Formula 1 “can’t be a dictatorship” – Carey

45 comments on “Formula 1 “can’t be a dictatorship” – Carey”

1. 

   @HoHum (@hohum)
   19th September 2016, 0:17

   Bye Bye Bernie.
   1. 

      mfreire
      19th September 2016, 0:46

      You beat me to it.
   2. 

      gweilo8888 (@gweilo8888)
      19th September 2016, 0:49

      We can but hope.
   3. 

      JCost (@jcost)
      19th September 2016, 7:45

      At last!
   4. 

      Wesley (@)
      19th September 2016, 22:28

      Bernie……So long, adios, sayonara, goodbye and good riddance!
2. 

   mfreire
   19th September 2016, 0:49

   Carey must have the right idea if he wants another F1 race in Los Angeles, New York or Miami- those are the 3 most cosmopolitian and foreign tourist visited cities in America. I read an Autoweek article published 2 days ago that stated Leo Hindery- the guy behind the NJ/NYC GP and John Malone are close associates and have worked together for some time. I don’t know if it was posted on this site, but it’s worth a read.
   1. 

      jason
      19th September 2016, 7:31

      we can only hope, if they’d go to long beach, sonoma raceway, streets of St petersberg, Indy sports car course, watkins glen, even belle isle that would be great. Some options are even in the markets their targeting
      1. 

         anon
         19th September 2016, 19:45

         jason, if I recall well, the contracts that the IndyCar series has signed with most of those circuits have a clause in them that explicitly forbids the circuit owners from allowing an F1 race to take place there, with very heavy financial penalties if the circuit owners were to break that clause.
         1. 

            jason
            20th September 2016, 8:05

            oh my bad didn’t know that was the case that they forbid other series from running on them. Especially with belle isle as it’s roger penske’s track don’t think they would allow other open wheelers to run there
   2. 

      LovelyLovelyLuffield
      19th September 2016, 9:54

      LA has Long Beach (a historical F1 track), The Glen (a given) plus Port Imperial, but Miami… erm, not too knowledgeable about any legendary track in Miami.
      1. 

         mfreire
         19th September 2016, 15:40

         CART/IndyCar and IMSA sportscars ran on street circuits in Taniami Park and Bicentennial Park in Miami in the ’80’s and ’90’s, but those tracks were less than 2 miles long. And the Homestead-Miami Speedway is now used for nearly all motorsports events that take place there.
3. 

   Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
   19th September 2016, 0:51

   “Oh, Hamilton is not on it”.

   2 weeks later: “what can possibly stop Hamilton? Rosberg seriously in trouble”.

   3 races later: “what’s going on with Hamilton?”

   This year’s been going like this. It just swings from one side of the garage to the other. The only difference is that we all know, Nico included, that Hamilton WILL fight back. And in no time he’ll be on it like he always does. Maybe at Sepang, maybe at Suzuka, but he just will. Whereas with Nico you never know IF he’ll fight back.

   It was just one of those weekends for Lewis. Could’ve been worse, tho, he could’ve done a Grosjean!
   1. 

      Franton
      19th September 2016, 6:37

      What bothers me is all that stuff is coming from people (like Brundle) who supposedly know better. I can cheerfully ignore Andrew Benson on BBC F1 as a known Hamilton hater.
   2. 

      BasCB (@bascb)
      19th September 2016, 7:01

      Thanks for that comment @fer-no65. I have been amused to see the swing in media views of both of them being far greater than any “change of form” too.

      I think it’s a great tension and suspense building. We saw Nico build a solid lead when everything went his way. Then Hamilton got rid of the issues, found form and Rosberg hit some misfortune and the lead was turned the other way, while we were wondering whether Hamilton would now be able to run away with the title. Luckily Rosberg got back into it and gave us back the expectation of seeing Hamilton rebound again.

      I do think that Rosberg is driving his best season so far, but as you mention, we will have to see whether he can keep getting back into it until the end.
   3. 

      JCost (@jcost)
      19th September 2016, 7:47

      +1.

      I don’t even know why guys like Brundle say such stuff…
      1. 

         Optimaximal (@optimaximal)
         19th September 2016, 8:34

         @jcost Because they’re paid to write and say such things to generate suspense, excitement and clicks/views.
         1. 

            GechiChan (@gechichan)
            19th September 2016, 10:44

            bingo!
   4. 

