A winter of content
I have just surfaced after a bout of enforced inactivity.
First, an operation on my right hand, with subsequent physiotherapy. Then came a rather nasty ‘lurgy’ which rendered me listless and spaced out, not to mention some aches and pains from a chest infection. Ah, the joys of winter in England.
Actually, it’s not cold here, not yet anyway, but lots of people are sniffing and coughing and generally moping around, groping for tissues. Yuk.
So, back on track and firing on about 10 of 12, I see that Mr Ecclestone is suggesting that we pin medals on racing drivers instead of awarding them points towards the F1 World Championship. And Messrs Kolles and Gascoyne have departed the Force India team. And McLaren has struck up a technical partnership with Mr Vijay Mallya’s valiant outfit. And Sebastien Loeb was very quick in a Red Bull Grand Prix car in Barcelona. And Rubens Barrichello may not be staying with the Honda F1 team which would be sad because he’s a great bloke. And on it goes… it’s all happening and the birds in the trees are whispering of a lively and controversial winter in the sport.
Let’s start with medals. Mr E thinks that Grand Prix racing should adopt an Olympian style of reward; a gold for the winner and well, you know how it goes. Apparently he is serious, though you never can be sure with such a bright, and mischievous, chap. Is it a good idea? Would it have made the final race of the season in Brazil any more exciting? I am not convinced. A more interesting wheeze might be to have an Olympic Grand Prix every four years, with the winner of this being given the gold. A new track in Athens perhaps? Great city, lovely weather and plenty of efficient infrastructure thanks to the Games themselves.
What is going on at Force India? I spent many hours talking to Mike Gascoyne (above) in Valencia this past summer and I am not so shocked to hear that he has left this gutsy little team. He is a highly intelligent bloke, is Mr Gascoyne, and I got the impression that, unless things went his way, he’d be on his way. He’s probably going to sail around the world before returning to dry land to parachute into another racing team that needs urgent help with making its cars go a lot faster. I am hoping to talk to him for the magazine soon.
In a couple of weeks time I am going to Wales. Not my favourite place at this time of year but, hey, someone has to do it. I am going to talk to the amazing Monsieur Sebastien Loeb as he prepares for the oddly-titled event known as the Wales Rally GB. I was offered a chance of talking to the man in the South of France but my Editor wants me to go to Wales. He’s the boss, so that’s where I’m going, and because I can ask other rally folk what they think of the World Champion. What I think is that he is a truly impressive bloke – did you see his times in the Barcelona F1 test? Unbelievable. Wouldn’t it be fun to see Loeb and Rossi on the Grand Prix grid.
Meanwhile the A1GP teams are in Malaysia. I could have gone there too, but that’s all to do with being ‘laid up’ these past few weeks. I do like A1GP racing, and the people involved, very much, and I would have liked to have seen the pandas in China, and the elephants in Malaysia. It’s an interesting series this, combining some local cultures with the race weekends. Anyway, lots to talk about this coming winter, so I hope you will all be ‘on line’ as they say, and ready with some pithy and politically incorrect ideas.
There’s a nasty ‘lurgy’ infecting the global economy too. But, as Winston Churchill used to say, KBO.
Rob was brought up on racing, being taken to Goodwood as a small child and devouring his father’s copies of Motor Sport. During a career in newspaper, radio and TV journalism he created the ‘Track Torque’ motorsport show on radio and was Indycar commentator for Eurosport before co-founding the Festival of Speed and Revival events. He was marketing director of the Goodwood Road Racing Company.
Dave Cubbedge:
November 21st, 2008 6:27pm
Ecclestone makes me ill! Medals? Seriously? Maybe he’s on to something - have you looked at most GP trophies lately? Ugh!
I’m re-reading the great “All Arms and Elbows” by the wonderful Innes Ireland while I pedal the staionary bike… Racing really has changed for the worse since those days.
