I have been following F1 since 1978 and I’m well aware of Bernie and Max’s history and at no time can I remember them reacting so quickly to appease the fans (apart from all the ridiculous changes implemented to slow Schuey down). Maybe I’m wrong but I genuinely believe that they are changing things for the better and tbh I don’t care if they’re doing it for selfish reasons or not it doesn’t change the outcome.

As for Jackie, he was a great World Champ, the original safety campaigner (his reason for retiring) and an ex-team owner so he could easily have a massive influence on the sport through either CVC or the FIA, instead he chooses to sit on the pitwall and whinge instead of actually taking action and by that I mean either running for the FIA Presidency or approaching CVC as a possible replacement for Bernie.

In my mind it’s time for Jackie to put up or shut up.

Who gave us grooved tyres in the first place when no-one wanted them? Max

Who let aero get out of control? Max

All he is doing for next season is undoing some of the damage he has done.

As things stand we have 18 cars going to the first race of the season unless Honda is bought. There used to be a time when there were over 30 cars turning up at each race. Max and Bernie aggressively recruited car manufacturers who then priced all the racing people out of business. Now the manufacturers are leaving as they always do. This is the third time Honda has quit F1. Renault has already quit twice. You cannot build a series on manufacturers because when the market dictates they will quit on you.

What can Jackie Stewart do apart from talk? Bernie is untouchable because CVC own the rights and can do what they like. Max is untouchable because of the voting structure of the FIA and because of the procedures he put in place to prevent someone else building a challenge using the route he did. Apart from giving the fans a voice there is nothing else Jackie Stewart can do.

If you think Bernie and Max are listening to the fans you have been asleep for the last 20 years. Neither is remotely interested in the views of the fans or we would not be losing traditional tracks to have races in front of no-one in the desert.

Remember the last FIA AMD survey? Like many others I wasted 15 minutes of my ife filling it in. Remember what happened within days of it closing before the results had been processes? Max announced his vision for the future of F1.

As far as Bernie and Max are concerned fans are a source of money and nothing else.

Say what you like about Bernie and Max at least there doing something other than constantly whinging. They have tried to listen to what the fans want from the sport and are implementing some of those very changes for the coming season. It’s a simple fact of life that you can’t please all the people all the time.

Keeping the fans happy is an truly impossible task for them, this coming season Slicks are Back, Refueling is gone, Aero changes have been made to hopefully improve the action, These are all things that I have read people pleading for in the last few years and they’re happening now.

And Yet Jackie and many fans are still calling for there heads, makes no sense at all if you ask me. I guess the proof of the puddin’ is in the eatin’ so why don’t we all stop calling for an end to them until we see what effect these changes have?

Oh yeah, we’re fans so we obviously know better than the guys who made the sport what it is.

The problem F1 has is that although Bernie is still doing the deals Max sold him the commercial rights for a fraction of their worth and Bernie sold them on for significantly more. So now CVC can do pretty much want they want when Bernie retires or dies and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Hopefully when Max is finally replaced by someone competent the orignal deal will become the subject of a court case and F1 will gain form it. Personally I think the best thing that could happen is for the teams and circuits to set up their own championship when the current contracts end. It is absolutely senseless that the people who invest the most in the sport get the least return and Bernie who has had none of his own money invested since he sold Brabham takes out more than anyone else with the exception of CVC’s creditors.

At the time it looked like a great deal for the teams so they all went for it, in reality he was doing them over from the start. He got them more money but was keeping most of it for himself.

If the teams wanted to do something about it they should have done it when he sold out to CVC and they have no-one but themselves to blame for not doing so.

Bernie is great at making TV deals and taking money from governments but he’s lost in the on-line world and by failing to keep up with the technology he’s now failing to maximise the marketing potential of the sport.

Add in the ridiculous situation with the races at the moment and you really have to question how he’s still got so much power and why the teams continue to allow him to have it.
All it would take was a letter from the teams stating that they won’t race in 2010 without US & Canadian GP’s on the calender and he’d have no choice but to get them sorted.

What’s so striking about Sir Jackie’s interview is not what he’s saying – in many ways he’s stating the bleeding obvious. It’s the fact that someone stating the bleeding obvious is regarded as such a valuable and timely contribution to the sport.

Couldn’t agree more, almost every F1 fan in the world has been saying the same things for years so why has it taken them so long to work it out ?

This has been an elephant in the corner for quite a while now, especially with Bernie getting so obviously arbitrary and cantankerous in his decision-making.

What’s so striking about Sir Jackie’s interview is not what he’s saying – in many ways he’s stating the bleeding obvious. It’s the fact that someone stating the bleeding obvious is regarded as such a valuable and timely contribution to the sport. And the fact that it is just that.

On a lighter note, as a McLaren fan, and after the couple of years that the team’s had at the hands of the FIA, the idea of Rocket Ron in charge does bring a huge great big smiley grin to my face.

Can you imagine the press conference? “I am prepared to confirm that in 2010 we will most likely be seeing a linear progression of approximately two dozen events temporally delineated at approximately fortnightly intervals in which a number of teams probably in excess of ten will be undertaking racing activities in a variety of global settings. These will almost certainly take place under the auspices and nomenclature of Formula One racing – but don’t quote me on that.”

Viva Ronspeak! Or maybe I am being harsh…

> Hey, how about Peter Sauber?

But this is an excellent idea.

Of course, they’ve made bags of money. Obscene amounts, both for themselves and the constructors. This is great when times are good, but earlier in the year when the French GP was given up on cost grounds, I knew something was wrong. The home of GP racing didn’t even try and save itself; such was the expense involved. One could argue that this was classic French Laissez Faire disinterest, but quite aside from history that country’s contribution to modern F1 is priceless.

The real nail in the coffin – for me – was the news that the ‘new breed’ of GP hosts were not invulnerable; those cash-rich countries that had deep pockets and no democratic accountability when it came to spending it; China hinted that – keep it quiet – their event was perhaps a bit on the steep side.

Coupled with the inherent vulnerability of total manufacturer buy-in of most teams – they are fickle, the garagistas are not – and you have a very challenging situation. When those companies do not see value in F1, they will walk; and take their assets with them. This wouldn’t be so bad if it was ‘just’ an engine supplier (Honda have walked out before, as have Renault)

F1 needs a savvy CEO who will give the Manufacturers exposure and value, but understand the innovation, flexibility, and excellence that the private teams bring; they cannot be priced out.

Thats why I was asking what can actually be done about it now. The only alternative left open for the teams and the circuits is to refuse to work with Bernie and start their own series, which as we all know is very difficult to do.
However, I agree that Bernie does seem to be more afraid of the teams now that Ferrari are on their side, perhaps he can see the writing on the wall?

This is a sport for us all to enjoy, and not be led down a path which only lines the pockets of two very silly old men!

We’ve already gone down the path, into the house, taken our shoes off, gone up stairs, had a bath, changed into something more comfortable and got into bed with the buggers.

Most of the time I think JS talks a big pile of the stuff dung beetles like to roll around. For once he’s talking some sense but he could have said this years ago. Of course it didn’t suit him to do so then and he didn’t but now the BRDC are loosing the British GP and his involvements in F1 are down to a tartan wearing minimal he can pretty much say what he likes without recrimination. I think he would be an awful choice to succeed Mosely and I agree with him that someone more neutral would be better. Someone like Tony Purnell would be an excellent choice and his lack of senile dementia is surely a plus.