      Dan Selby
      19th September 2016, 8:59

      Yup, tabloid rubbish. Have they ever heard of 2 guys in superior cars, duking it out!? Guess what, when one doesn’t win, there’s a very strong chance his team mate does! Crazy!

      So tired of it.

      Also, the whole ‘Party lifestyle getting the better of Lewis’ thing – erm, the same party lifestyle he’s been leading the past couple of years?
   5. 

      AndrewW
      19th September 2016, 12:27

      ROS’s WDC this year, I reckon. Lower frequency of poor starts and a superior pole conversion rate will suffice as HAM commits one unforced error after another off the line and in races. No guarantee of wet races or ones in which ROS is forced into wheel-to-wheel racing also mean HAM’s advantages over ROS are significantly diminished.
      1. 

         petebaldwin (@)
         19th September 2016, 14:56

         It’s going to be an awesome end to the season but Hamilton has to get on it quickly if he wants to keep pressure on Nico.

         As it stands, there are 6 races left and 3 wins and 3 2nd places will guarantee the title for Rosberg!
      2. 

         Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
         19th September 2016, 21:36

         Actually, Nico has had more poor starts than Lewis, probably because Lewis was 3 times forced to start from the back row.
4. 

   George (@george)
   19th September 2016, 0:53

   I actually agree with Steiner on this one, but Gutierrez has a poor reputation when it comes to blue flags so I guess he’s reaping what he’s sown.
   1. 

      BasCB (@bascb)
      19th September 2016, 7:14

      probably @george. I didn’t see anything wrong with his driving here either
   2. 

      Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
      19th September 2016, 21:29

      Yes, but why not talk about Wehrlein and Magnussen. The guys that are too fair with the race leaders get even more forgotten down the grid.
5. 

   RogerA
   19th September 2016, 1:11

   Problem is that not running F1 like a dictatorship will only ever result in nothing getting done.

   Look at what we have now with the strategy group, Not much ever gets done because all you get is discussion with everyone wanting something different & nobody can agree on anything.
   At least back when Bernie & the FIA were been more dictatorial stuff actually got done rather than the constant stalemate we have had the past few years where you have meetings with lots of discussions where nothing is agreed.
   1. 

      ColdFly F1 (@)
      19th September 2016, 4:00

      Look at what we have now with the strategy group

      Nothing gets done in the strategy group BECAUSE F1 is run like a dictatorship. It’s set up by the dictator with the purpose (and supporting voting structure) to make sure nothing important can be decided and as such makes the dictator even more powerful.
      It’s like the Presidential elections during Sadam’s regime (or any other dictatorial regime)
   2. 

      BasCB (@bascb)
      19th September 2016, 7:04

      Well, Roger, but the strategy group is very far from what Chase is actually saying the sport needs:

      “Sure, that is not a task for a committee, as committees tend to become bureaucratic – but there also can’t be a dictatorship – even if probably here they are used to it. They need leadership, and leadership means that you create a vision to achieve the right goals for the future.”

      The problem with Bernies dictatorship in the last decade or so, has been a lack of leadership and visions for where to take the sport.
6. 

   bull mello (@bullmello)
   19th September 2016, 2:25

   As much as I may have complained about Bernie over the years my hope now is that he is not about to be replaced by something worse. You know that saying, “better the devil you know…”

   Just from some of the talk and rumors circulating about the new F1 regime wanting more say so in actual management and direction of F1 it sounds like things could get better, or a whole lot worse. My fear is that with the “entertainment” word being thrown around that it could turn into to something like F1 meets Disneyland meets a bad “reality” TV show.

   One of the negative sides of F1 is that things don’t change quickly enough. One of the positive sides of F1 is that things don’t change too quickly. Something to ponder…
   1. 

      Dan Selby
      19th September 2016, 9:01

      I’m praying it means ‘listening to the fans more’, because in order for us to be ‘entertained’, we need to find out sport entertaining.

      Ahem, bin DRS, ahem…
      1. 

         drmouse (@drmouse)
         19th September 2016, 15:35

         I’m praying it means ‘listening to the fans more’

         Although I see your point, a big part of the problem in F1 right now is because they did listen to fans, but brought in a bad solution to what they asked.

         Take DRS: The fans said they wanted more overtaking, F1 listened, but came up with a god-awful way to do it. Same with the tyres, the radio ban, etc.

         Yes, they need to listen to the fans. BUT they also need to think through the solutions more carefully.
   2. 

