A weekend to remember. One for the history books, and in so many ways.
Giancarlo Fisichella, having driven the race of his life, is expected to fulfil every Italian’s boy dream and get the call from the Scuderia. At Monza, of all places, it looks like he will race a Ferrari. I assume that when the invitation comes he will accept it…
One imagines that the loan of Fisi to Maranello could just be the most profitable piece of business that Mr Mallya will bank in this financial year.
But, for once, it’s not all about money. Force India proved, on Sunday anyway, that you don’t have to have the biggest, smartest motor home to take on the Big Budget Boys. And Valentino Rossi reminds us that he is, in fact, a human being.
Lots to mull over then, as we slide reluctantly from summer to autumn, while we anticipate with some relish the climax of the European Grand Prix season at magnificent Monza.
Fisichella. A weekend is a long time in Formula 1, and what a difference a day makes. First Barrichello strikes back, and now Fisichella reminds us that, yes, he has the talent, but not always the inclination. So, the old men are not done with yet, and maybe a bit of experience does in fact beat a new haircut and expensive sunglasses.
Kimi-without-KERS would not have had a chance at Spa. Just take a look at the lap times. So where has Force India found this startling pace? In two very clever young designers, that’s where, and in a new team manager fresh from the McLaren Technology Centre. Add in the force of Vijay Mallya, the experience of Andy Stevenson, and you see that, in the right place and on the right day, this crew was going to get the car up the grid. And this was no flash in the pan. The car is quick, the engine is strong and they have been working very hard back at the old Jordan building at Silverstone. Wise heads, young heads and a driver with talent will eventually come good, and we should rejoice in another twist to this extraordinary tale of 2009.
Meanwhile, in Indiana, the Doctor got it wrong. Yup, this time it was Rossi, not Jorge Lorenzo, who let it slip from under him. Reassuring really, and good for the MotoGP championship. But the little man must be mad with himself.
And then there’s our very own Jenson Button, a man who has somehow lost his form at just the wrong moment. But when Button fails to deliver, his rivals have largely failed to capitalise. And this is just the sprinkling of good fortune that is one of the vital ingredients in the recipe for a World Championship. Had his team-mate been able to repeat his performance from Valencia in Belgium, things would be so very different.
So, as we discussed last week, these are intriguing times. Motor racing is going through a tough period and the almost inevitable withdrawal of Toyota from Grand Prix racing would be another blow to a sporting business that has been hit hard by the weakness of the global economy.
What is good, however, is that the sport’s showcase – the Formula 1 World Championship – has rarely been so exciting. Just a few months ago, in Monte Carlo, Bernie Ecclestone declared that he thought the show was becoming a little boring, with the same man winning all the races. Not now. There will be further surprises.
A name that crossed my mind as Fisichella crossed the line at Spa: Mike Gascoyne.
Fired at Renault: Team improved significantly.
Fired at Toyota: Team improved significantly.
Fired at Force India: Team improved significantly.
Is he really with Manor now?
My heartfelt condolences.
‘Motor racing is going through a tough period and the almost inevitable withdrawal of Toyota from Grand Prix racing would be another blow to a sporting business that has been hit hard by the weakness of the global economy.’
Is it really just the global economy based on an unsustainable credit boom that’s responsible for the teams leaving?
‘Just a few months ago, in Monte Carlo, Bernie Ecclestone declared that he thought the show was becoming a little boring, with the same man winning all the races. Not now. There will be further surprises.’
Am I the only one that thinks that the Bridgestones should be allocated by a lottery each weekend?
It’s not adding up is it?
Is it any wonder that brands that can indoctrinate their customers want to risk it as bit part players in Bernie’s Circus?
F1 should carry a warning ‘Don’t watch F1 with friends that don’t follow it as you’ll just find yourself doubting your reasons for following it yourself.’
This is very interesting. I think I know what you’re getting at.
So here is what I think.
