe F1 would let that happen! the prestige of F1 is definately in jeopardy...
 
Hell, if they really wanted to they could make an entire series just on tracks in North America. Some of the greatest road courses in the world are here, and it's a market F1 has ignored for too long.
 
foehammer111 said:
Hell, if they really wanted to they could make an entire series just on tracks in North America. Some of the greatest road courses in the world are here, and it's a market F1 has ignored for too long.
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sonoma. Watkins. R Atlanta. R America. Portland. Homestead. Sebring.

What are the 2 im forgetting? (not street courses)
 
ajk112802 said:
very interesting observation, if they come to Miami, I'll go watch! ...OK, I know, not the point...

After Tony George almost destroyed open wheel racing in the US by causing a 'split' I can't believe F1 would let that happen! the prestige of F1 is definately in jeopardy...
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We can agree to differ on just now much T.G. "destroyed" open wheel racing. Personally, I believe CART did far more to destroy American open wheel racing than T.G. did by splitting. However, what's he's done since he formed IRL is another matter. But I digress and don't want to get into that debate here...

I don't see an F1 split happening. I think this whole deal is just threatening and posturing for power. I look at it this way: The "new F1" doesn't have a set schedule for next season. Nor does it have advertisers or a TV contract with EuroSportTV (which I believe Mosley has locked up for five more years?) So, if Ferarri, Toro Rossa and the rest were to make the break, where would they race and how would they get their message out to the public?

The way Mosley and FOTA are acting reminds me of a couple of kids in the school yard. They get red in the face, shout insults at each other and threaten, and maybe even shove a little. But they seldom get into a fight and recess ends and they go to their respective classrooms and things continue as before.

I believe that in the end this thing will end up with Max saving what's left of his nebulous honor, FOTA will have a little more power and the race fan will once more take it squarely in the shorts. We'll get more spec cars, more so-so tracks, more follow-the-leader racing with minimal passing on the track, and more Ferarri domination.
 
Magnethead said:
sonoma. Watkins. R Atlanta. R America. Portland. Homestead. Sebring.

What are the 2 im forgetting? (not street courses)
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I can think of Atlanta, Virgina, Mid-Ohio and Indianapolis. Plus, Birmingham has a pretty good little road course.
 
John Galt said:
I can think of Atlanta, Virgina, Mid-Ohio and Indianapolis. Plus, Birmingham has a pretty good little road course.
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there we go.

sonoma. Watkins. Road Atlanta. Road America. Portland. Homestead. Sebring. VIR. Mid Ohio. Indy.

That's 10 events...

Maybe they could run companion to grand-am and Koni even?
 
Magnethead said:
there we go.

sonoma. Watkins. Road Atlanta. Road America. Portland. Homestead. Sebring. VIR. Mid Ohio. Indy.

That's 10 events...

Maybe they could run companion to grand-am and Koni even?
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Grand-Am isn't close to being what it used to be but the Koni Challenge... Now there is one kick-ass racing series! They actually run cars that appear stock. I believe that it's the most under appreciated racing series today.
 
John Galt said:
I don't see an F1 split happening. I think this whole deal is just threatening and posturing for power.
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the timing is way wrong for a split. now after current contracts run out is another story. if it's going to be done, say in 2013, they have time to build up a support structure. governing body, tracks, sponsors, tv deal.... they do however have to make up their minds now and start working on it if they want to build a successful series from scratch.
 
John Galt said:
Grand-Am isn't close to being what it used to be but the Koni Challenge... Now there is one kick-ass racing series! They actually run cars that appear stock. I believe that it's the most under appreciated racing series today.
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and unlike GT1 and GT2, there's actually a little bit of parody...
 
Magnethead said:
sonoma. Watkins. R Atlanta. R America. Portland. Homestead. Sebring.

What are the 2 im forgetting? (not street courses)
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Miller MSP, VIR, Laguna Seca, New Jersey. Plus there are lots of tracks with infield road courses. Daytona, Indy, Homestead, etc.

John Galt said:
I don't see an F1 split happening. I think this whole deal is just threatening and posturing for power.
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I don't think these are just idle threats. I think an F1 split is really going to happen unless some agreement can be met on budget caps. If this was just posturing for power, they would have had an agreement by now. They've had enough time to work it out.

But if the F1 split does happen, I don't see a new series starting up for at least another 2 years. Like you said, they need to workout rules, schedule, cars, etc. That will take a lot of work.

That's why I think they'd be better off merging with an existing series like IRL. They could really use the technology and the talent from these F1 teams. Besides, IRL is going to be financialy dead in 3 years if they keep going like this. They really could use the boost these teams would bring.
 