I did have a chuckle when I read that China is thinking of dropping the GP - of course this after the loss of the French and Canadian all basically screaming the same thing - it costs way too much. I’m sure Bernie isn’t worried, after all there are a lot of third world countries that he hasn’t taken his dog and pony show to. Bring on Nepal in 2012, I am sure Tilke can plunk some tarmac somewhere and the monks are screaming out for excitement. Might be awhile before we see one in Somalia…
Rich Ambroson:
November 21st, 2008 11:23pm
All the best in leaving that ‘lurgy’ behind ya, Rob!
I’m with Dave C., the trophies lately have been disastrous. The Italian GP used to have a nice traditional trophy, and poor Vettel got a plated sponsor logo…
Maybe Somalia will be a while, but Myanmar can’t be too far away the way Bernie is going. He has to pay off Slavica and the lawyers, you know…
Filipe Amoroso:
November 23rd, 2008 9:49am
While I don’t like the medals idea, an end-of-season, off-championship event where medals were the only visible prize on offer would be cool.
I mean, can you imagine something like a Macau Grand Prix, where all scores could be settled with no one thinking about the championship? Cue left-hand tactics from the minnows and adventurous driving manouevres from drivers that know that only winning gives them bragging rights over winter.
Dave, that book is my all-time favorite motorsport book!
rob widdows:
November 23rd, 2008 1:42pm
Hello Everybody
Good to see you are still “clicking on” or whatever the expression is in cyberspace.
“All Arms and Elbows” - ah, yes, a wonderful book and I can see my copy on the shelf in my office as I do a bit of Sunday working to catch up on stuff.
And yes, those were the days, especially around characters like Innes. It was fun. Butnow is now, and we can either take it or leave it. I take it, with reservations, because I simply love motor racing and because the last couple of seasons in F1 have actually been very exciting despite all the political nonsense.
Incidentally, if you want a really good laugh, you have to read “Flat Out, Flat Broke” by Perry McCarthy who tried every trick in the book to become a regular Grand Prix driver. It is hysterically funny.
Modern racing books tend to be extremely dull, with the notable exception of Sir jackie Stewart’s autobiography “Winning is Not Enought”. It’s a great book.
Have you all seen the video of Riccardo Patrese driving his wife around the circuit in a road-going Honda? If not, watch it. Very funny and I think it’s widely available on the worldwise web. Hey, what isn’t?
I am not making any more comments about Mr E’s plan for medals, and especially not about his divorce. I am not that brave. But yes, the trophies these days do look very cheap and nasty, and whatever happened to laurel wreaths?
What I will say is that the global recession may very well encourage the teams to push a lot harder for a bigger share of the income that currently goes to the aforementioned Commercial Rights Holder. See the February edition of the magazine for more on F1 and the “downturn”.
Returning briefly to books (well, Christmas is coming) I recommend “Memoirs of a Racing Man” by Jo Ramirez. It’s a great story and quite recealing about his days with Prost and Senna at McLaren.
I’m off to lunch before this becomes a book review.
RW
Filipe Amoroso:
November 23rd, 2008 10:32pm
Actually, a book review would come in handy at this time of the year! I haven’t read Stewart’s, so I’ll probably give it a shot.
But of more interest: this morning I got thinking about non-championship events…and I remembered an article, and dug out Motorsport’s April edition 2003: “100 things that made F1 great”. It’s interesting to look at it now!
After reading this post and comments, it’s curious to see that “non-championship events” and “drivers wearing laurel’s wreaths” were part of that list. And that for 2009 “slicks” and “slipstreaming” (hopefully) are back. And I wonder how many would say that we already have “picturesque circuits” in the shape of Singapore…
The list goes on, it’s a really nice read.
Aleš Norský:
November 24th, 2008 1:30pm
Non-Championship races sound like a great idea. Maybe the Championship could be fixed at say 14 races each year (on some rotating basis), with three to six non-Championship races in between, while the testing during the season would be completely banned. As for the medals…no comment.
