"New" Teams Die & Old races Disappear? F1 Going Forward.
OK, So, Happy New Year to you all, it's been a while I know. 2016 was a particularly bad one here but, as promised in 2016 I do intend to get more content out in '17.
What better way than to start with a rant.
So according to reports both the British Grand Prix and Manor Racing are in danger of disappearing in 2017. With Bernie in an "advisory" position with Liberty Group the addage "The more things change, the more they stay the same" couldn't be truer. I for one am quite upset for many reasons, the last few years I have stopped watching F1, partly through circumstance (no Sky and work) and partly because, well it's not that good anymore, I can sit in my chair at home or at work on a Sunday and scroll twitter and read many comments on how bad the XXX Grand Prix is this weekend, part of me fells happy that I'm missing it, part of me feels very sad because a sport (if it really is still a sport) that I have watched for over 35 years is slowly dying in front of me when I have the chance to watch.
But anyway, back to the point. With the news that Silverstone may choose not to host the 2017 British Grand Prix, due to escalating prices and fees and the news that the administrators have entered Manor F1, for a moment I did wonder of it was for the best. Don't get me wrong I have been an F1 attendee during the last few seasons and, and this will haunt me to the grave, did have the chance to get an autograph and picture with the late Jules Bianchi outside the Whittlebury Park Hotel during the weekend of the 2013 Grand Prix, but, I do feel F1 is slowly shooting itself in the foot, *if* another team goes to the wall - not that I wish that on the hard working engineers and mechanics - what next? How long or how many more teams will it take before Liberty or the FIA decide to do something? Suppose Mclaren decide to build an LMP1 machine in a bid to emulate the success of Audi in recent years. Suppose Sauber and Williams decide to join the "in between" LMP1 class with the Rebellion and Kolles cars? Could F1 survive with just Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and a few privateers? I doubt it. Would Ferrari have as much clout if there was no or little competition? Again, in my mind unlikely.
A change of owner is not what F1 needs but a whole new change of rules governing prize money. Money should be distributed in part by the race to the drivers and teams and at the end of the year to the constructors based on overall finishing position. Anyone not liking that can take a hike and go race GTs or build a Prototype and see how much revenue that earns them!
Silverstone, I think you are doing the right thing don't pay for the sake of paying, yes, a lot of fans will be disappointed but, there is plenty more motorsport in this country for the fans to come and see. Manor, all the best, sorry but I do not see a way out of this and, I hope the staff can find alternative work either via the Manor WEC LMP2 programme or elsewhere within the motorsports world,
What better way than to start with a rant.
So according to reports both the British Grand Prix and Manor Racing are in danger of disappearing in 2017. With Bernie in an "advisory" position with Liberty Group the addage "The more things change, the more they stay the same" couldn't be truer. I for one am quite upset for many reasons, the last few years I have stopped watching F1, partly through circumstance (no Sky and work) and partly because, well it's not that good anymore, I can sit in my chair at home or at work on a Sunday and scroll twitter and read many comments on how bad the XXX Grand Prix is this weekend, part of me fells happy that I'm missing it, part of me feels very sad because a sport (if it really is still a sport) that I have watched for over 35 years is slowly dying in front of me when I have the chance to watch.
But anyway, back to the point. With the news that Silverstone may choose not to host the 2017 British Grand Prix, due to escalating prices and fees and the news that the administrators have entered Manor F1, for a moment I did wonder of it was for the best. Don't get me wrong I have been an F1 attendee during the last few seasons and, and this will haunt me to the grave, did have the chance to get an autograph and picture with the late Jules Bianchi outside the Whittlebury Park Hotel during the weekend of the 2013 Grand Prix, but, I do feel F1 is slowly shooting itself in the foot, *if* another team goes to the wall - not that I wish that on the hard working engineers and mechanics - what next? How long or how many more teams will it take before Liberty or the FIA decide to do something? Suppose Mclaren decide to build an LMP1 machine in a bid to emulate the success of Audi in recent years. Suppose Sauber and Williams decide to join the "in between" LMP1 class with the Rebellion and Kolles cars? Could F1 survive with just Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and a few privateers? I doubt it. Would Ferrari have as much clout if there was no or little competition? Again, in my mind unlikely.
A change of owner is not what F1 needs but a whole new change of rules governing prize money. Money should be distributed in part by the race to the drivers and teams and at the end of the year to the constructors based on overall finishing position. Anyone not liking that can take a hike and go race GTs or build a Prototype and see how much revenue that earns them!
Silverstone, I think you are doing the right thing don't pay for the sake of paying, yes, a lot of fans will be disappointed but, there is plenty more motorsport in this country for the fans to come and see. Manor, all the best, sorry but I do not see a way out of this and, I hope the staff can find alternative work either via the Manor WEC LMP2 programme or elsewhere within the motorsports world,
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