Motorsport chat
Every week myself and Eric from Eric’s World of Motorsport (http://auto-racing.weebly.com/index.html) discuss what is making the news in the world of racing. Feel free to get in contact with us by leaving a comment below and letting us know your opinions on the topics we have discussed.
08/06/09
This week, we discuss the FIA presidential race between Jean Todt and Ari Vatanen, Michael Schumacher’s return and the future, BMW’s pull out from F1, Should Formula One return to North America?, The penalties dished out at Snetterton and lastly more BMW: A switch to DTM? Happy reading.
Ari Vatenan vs. Jean Todt…who do you back for the FIA presidency, and who do you think will win?
Eric: It’s pretty simple to me. You have a guy who climbed mountains in a sporty little Peugeot (and he’s from Finland) vs. a guy who wears sweaters and has a weird Band-Aid fetish. Not to mention a bundle of Ferrari bias, as if they didn’t already have enough influence on the sport.
James: To me, I’d go for Ari. I think he’s got the right idea in what he’s aiming for, and it could end the silly arguments between FOTA and FIA that have plagued Formula 1 recently. However, it’s no secret Jean is the preferred son so to speak, and as far as I am aware, he’s promised a return to F1 innovation, so it’s a close battle.
Eric: Ari’s promised the same things FOTA have promised, though: reduced sanctioning fees (and therefore lower ticket prices) and a return to traditional and important markets. With FOTA having increased power, innovation is bound to return, no matter who wins. Ari’s been in WRC, though, and that makes a difference to me. The FIA is more than just F1, and some of its series, like the rally cars, are ailing more than the pinnacle of motorsport. Vatenan’s going to be able to fix that. Todt…his main focus is on fixing the stewards and World Motorsport Council, to make penalties fairer. It needs to be addressed, but is it the weightiest problem in Formula 1 right now? Not to me. The lack of competitive spirit and road-relevant innovations are. Granted, Ari’s got a snowball’s chance in Hell of winning the whole thing. The fact that most teams voted in favor of lifting the test ban for Michael shows just how much power the Scuderia have over everyone, and you know they’re backing Todt.
James: For sure, Ari would be the man to get all of the FIA-sanctioned sports back on track, including the farcical WTCC, so in that way Ari is better for the whole sport, and besides, I don’t see any “Jean for president” group on Facebook, which pretty much sums up the fans’ opinions on this I think. It’s like the UK general election, at the start of it, anybody can seemingly win it, but it always ends up Labour. I guess Labour, in this case, will be Jean Todt. Either way, despite how unpopular Max is amongst many fans, they are big shoes to fill.
Eric: Yeah, you need a lot of money if you’re going to go on 5,000 GBP/hour sexcursions every Saturday. But that’s probably not what you were getting at. In short, Formula 1 is in good hands, no matter who takes over, as long as they maintain the FIA’s impeccable safety record. The FOTA are going to be largely in charge from now on, and they’ll make sure the fans get the kind of product they want. As far as the other championships go, who knows? Maybe they need someone to start throwing toys of the pram to get the changes they want, just like FOTA. You have to admit it worked. They got what they wanted: control over the one and only Grand Prix series.
James: Well, Formula 1 is in safe hands now I’d say with the recent signing of the Concorde contract (thank goodness!), so at least there won’t be a breakaway series!
2. Michael Schumacher: he’s back. How will his return go, and will he be back for more in 2010?
James: As an unashamed Schumacher and Ferrari fan, I’m delighted by the news; it seems something good has come out of something that was very bad (Felipe’s accident). I think it might take him a race or two to get up to speed, but he’ll be a force, no doubt about it. I would be very surprised if he didn’t win a race or two. With what Niki Lauda has been saying and announcements from Schumacher himself “I couldn’t say no” it all stinks a bit of Schuey being tempted out of retirement full time in 2010.