Dave Cubbedge:
November 24th, 2008 2:15pm
thanks Rob for reminding me to buy Perry’s book! I’ll be needing more material to offset the cold midwest US winter!
my favortie period of racing was the 30s thru the 50s. and not so much the main events, but the dozens of ‘town’ GPs throughout Europe. If I could come back in another time, that would be it. And to be eternally about 21 throughout it all as well!
rob widdows:
November 24th, 2008 3:23pm
This is all good stuff, and it’s heart-warming to communicate with such thoughtful fans……..!
I’m going to recommend some more reading because yes, it’s that time of year and there’s just so much crap on the TV. I drove across the Mid-West when I was working for WNET in New York in the 1970s, and I know the winter can be long and cold.
We used to have some wonderful non-championship races here in the old days - the Race of Champions at Brands Hatch and the Daily Express Trophy at Silverstone, not to mention the Gold Cup at Oulton Park. They are a nice idea and a great chance to see Grand Prix cars away from the hassle and expense of a championship event. But I reckon those days are gone for ever it’s a “global business” now and I can’t see the teams agreeing to any more races.
Interestingly, the recession may well another version of the Jim Clark Trophy when the turbo cars raced against the normally aspirated in two separate, but simultaneous, championships. Only the very richest teams will survive this “downturn” and I bet somebody somewhere has a plan ‘B’ if the money starts to drain away from the smaller teams.
If I could come back in another time it would be in the days before karaoke bars and hotels ruined beautiful Mediterranean islands………and I would have been able to interview Juan Manuel Fangio.
I will compile a short list of books. As Filipe says, you can do worse than flick back through your collection of Motor Sport. I sat down the other day to read through 1982. It seems like centuries ago but as you read, you can hear the cars, remember your heroes, and wish once more that computers had been kept away from racing cars.
Will the Overtaking Working Group succeed in bringing back slipstreaming and overtaking? I have my doubts. There are just so many graduates of the University of Very Bright Young Things whose job it is to beat the rulebook!
RW
Rich Ambroson:
November 24th, 2008 8:59pm
coming back in another time… I love the early 50s through about ‘70, or ‘71 or so. (mostly well before my time…)
For some reason, I have an image of being at Brands Hatch with Audrey Hepburn and The Beatles’ “I Feel Fine” playing the soundtrack… :-)
Something tells me that’s probably too “simple”, “naive” or dare I say it, “provincial” for modern day “F1″…
Aleš Norský:
November 25th, 2008 1:28pm
A dream truly worthy of the psychedelic era of the late 1960s. I don’t know about Audrey Hepburn, but you would likely meet George Harrison there, anyway.
Peter Eccles:
November 26th, 2008 10:52am
I like the idea of a few non-championship races. Perhaps end of season using the test teams and drivers plus a few guest drivers Rossi, Loeb and ex stars who still feel competitive but got “short changed” Rubens& Brundle would make a decent grid and cash prises only.
Filipe Amoroso:
November 26th, 2008 1:27pm
Non-championship races with wildcards - great idea, sounds like fun!
And you could also allow for more that one car per team, so that teams could have further testing performed, and more drivers fielding the grid!
And the short list for the venues could be Mosport, Elkhart Lake, Zandvoort, Algarve and San Luis (Argentina). Really interesting, non-championship, left field tracks so that teams couldn’t gain an advantage later.
Rob, any chance of you compiling a wishlist from everybody and send it to Mr. E?
Robin Richardson:
November 26th, 2008 1:39pm
Rob,
like you I wonder whether the OWG (don’t you just love it when something that used to be a sport comes over all corporate with its achronyms) will actually make it any easier to overtake. Hopefully, somebody has explained the concept of overtaking to the stewards. I hope I’m wrong but my money is on the law of ‘unplanned consequences’ prevailing yet again and we’ll be back where we started - maybe even worse. As for Bernie’s medals idea. His reasoning is that he’s sick of people complaining that there’s no overtaking. Hang on - didn’t the OWG just fix that? I’ve just ‘Asked Nigel’ for his view on this as well.
