Well, Mates, I guess I'll try introducing a topic: U.S.G.P. R.I.P.I invite all F1 fans to read the transcript of Tony George's Press Conference announcing the fact that there will be no F1 race at Indianapolis next year. I would particularly like to point out how gracious Mr. George is in his comments about Bernie E.; doing business with Bernie E. etc.
Whereas any normal person who has worked hard to make something happen might be a little peeved when another person comes along and craps all over him
Tony, as a person and as a buisnessman, shows a good deal of what can only be called "class," in his demeanor. This is especially ironic because Americans are supposed to be unclassy bumpkins compared to the classy folk at F1. But if Bernie represents what it means to be a classy European, then I have to say in all my trips to Europe I have never encountered anyone, including a surely clerk at the American Express in Paris, who came even close to acting as crassly as he does.
In the first place, Mr. E. controls publicity for F1 events, notoriously making it all but impossible for local media to get close to his events. Even the program for the USGP for every year of its running has been stuck with generic logos that would embarrass the cheapest Public Relations firm in Indianapolis. Here you have a sport with some of the most photogenic machines and people IN THE WORLD and you can't get permission to show even THE LAST YEAR'S winner on your program!
Then Bernie comes to town and the first thing he bitches about is the "lack of p.r." for his race!!
Now compare the fact that no one got even five minutes of Lewis Hamilton's time in Indianapolis to the following, taken from McLaren's recent posting on the German G.P.:
The Mercedes-Benz vending area next to the paddock entrance is a meeting point for the fans of all teams: live music will be performed; pit stop contests will be held; interviews and autograph sessions, which will be announced well in advance, will be held with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 drivers; Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers and members of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team management. The Mercedes-Benz vending area next to the paddock entrance is a meeting point for the fans of all teams: live music will be performed; pit stop contests will be held; interviews and autograph sessions, which will be announced well in advance, will be held with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 drivers; Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers and members of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team management.
It is true, no doubt, that Bernie has to 'factor' in the fact that he can earn millions and millions of Dollars/Euros/Yen/Yuans & Rupees from countries like Japan, China, India, Russia, and who knows how many other Emirates who would like to hold an F1 event to announce to the world that their capitalists have 'arrived' and want to brag about it.
And it could be that Bernie will be able to squeeze enough cash out of Mr. Sarkozy to hold some kind of trumped up Grand Prix running from the Arc de Triomphe to La Defense and back (or on the Vegas Strip, courtesy of Steve Wynn), but would that make it Formula One?
No more Magny Cours; no more Indianapolis; how long can Silverstone hold out? Spa? Hell, how long will they be able to come up with the cash for Interlagos?
Many have complained about the Emperor Max and his loony regulations, but it will be Bernie and his cashmobile that finally destroys F1.
Oh, there'll be something called F1 Management. And they'll have a product. But it will bear the same relation to motor racing that Rubirosa did to husbands.
I knew the race was gone when I went to it this year. The size of the crowd was pathetic. I don't care what numbers they posted; there were more people watching at the end of the six car race farce created by Michelein (which Bernie claimed he was 'powerless' to 'fix') than there were watching the start of this year's race. You do the maths.
change the plus sign to a minus and you have it for F1 in Indy.
Sorry to see it go, but I'll be the first to cheer when Bernie follows!
Jim Watt