Eric: Hmm…7 races…70 points up for grabs…how many does Button have? 70. Bernie scripts the whole mess and Schumi comes away with the WDC. Okay, fine, he won’t. I’ll make a bold prediction, and you know it’s going to be dead wrong, coming from me: Schumi goes winless. Kimi and Felipe couldn’t even win in this year’s car, and both of them are very competent drivers. Now, at their best, those two are not as good as Schumacher at his best, but is MSC at that level? By all means no. He isn’t in the same shape he was in back in 2006, and hasn’t taken a single lap in one of these cars. He’ll perform well and score podiums, but beating the Red Bulls, McLarens, and even the Brawns (if they find some more pace) for the top step in a car that has struggled with just about everything at various points throughout the year…I just don’t see it happening, as good as Michael is. As for the future, I think he’s done. He did it as a favor to Ferrari and to Felipe, and that’s it. With drivers like Alonso and Kubica on the market next year, if the Scuderia need another driver, they won’t need to enlist Michael’s services. And they may not have any room: Kimi does have a contract and Massa looks like he’ll be able to come back (and he said he wanted to). Then again, how about this: the ultimate coup…Michael volunteers to race for his old buddy Ross Brawn for reduced wages.
James: I’d tend to disagree. McLaren were way off the pace of everybody at the start of the season, yet at Hungary they managed to win and that was down to Hamilton being a great driver and the team being a great team. With Ferrari’s race experience over the years and Schumacher’s technical nous and ability to find a car’s faults and improve them will put Ferrari in good shape for the last seven races. With due respect to Kimi and Felipe, Ferrari haven’t really had a team player and somebody with the set-up knowledge of Michael since he retired. If they struggle in Friday practice, they tend to struggle in the race, too. Michael could be the man to turn that around and the team will be fired up to give the great man a great car. As for 2010, well, I think you’d be stupid to turn down a seven-time world champion if he is interested again. These last races will tell us. If he beats Kimi in most races, which I expect he will, it will assure us that he’s still got it. I’d much rather have an experienced hand in my team than a guy like Kubica who has yet, in my mind, to show his full potential.
Eric: There’s no denying Michael’s technical ability, but he can’t fix the car until he gets used to it, so that could take some time. The testing ban will also limit what they can do development-wise…while other teams are using their simulators over the break to make their cars faster, Ferrari are merely utilizing the technology to get Michael adjusted to the car. That puts them behind a little bit. Also, it’s important to remember that this isn’t Schumacher’s Ferrari. He’s a great talent, no doubt, but it was the combination of himself, Ross Brawn, and Nigel Stepney that made the team so dominant. Two of those men are gone, and Ferrari has been a bit messy in terms of organization and management. While MSC may be able to help, this won’t be the same Scuderia. Kubica over Michael? Well, here’s one reason: Robert comes cheaper. Michael will be paid 1,000,000 Euros per race this year, and if he were to run the full season, he’d probably ask for a bit more than that. Sports management is all about getting the best young guys at the lowest price to build a team, and that’s exactly what Ferrari needs: to rebuild. Getting guys they can get longevity out of instead of guys who are getting up there in age is better for the long-term future. Regardless, it will depend on how Michael does in these next seven races; if he doesn’t succeed, he most certainly won’t want to come back.
3. BMW: why they left, and what their pull-out means for Formula.
Eric: I don’t believe they left because they got beaten. I can’t say their performance didn’t play a role in the departure, but it wasn’t the only factor. Even with the possibility of positive changes in the next few years, the future of Formula 1 comes with some uncertainty, and at a great price. If BMW can find other series (sports cars, touring cars, etc) where they can get more innovation for less money and still have a large appeal to their main markets (Le Mans to the entire world, ALMS to North America, DTM to Germany/Europe), there is no sense in staying in Formula 1. And I think they’ll be back once Grand Prix gets on steadier footing. What it means? Well, the economy’s funny and their results were poor. I don’t think we needed their withdrawal to tell us that.