Robin
rob widdows:
November 26th, 2008 2:32pm
Afternoon All
Well, it’s afternoon here, on the South coast of England. And it’s been cold. Even the toughest cats are staying in at night.
Yes, good idea, Filipe, we will compile a list of “what the fans would like to see” and send it to the Guvnor, or drop it down one of his chimneys. I reckon I have a pretty good idea, both from your blogs and from meeting people, of what we all want.
The OWG will do its best but Grand Prix racing is stuffed full of very clever people who spend their days and nights making the cars go faster. But, whoever you are, if your car is anywhere other than on pole, you need to be able to overtake. Simple,really. And then of course the stewards must actually allow drivers to pass each other. With less aerodynamics, the cars will be able to run closer to each other, but the brakes will still be breathtakingly effective, so yes, we’ll probably end up where we started!
You probably know this, but ING has a website that is asking people to complete a very detailed questionnaire about what they want, or do not want, to see in F1 in the future. I’m not very adept at “surfing” the web but I think you go to either ING itself or to Renault F1. Anyway, it’s a good, and simple, questionnaire.
Acronyms can be fun. How about BOR? Bring on Rossi. Or BBOL? Bring back opposite lock. If you are missing cars at wild angles, head for Wales next week, and watch Solberg and Co thrashing through the forests. Stand as close as you can and feel the blast…….
RW
Santiago Fernández:
November 26th, 2008 5:45pm
I hope you get well soon! You need to be healthy and alert if you’re going to have WRC cars whizzing about inches from you!
I read both Sir Jackie’s and Señor Ramirez’s books, both are excellent. I’ll take your word for “Flat out, flat broke” and I’ll get my hands on a copy. Another good book I read this year was “Racing in the rain” by John Horsman, I’d recommend it to anybody who wants an insiders view of the Gulf Wyer team in the GT40 and 917 era.
Peter Dring:
November 27th, 2008 11:08am
With an impending divorce perhaps Bernie should hang on to his medals ! It’s F1 Bernie not club racing.
rob widdows:
November 27th, 2008 1:07pm
Yes, thanks, I will try to be alert, especially as I have just 20 minutes to interview Sebastien Loeb and I’m told he;s not the most communicative sportsman. It had better be interesting - after all, you will be reading it in the next magazine. I hope.
You’re right, Racing in the Rain is a very good book. I remember Derek Bell telling me about the Mulsanne in the rain in a Porsche 917. He said he had to look up at the treetops to make sure he was still pointing the thing in roughly the right direction. Great cars, great days.
Is Mr E getting divorced? he told The Times this week that his wife was moving out because she could no longer stand the noise of the builders next door………….
Here’s a good book and one you must try to read. “A Different Kind of Life” by Virginia Williams tells the sobering tale of living with Frank after his terrible car accident in France in 1986. It is an extraordinary story and reveals much about one of the toughest characters in post-war Grand Prix racing. It might be out of print by now but it’s well worth tracking down.
I’m off to talk to Sir Stirling Moss now - about his passion for cruising. On big, ritzy ships I mean. Well, why not?
RW
david holmes:
December 9th, 2008 5:57pm
Remedy for a lot of what ails F1: get rid of Ecclestone, and maybe Mosley too. BE’s head will explode with self-importance very soon anyway, but not before he’s damaged F1 beyond repair. His idea of wins being the only thing counting towards the Championship is another swipe at Hamilton; if Massa had won the same way, BE would never have come up with an idea that would have offended his masters at Maranello.
There are too many GP’s, cut them back to 12 maximum and let’s see how many drivers can emulate Stirling Moss by competing and winning in a wide variety of vehicles. Stirling is still the greatest racing driver of all time.
Maybe half the races should be in replica 1950’s cars, with no “modernizing”. That’s when racing was fun, and not a boring parade of high-speed rollerskates where only the tops of helmets are visible.