Modern 21st century “Formula One” or the “F1 show” is interesting and intriguing. But it is not exciting. I continue to follow Grand Prix motor racing because I find it fascinating to watch how it has developed and because occasionally it is a wonderful spectacle.
But, if I want to watch thrilling motor racing, I watch Moto GP and Indycar, or whatever it’s called these days.
This is quite simply because the racing is just so exciting.
So, yes, there is more to it than simply a global slowdown. This has been said before, but fundamentally modern F1 has become too technical, too sophisticated and as aresult has lost some its raw excitement, its pure drama.
I think this is what some of you are getting at. Or not. But that’s how I feel about it all from my little corner in what has always been a huge debate.
RW
Agreed MotoGP at the moment beats F1 hollow, but I am worried about how the F1 style rule changes in MotoGP will impinge on the racing. F1 should be moving more towards MotoGP, but sadly the limited number of engines and a sole tyre supplier means it’s becoming more like F1.
F1 for years has been compromised by commercial issues. We had Nigel Roebuck’s interview with Flavio where he said that someone wanted Schumacher to exit F1 with another World Championship a little too much while alluding to the Qualifying penalty dished out to Alonso at Monza in 2006.
F1 isn’t about sport or competition. It’s about something else. This weekend feels fishy, rather like Monza 2008 did.
I made some friends I was visiting sit through the GP on Sunday. The excitement for the non F1 fans was Fisichella scoring Force India’s first points, whether Fisichella would get past Kimi, and for the last 2 laps whether Barrichello would finish. The adult friend as opposed to his 10 year old son found the ban on refuelling next year of interest and the teams only being allowed 8 engines this year. He chuckled when I pointed out how many gulps of Mumm Kimi took. I think they’d have got far more from the MotoGP race in the evening.
I spoke to a stranger that helped me out of a tight corner on Sunday morning that turned out to be an F1 fan. They said that they rated Hamilton, but were really disappointed Schumacher wasn’t coming back. That whole Schumacher returns episode was about publicity and the sake of the show, the spectacle.
‘So, yes, there is more to it than simply a global slowdown. This has been said before, but fundamentally modern F1 has become too technical, too sophisticated and as aresult has lost some its raw excitement, its pure drama.’
It’s so technical and sophisticated that Brawn can’t understand what is going on with their tyres?
So the Brawn/Honda boys that created that car and all Ross Brawn’s experience and they can’t figure out what’s going on with the tyres?
The tyres should be allocated randomly between the teams each weekends. Competition improves the product, the breeding?
That massive curve ball given to the teams by the FIA on the legality of rear diffusers and cut away rear floors hardly helped make for a fair season has it?
I suspect that many brands can stand on their existing reputation from their road cars and how their dealers behave without being in F1. I doubt BMW or Toyota get much showroom footfall on the back of being in F1.
Can Vatanen save F1? Is it too late to save F1?
NPjnr’s claims that Renault told him to drive into the wall at Singapore last year don’t sound too fantastical given some of the rulings made by the FIA in the last few years.
F1 is now a work of Bob Judd fiction made real? F1 is the new Eastenders?
‘Eastenders sponsored by Toyota’ would get you spending your money on a Toyota or Lexus?
I think a little more credit must be given to Kimi for that win… I have ZERO doubt if Kimi does not catch Fisi on the first lap after the safety car there is no way he catches him all day and Fisi drives away. Kimi now has more points(in a mid field car) in the last 3 races than Button, Rubens and Vettell combined… Not sure if that says more about Kimi or them… very odd days for sure.
I do not watch Eastenders, and nor do I want to. I’d rather re-read my Bob Judd books, or brush the cats. Or do some work. I should really do more of the latter.
Anyway, the lack of “disposable cash” is actually one of the main reasons why the sport is suffering. It is very hard indeed to go motor racing without spending a great deal of money. That is why Moto GP is doing what it is doing – but I don’t beieve the spectacle will suffer too much. Rossi will still be allowed to do his victory laps.