James: What it means to Formula 1? Potentially one less team, but teams come and go. It is a shame, BMW had two solid drivers in Kubica and Heidfeld, they had the resources to be good again and from 2006-2008 they were actually pretty good. I don’t think now, in any race series, we are as dependant on manufacturers for a series to survive. Formula 1 won’t end tomorrow because of BMW pulling out, just as it didn’t end the day after Honda pulled out. So I don’t think it is as big a “disaster” story as many papers are making it out to be, simply the economic times catching up with a team, or them simply becoming disinterested with the sport. After all, your team coming last in the races means that the guys back home in the suits don’t get their big bonus packages. But I do dislike BMW’s attitude in this. Just because they are having a rough year they suddenly pull out. Every team has good and bad years, and after all teams normally bounce back the next year, bigger and stronger from it. But a switch to DTM for BMW makes perfect sense, the big three German manufacturers in the world’s fastest touring car championship.
Eric: I don’t think it was just a case of “we suck, let’s quit” as much as “this is a waste of money, let’s quit.” Even if it was performance-based, it doesn’t look good for a big team like BMW to run poorly. Think about it: what do you see at the front of the grid? Mercedes. What do you see at the back? BMW. That means Mercedes now has an image as racing champions (and hence performance in their road cars), whilst BMW look slow and stupid. Is that dumb? Of course. But image is everything in cars…Kia make great cars, but their reputation is rubbished in the US, so they don’t sell as well as Toyota or Honda. As for the sport, your summary’s about right.
James: Yeah, I doubt much will change. If a buyer is found, I think other than new colours and a new name, everything, including the sport, will be the same.
4. Bernie Ecclestone has suggested there will be two North American grands prix by 2011, one in Montréal, and one in the USA. Should F1 return, and if so, where?
James: I think F1 should return. There are many F1 fans in the US and Canada, contrary to belief, and the teams, drivers, and sponsors all enjoyed racing there, particularly in Montréal. The fact is these races were not at all snore fests and they were (thankfully) not on Herman Tilke-designed tracks. F1 to Montréal should definitely happen, as to a track in the USA, I’m not so sure, Laguna Seca would remain a dream. There are many great roads courses in America, but it is hard to say if any would be suitable for Formula 1.
Eric: It’s quite easy to say, actually: none would be without some cash. Martin Whitmarsh suggested striking a deal with one of the tracks to let them run the race for free instead of having to pay $30,000,000 or so to host it, which would let tracks like Road America or Road Atlanta make the improvements, but you know that’s just a dream. It’s really Indy or a new circuit (probably a street race in California or the New York area, but not in NYC) for the USA. Montréal is a must, though. It’s always provided great racing, it’s a gorgeous area, and it’s relatively close to the New York and Boston markets in the USA, where Formula 1 isn’t miserably unpopular. The US does have a decent number of F1 fans, we just make up such a small percentage of the total population. They should race in North America; if they go about it correctly, there’s a lot of money to be made.
5. James Nash was excluded from race three in the last round of the BTCC. Was it justified?
Eric: Oh, of course it was, they should also disqualify anyone who gets within 10 feet of another car, or better yet, goes on the same track as another car. It was just racing. Hard racing. Contact. That’s what the bodywork’s for, right? The beating and banging is what makes the British Touring Cars so much fun: those guys aren’t afraid to get after it and take some risks you couldn’t in an open-wheel car.
James: I don’t believe it was right, it would have been a great story to end the day’s racing, a first time winner in only his third BTCC event. Rubbing’s racing in the BTCC as they say, and a move that I thought was even worse than James Nash occurred in race one with Plato tapping off race and championship leader Colin Turkington. I think the decisions the stewards make needs to be looked at. On the whole they are fair, but on the replay, Collard seemed to turn into Nash’s car and Nash had nowhere to go meaning Collard got turned. Yet Plato’s move in race 1 was a desperate, no holds barred attempt that was bound to end in tears. Yes, Collard and Jelley suffered very badly damaged cars after the contact. Yes, Collard was admitted for hospital and yes it seems unlikely due to the short amount of time before the next round that Airwaves and Team RAC will be able to get those cars fixed in time. Yes, it ended any chance Collard had of winning the championship, but it was hard racing and in my mind, a racing accident.
