Letters - February 2024

I find it interesting that Max Verstappen was quoted in various media outlets as not being enthusiastic about the promotional hype surrounding the recent grand prix in Las Vegas.

Be careful what you wish for, Max. Like it or not, Liberty Media is a commercial operation, and its intention is to make Formula 1 the focal point of a circus, to attract spectators and money into the operation. Anecdotally and from what I see here at the Australian GP, a huge proportion of the spectators are there for the social event, of which two hours is consumed with a race for F1 cars. The balance of the day is V8 supercars, celebrity races and partying.

If Liberty Media weren’t generating huge TV audiences, with the associated income and advertising opportunities, the teams who now essentially provide high-speed promotional/advertising billboards, Max and many other top drivers wouldn’t be earning multiple millions. They might have to drive touring cars in the support races to top up their income.

The mere fact that any F1 team can afford to outlay that sort of money is simply due to the fact that the sponsors (read advertisers) are prepared to fund much of that, with the balance coming from Liberty Media, from TV rights. It’s quite simple: Liberty management are probably not motor racing enthusiasts, but they have seen its potential to create a lot of money.

Max, you are part of the circus, part of the entertainment, and you can’t simply be a faceless personality, simply driving a car very fast.

Lindsay Taylor, Sorrento, Australia

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Motor Sport’s concise road tests often cover high-performance cars, fitted of course with ultra-wide wheels and low-profile tyres. Even more modest models from the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar have fashionable wide wheels and tyres. While these perform admirably under most conditions, a sprinkling of snow and ice renders the car virtually undriveable – zero traction and ineffective steering and braking, despite traction control, ABS and constantly flashing dashboard lights.

This applies to my current Audi A5, and a few years ago my S-type Jaguar had to be pushed off a perfectly level but icy car park when, despite the gentlest of throttle control, the rear wheels simply spun.

I do know how to drive, and ‘winter’ tyres did make a huge difference on an Alfa Romeo, but the cost, inconvenience and storage of temporarily swapping tyres is hard to justify when the UK normally has only a handful of snowy days each year.

My Audi A5 has 245/40ZR18 tyres. My partner’s Audi A3 has 205/55R16 tyres and is driveable and comparatively safe in most conditions. Early in my motoring career I had a 1950s ‘sit-up-and-beg’ Ford Popular (1172cc side-valve) with huge-diameter wheels and tyres practically the width of a pushbike’s, and that would happily chug up any hill and make steady progress in any conditions, embarrassing the most sophisticated of vehicles.

Should many modern cars bear a notice “WARNING – Do Not Use In Slippery Conditions”? Surely motor manufacturers can find a better compromise between aesthetics and usability, to provide a good-looking vehicle that is safe to drive in most conditions?

Jim Scott, Sunderland

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I read January’s story on team rivalries [The enemy within] with interest. Surely the greatest rivalry was between Hawthorn, Collins and Musso when all three raced for Ferrari in 1958. Musso hated both of his team-mates and was killed at the French Grand Prix that season trying to keep up with the eventual winner Hawthorn.

Musso’s fiancée was quoted as saying that she “hated both of them”. When they themselves were both killed, Collins at the German Grand Prix and Hawthorn on the A3 in Surrey, she announced that she had now found peace.

Simon Brewer, Fulham, London

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My friendly bookbinder has died and I am hitting a brick wall locally in Hampshire as regards binding Volume 99. Normally I wouldn’t worry, but my Motor Sports start at Vol 1 No 1. The problem is simply that few bookbinders have big enough guillotines to handle the thickness of a dozen issues.

Can any readers recommend bookbinders who might be able to help? If they happened to be local so much the better, as these volumes are quite literally not to be taken lightly!

For the record, the set has not been ‘collected’ but bought by father and son, month by month, since 1924.

Ian Dussek, Hampshire

Ed: email us at the usual address if you can help and we will gladly forward the details!

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Looking at the January edition’s Parting Shot picture, some of the audience look less than riveted. Derek Warwick for one (middle right by the windows, head on hand) looks like he’s dreaming of that ever elusive podium top step, while Martin Brundle (centre) seems to be cribbing someone else’s answers, and the chap behind him looks like he’s been in the ‘land of nod’ for quite some time.

WAKE UP AT THE BACK!

Rob Gent, Spalding, Lincs

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I’ve just watched the Formula 1 season finale in which Sergio Pérez picked up a five-second penalty for a collision with Lando Norris. It ultimately cost him third place despite Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc letting him by late on in an attempt to help him open up the magic five-second gap to demote George Russell. It didn’t work out for Pérez this time. However, on several occasions this past season we have seen penalised drivers successfully overcome the deficit and maintain their finishing position.

It is about time Formula 1 adopted the ‘long lap’ penalty used in Moto GP [when penalised riders have to take a longer route round a chosen corner on one lap]. This would cause the offending driver to lose track position and make a penalty a punishment and not a joke.

Stephen Lilly, by email

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Something missing surely, Motor Sport! A super article on the Cosworth DFV in the January edition [Power to the people], but not all of the DFV successes have been achieved on a racetrack. Missing from the article was probably the most spectacular and incredible application of all which raced in an international series.

I am referring to the Hodges-built catamaran in which a DFV was installed (inboard) with a Mercruiser sterndrive unit. This raced in the OZ (unlimited) class circuit powerboats driven by Jackie Wilson.

The boat was supported and the drivetrain developed by Cosworth, and was beautifully finished in a blue and silver ‘metalflake’ paint. In 1978 Wilson was fourth overall at the Bristol GP (a little like Monaco on water). It ran at one time with a Formula 1-style rear aerofoil. I was lucky enough to be there at the time and see it race – what a sight and sound.

I saw both versions in Bristol and later saw the boat in storage when I was at Cosworth during 1984 and it still looked beautiful. I wonder where it is now.

Bill Petty later commissioned a Seebold hull with a DFV. Earl Bentz drove it at the Miami Marine Stadium and successfully wiped out KT Racing in the USA after lapping the whole field twice in the first heat.

Great magazine.

Martin Emsley, Bristol

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