Magnethead said:
sonoma. Watkins. R Atlanta. R America. Portland. Homestead. Sebring.

What are the 2 im forgetting? (not street courses)
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In the last 3 years they have built 2 new tracks to go along with the already existing F1 designed track here in Texas. So there's 3 F1 designed tracks here now in Texas.

First track Motor Sport Ranch in Cesson, Tx. (just south of Ft. Worth), Motor Sport Ranch Houston, and Eagles Canyon Raceway. Other road courses in Texas are Harris Hill Road in San Marcos (just out of Austin), Racers ranch (just out of Terrell), Driveway in Austin, GradSport Speedway south of Houston, TWS in College Station, and TMS just north of Ft. Worth.
 
blue92 said:
In the last 3 years they have built 2 new tracks to go along with the already existing F1 designed track here in Texas. So there's 3 F1 designed tracks here now in Texas.

First track Motor Sport Ranch in Cesson, Tx. (just south of Ft. Worth), Motor Sport Ranch Houston, and Eagles Canyon Raceway. Other road courses in Texas are Harris Hill Road in San Marcos (just out of Austin), Racers ranch (just out of Terrell), Driveway in Austin, GradSport Speedway south of Houston, TWS in College Station, and TMS just north of Ft. Worth.
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The TMS road course is not an FIA approved course that I know of. I know Eagles Canyon is (the guy i drive with in SCCA is a corner worker there) and I've heard of MSR but not sure if it's FIA asphalt. I interviewed the owner of TWS at the IRL race but didnt ask if itt's FIA spec asphalt.

The F1 cars create such a vacuum below them, it can peel up sub-par pavement. ECR had a whole explanation and technical jargon but I forget where it was or if it's online still. Steve from FullSolo has some H2R clips on his website, looks like a neat course, but still dunno if it's FIA spec, would assume it is but it looked too gray and porus from the onboards.
 
Magnethead said:
The TMS road course is not an FIA approved course that I know of. I know Eagles Canyon is (the guy i drive with in SCCA is a corner worker there) and I've heard of MSR but not sure if it's FIA asphalt. I interviewed the owner of TWS at the IRL race but didnt ask if itt's FIA spec asphalt.

The F1 cars create such a vacuum below them, it can peel up sub-par pavement. ECR had a whole explanation and technical jargon but I forget where it was or if it's online still. Steve from FullSolo has some H2R clips on his website, looks like a neat course, but still dunno if it's FIA spec, would assume it is but it looked too gray and porus from the onboards.
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I was just listing the road courses around Texas like I said only 3 of them (the 1st 3 I listed) were designed by F1 track designers. Being designed by F1 designers doesn't mean they are FIA approved tho.
 
blue92 said:
I was just listing the road courses around Texas like I said only 3 of them (the 1st 3 I listed) were designed by F1 track designers. Being designed by F1 designers doesn't mean they are FIA approved tho.
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if the FIA ran the interstate highway system, we'd NEVERRRR have potholes! :eek:
 
Magnethead said:
if the FIA ran the interstate highway system, we'd NEVERRRR have potholes! :eek:
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I don't know let the 18 wheelers and dirt/rock haulers drive all day on them and see what we get, like Debbie Lane where half of the year there's at least one lane closed so Mansfield can pour sand in the whole and pour asphalt on top of it. yea that'll fix it.
 
Magnethead said:
if the FIA ran the interstate highway system, we'd NEVERRRR have potholes! :eek:
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If FIA ran the interstate highway system it would be nothing but potholes. The FIA drama queens would still be arguing over what color the lane markers should be while the road fell apart.

:rolleyes:
 
Bob Varsha predicted that Mosely would step down on WindTunnel last week.

This is great news. Since the Concord Agreement expired, Mosely has had way too much power in F1. This wont fix all the problems in F1, but it's a start.
 
foehammer111 said:
Bob Varsha predicted that Mosely would step down on WindTunnel last week.

This is great news. Since the Concord Agreement expired, Mosely has had way too much power in F1. This wont fix all the problems in F1, but it's a start.
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IMNSVHO, I believe they might find an intelligent leader (as opposed to a manager) who cares more about racing than he/she does about power.

I think that would bean excellent start.
 
http://motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=334134

It's not over yet!

Now Mosley is demanding an apology from Ferrari and FOTA for comments that said he was forced out of office, and that he was a dictator.

Which, for the record, are both true statements. ;)

crying-baby.jpg
 
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