OK, there is more to it than just the state of the economy, as you say, and probably the ‘nanny state’ in general has done for much of the thrill and edge we used to have. You should listen to Scheckter on our latest podcast. Good stuff!
There is no doubt that we all share the feeling that something needs to be done. But what? It may well be better without re-fuelling. And we still have real racers like Hamilton, Vettel and Raikkonen. And any others you may prefer.
I am following your thesis with interest Alastair but I cannot help thinking that modern F1 is partly a reflection of how the rest of life has changed. Health and safety, PR, spin, correctness, surveillance – they all add up to a safer, stricter world. But one that is less enthralling, less adventurous. I mean, Usain Bolt is runing so fast, they will probably move the crowd back soon………………………………..!
RW
Cngrats to Fisi and his Ferrari deal for the rest of the year….
Rob, Perhaps I was being overly cynical.
I’ve just listened to the third of the Motor Sport podcasts. It was again enjoyable and informative. I am firmly in the Vatanen camp.
Jody makes the same point. When they rewrite the results post race it leaves a very unpleasant taste in the mouth. That’s where I was going with the Eastenders analogy. I just find myself wondering why I bother watching the races if the FIA ‘Stewards’ manipulate the truth post race. Am I watching a sporting event or some kind of lucrative fiction?
I feel a mug for persisting in following F1. I know that the racing isn’t real and may well be interfered with post race but still I come back for more.
‘I am following your thesis with interest Alastair but I cannot help thinking that modern F1 is partly a reflection of how the rest of life has changed. Health and safety, PR, spin, correctness, surveillance – they all add up to a safer, stricter world. But one that is less enthralling, less adventurous.’
I can see where you’re coming from there. I emailed in a letter entitled 21st Digital Boy in defence of Hamilton, following that letter printed in the magazine 3 or 4 issues ago that berated him for not being as sporting as Stirling or Clark. My letter opined that the world isn’t the same place as it was in the 50s so how can we expect Hamilton to be? Your Letters Editor kindly saved my blushes by not printing it.
‘Health and safety, PR, spin, correctness, surveillance – they all add up to a safer, stricter world. But one that is less enthralling, less adventurous.’
But Spa 2008 was enthralling and adventurous. What happened there? The FIA used it as an opportunity to gift Massa 2 points. Was it Nigel Roebuck that said that Massa didn’t see the back of Hamilton’s car during that race? Kimi binned it of his own accord so how did he lose out?
So we can have thrilling, edge of the seat racing but commercial interests and the needs to engineer an end of season finale mean Lewis gets a spanking?
It’s rather like FIFA scattering a few land mines around Old Trafford to reign in Man Utd.
Perhaps that just represents the times in which we live and the wider society?
Perhaps F1 the current times too much? We have big business and democracy making it up as they go along? Should F1 be an escape from the mantra of global warming, political correctness and all that other overly concerned hand wringing, airy fairy flim flam?
The greedy, gambling addicted banks steal our taxes by the billions so why should we mind the manufacturers and sponsors of F1 stealing a couple of hours of our time on a Sunday afternoon with something that resembles car racing?
Flicking through the magazine I noted that Vatanen was unsure about commenting on something. Another symptom of the climate of fear? The FIA’s surveillance only seems to be used when it suits them.
What’s the cure? Max and his minions need to be replaced or re-educated, and the FIA results meddlers need to be decoupled from the commercial interests.
The Motor Sport Magazine team work towards a target, an objective. What is F1′s objective? It’s trying to hit too many targets and as such is inherently compromised.
One of the big reasons why I keep coming back to watch F1 races is because of the chance or hope that I’ll see a race like Monaco ’33 or Nurburgring ’35 or ’57 or Dijon ’79. The reality is that it rarely happens, even in the old days. I’ve been reading the Motorsport archives and it sometimes appears that even races back then were at times boring. The Germans dominated, then after the war it was the Alfas. The teams would create inter-squad rivalries to spruce up the ‘show’, although they never called it a show back then. And then there’s the dominant driver in all eras.