6. More BMW: leaving WTCC for DTM? Will they? Should they?
James: Well BMW have well and truly fallen out with the FIA in WTCC due to the very bizarre rules, and I can’t blame them. The farcical decisions made by the FIA this year to level the playing field have really overshadowed that series so far this season. After all, do BMW really want to be getting beaten for the second year running by a diesel SEAT? DTM could do with a third manufacturer; it’s been a bit bare after Opel pulled out several years ago now. It would make the DTM a more watchable, more promotable series with the big three German manufacturers in it, and interest in Germany could rocket skywards. I can’t see why they shouldn’t; it’s the perfect opportunity now with the rules being frozen. Audi want them to do it, Mercedes want them to do it, and DTM as a whole want them to do it. It’s looking likely. All DTM needs now is a German bloke called Schumacher in the series. Oh yeah they have that already, but it’s Ralf.
Eric: Isn’t it a bit interesting that BMW would pull out of two FIA series in one year? Hmm. But intrigue isn’t the “I” word I’m looking for in this situation…no, it’s innovation. You hear it a lot, but rarely does it manifest itself in auto racing. DTM’s a place where it has, and can. Of the touring cars, they’re the most impressive performance-wise, and that allows for better conditions for BMW to test road-relevant developments in. Even better, the cars look like a road-going BMW, so the fans watching will see that the BMW they can buy looks just like the one they race, and that drives home the point that they are the same car. Let’s take it one step further: the innovation and exposure is cheap, as a series run within one small area (Germany) softens the blow of travel expenses. DTM makes total sense for BMW; they should do it, and I think they will. Instead of spending more money to do one series (F1), why not spend less money to appeal to all different types of race fans in a variety of series? You have the ALMS GT2, Formula BMW, maybe an LMP1 in the future, and now DTM. I’ll miss BMW’s presence in Formula 1, as well as WTCC as a Zanardi fan, but you can’t fault them one bit for ditching the FIA and looking at alternatives in all disciplines of motor racing.
James: Yes, although I don’t know whether they would completely ditch their current WTCC drivers. They could easily make the transition and even though the speeds are a lot higher, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if BMW hired the likes of Muller, Farfus, Priaulx and Zanardi to battle alongside the likes of Ekström, Scheider and Spengler.
Eric: True, but it depends on how many cars they have. There are more Audis and Mercedes because they have older ones from past years recycled down to other teams, while there will only be so many new BMWs offered to competitors. I’m sure most will stay under BMW’s wing, though. However, Zanardi is costly, simply because they have to develop an entire system of operating the car for him, which may leave him behind (which would be horribly unfortunate). Besides, if BMW are still testing young drivers like Alex Rossi and Esteban Gutiérrez this winter, that would suggest they’re looking to continue developing those guys and would like to find them a seat somewhere, so they may be added to their DTM stable, if they impress enough to stay with the German manufacture.
James: Yes, well guys who have been in single-seaters before haven’t done very well in DTM. It’s a whole new brand of racing, rough and tumble stuff, but it would be interesting to see. Then again, guys who have done well in F3 such as Paul Di Resta and Gary Paffett have done very well in DTM.
Eric: True, it is a hard transition, as Katherine Legge or even Schumi-the-Lesser will point out. And you can’t exactly say Rossi or Gutiérrez have fully met their potential in the junior formulae this year. We’ll see. One thing’s for sure: if BMW go to DTM, it’s going to get very interesting, as they bring a talented lineup and a history of success in full-fendered racing machines. And to be quite honest, I have no reason to believe they don’t jump ship. I would if I ran BMW, though I guess that’s not a very good endorsement, seeing as there’s probably a good reason for me not running a car company’s racing operations.
