Comments on: The Ben Evans column: F1 Olympics

By: GeorgeK

GeorgeK — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:06:57 +0000

Tony would have to fast for quite a while to squeeze his “tub” into an F1 tub!:)

By: Steve K

Steve K — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:43:17 +0000

Since nobody has said it yet, I will. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are really good drivers. They would represent this country well I am sure. But they are borderline has-beens and imagine what they will be in 2012? How about some up and comers? Kyle Busch is young and can drive anything. I cannot wait to here about his F1 Test for Toyota. Carl Edwards is young too. However neither one of these guys has much open wheel experience (or any?) I suggest Graham Rahal, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Danica Patrick, or even Scott Speed to represent the USA in the 2012 Motor Sport events in London.

By: Wesley

Wesley — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:30:35 +0000

@ Martin
I think it was”boxing,bullfighting and motor racing”
I have visited Hemingway’s old house in Key West twice and all of the photos hanging throughout the house are contain one of these three sports.

By: GeorgeK

GeorgeK — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:37:24 +0000

Martin- EH’s comment was driven (no pun intended!) by the fact that the three “sports” he cited involved serious life threatening consequences in the event of failure. Your smiley indicates that you understand that concept.

Relative to technology playing a role in the Olympics, it’s exactly the wrong direction to take, whether in sailing, pistol shooting or swimming. It would only be ultra-magnified in auto racing. Can anyone doubt that the degree of driving success between the top ten F1 pilots is due to the car as opposed to the driver?

Once every four years to test this difference would be a massive waste of resources and effort.

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:28:31 +0000

what was that Hemingway quote, something about “there are only three true sports, mountain climbing, bullfighting and motor racing – the rest are games” – ? something like that – maybe that’s why motor racing has to stay separate – but seriously, this idea (as part of the Olympics in some form or otherwise) has great merit, I think – even in the US where F1 has no following, NASCAR is (I think) the largest spectator sport -

By: chunter

chunter — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:49:48 +0000

I think Olympic motorsport would end up too much like A1GP. You’d end up with drivers nobody cares about and it would watch like the rally event in the X games: not terrible, but not really indicative of the sport.

By: verasaki

verasaki — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:59:59 +0000

@#22 Ben-
and if anyone has ever watched bobsledding or luge you’ll notice technology really, really playing a role.

By: Wesley

Wesley — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:08:49 +0000

As much as I love auto racing,and as boring as I think the Olympics are,I prefer the two never meet.I do see race drivers as atheletes(from some forms of racing anyway)but,I just don’t see a reason for them to be in the Olympics.There are too many events in the Olympics that already don’t belong…..shooting,ping pong,synchronized swimming,what’s next?…marbles?billiards?….two weeks of that is enough.

What about a motorsport olmpics…racing in all classes,only motorsports,nothing else.

By: areez

areez — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:36:04 +0000

for the man and machine argument, there was the pistol event, so that is kind of man and machine already

By: Moe

Moe — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:40:25 +0000

Brazil – Rubens and Felipe Massa