The 1933 Monaco GP battle between Varzi and Nuvolari was so exciting that Motorsport ran two race reports in consecutive issues to cover it!
Grand Prix racing just doesn’t provide the excitement the same way Indy or a USAC Sprint car race on dirt does. It’s a different kind of excitement. I’m OK with it – might not like it sometimes, but that’s the way it has been for a long, long time.
Fisi’s driving, and Force India’s pit strategy, looked to me like a concerted effort to hold station. Now Fisi is off to Ferrari. Hmmmm. Perhaps we should curb our enthusiasm about a Force India breakthrough and a Ferrari resurgence and start looking into the possibility of race fixing.
“Fisi’s driving, and Force India’s pit strategy, looked to me like a concerted effort to hold station. Now Fisi is off to Ferrari. Hmmmm. Perhaps we should curb our enthusiasm about a Force India breakthrough and a Ferrari resurgence and start looking into the possibility of race fixing.”
why on earth would Fi give up a win to Ferrari? They don’t use Ferrari engines, they have no cotracts with Ferrari… I don’t know nay F1 driver that would give up a win
Now if you want to discuss Alonso and Flav’s having Jr wreck for a win last year then you have something
With my blue beret on can I mention that the performance of Force India raised eyebrows in the third excellent Motor Sport podcasts?
Was it during the BBC commentary that somebody mentioned that it’s the sort of improvement you’d expect if the car was running rocket fuel?
Does it bear comparison with when Renault thawed out their frozen engines last season as it seemed that just like the rear diffuser regulations, the frozen engine regulations were open to interpretation?
This is getting interesting. Great to see such informed and enthusuastic blogging.
I’m not sure we want to go too deeply into the allegations made by Nelson Piquet Junior. Not at this stage anyway.
Great to see Fisichella get his run out for Ferrari before he hangs up his hat. I would have liked to have seen Rossi in the car, but that wasn’t ever going to happen, sadly.
I’m looking forward to Monza. I first went there with my Father in 1970. Seems a long time ago. It is.
RW
Well it makes amends for your post not getting much of a reaction the other week. It looks like you’re about to learn of the joys of hosting web content.
Surely Rossi would have been better than Badoer.
There’s some convergence between this and the third podcast. The idea that the FIA will investigate Singapore for foul play after they stripped Hamilton of his win and gave Massa a point for driving into Bourdais at Fuji perplexes me.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78319
The testing restrictions are another nail in the F1 coffin.
I keep hearing Massa was the one who approached Flavio after the race to complain of race fixing. That is the exact emotional outburst that gets Massa in trouble…. He has got to learn to keep under control and not let things get to him so much. If Alonso does end up at Ferrari at one point he will kill Massa mentally before they even get in the car I fear….
Which is why I hope my favorite racer Kimi stays one more year at Ferrari!!!!!!!!!!
on the Force India thing, last year they were hopelessly off the pace, much like Midland and Spyker before them. This year they are very close – the whole field is very close – so it was not totally a surprise to me that they had a good outing. It is more of a surprise that is was Fisi and not Sutil that mad the podium.
Why on earth would Fi give up a win to Ferrari? Perhaps because they were about to receive a huge payout to send Fisi over there.
It’s sad but true that drivers giving up wins has happened so often that it isn’t even a novelty.
I’ve followed F1 since the late 60s and this 2009 season had been the most interesting for me in years. To me anyway, F1 started to become let’s say, “predictable” some time in the mid 90s when the engineering technology and budgets really started to take hold. I say continue on with reduced budgets and no in-season testing – and let’s have the actual season’s racing decide who becomes World Champion.
Well, it’s been a few days now, and look who’s topped Friday’s 2nd Practice.
the pace of the Force India is no joke! Fisi may have given up a win in the Italian GP to drive the F60!
Here’s to Sutil gaining sone useful points tomorrow.