      Tiomkin
      19th September 2016, 10:10

      Changing of the guard is never fun. But Bernie is arrogant and listens to no one. He like many of his age don’t understand social media. (Me included). But whether he likes it or not, that is the future for now. Bernie has said he is not interested in young viewers. In any other industry that would mean his immediate removal as everyone knows the old die and are replaced by a new younger generation. But as F1 is a dictatorship everyone just says how great Bernie is and what a good job he’s done. We all know it’s time for him to go and I cannot wait to see the back of him. Will F1 get better? I doubt it. It has to die before something new comes to be. You cannot get new viewers/fans by hiding behind a paywall. And as everything these days are subscription, you cannot subscribe to everything. Unknown things (F1) will get left behind.
   3. 

      petebaldwin (@)
      19th September 2016, 15:02

      You are using the shortened version – the actual saying is “Better the devil you know unless that devil is Bernie Ecclestone.”

      I understand the concern but honestly, I don’t see how F1 could be run any worse than it is now.
7. 

   MtlRacer (@mtlracer)
   19th September 2016, 4:36

   I’m am in no way suggesting there is any intention or sabotage, but wouldn’t Mercedes want Rosberg to win the championship simply because having different drivers win consecutive drivers championships with the same car is extremely rare?
   The last team to do it was Williams (’96 – Hill, ’97 – Villeneuve), and I think McLaren are the only ones to do it more than once.
   1. 

      BasCB (@bascb)
      19th September 2016, 7:12

      Hm, @mtlracer, but then you look at the kind of coverage they get in media and from fans when Hamilton wins, compared to a relatively low profile of Rosberg and that shows that Lewis winning it is probably more helpfull for their marketing.
   2. 

      Philip (@philipgb)
      19th September 2016, 8:02

      @mtlracer

      I think people overestimate the advantage Mercedes have and how on a knife edge keeping that advantage they are. We saw Hamilton lose to Ricciardo and have to fight with Raikkonen here. We also saw some staggering pace from Ricciardo chasing down Rosberg.

      Mercedes can’t afford to play games with the drivers while trying to keep their advantage. From where we are sat it looks like they’re in a different category at times, but it only takes a minor blip to give the other teams a sniff of victory. Especially with their starting difficulties.

      They aim to get the maximum result each weekend, whichever driver delivers that delivers that I just don’t buy there are any contrived games going on favouring one driver over the other.
      1. 

         MattDS (@mattds)
         19th September 2016, 9:30

         @philipgb the advantage is still big. This is supposedly Mercs weakest track, yet the car was still more than half a second faster over one lap and as for race pace, Rosberg easily kept Ricciardo at bay but then RBR picked the better strategy to almost take it. Had Rosberg stopped with Ricciardo, then he would have easily kept ahead.

         I don’t consider Hamilton finishing third a sign of Merc having a diminished advantage – he was not on it either through performance, brake problems or missed setup time.
         1. 

            drmouse (@drmouse)
            19th September 2016, 10:08

            the advantage is still big… the car was still more than half a second faster over one lap

            Let’s think about this:

            Rosberg was 0.531s faster than Ricciardo over one lap. To put it in perspective, that’s 0.5% quicker. We are talking about a tiny margin.

            What does it take for an F1 car to loose half a second per lap? A bit of damage to a barge board or front wing can easily loose a couple of tenths. The car setup being slightly out could loose a couple of tenths. A mistake in the puts could cost a few seconds easily, which is half a tenth over a lap. Getting stuck in some traffic, ditto. There’s your half a second, gone, without any huge disasters (spins, collisions, mechanical failures etc).

            Look at Ricciardo: He was closing by a couple of seconds or more per lap, then hit some traffic and got stuck. There’s a good chance, had he not, that he’d have been on Rosberg’s tail with a couple of laps remaining, with a real chance of overtaking him (on better tyres).

            And then consider that F1 is not static. Any team couple find a few tenths in aero, or any driver a tenth or two by finding an ideal line.

            The margin Merc have is now considerably smaller than last year and the year before, and it IS on a knife edge. A good step forward by Ferrari or Red Bull could put them level.
            1. 

               MattDS (@mattds)
               20th September 2016, 8:44

               @drmouse half a percent is a lot in F1. There were no loose bargeboards or anything, Rosbergs Merc was in prime condition, Ricciardo’s RBR was in prime condition, and Rosberg pulled out a lap half a second quicker.

               Of course when on the right/wrong tyre the difference is negated in a heartbeat – but that is strategy. The statement was “I think people overestimate the advantage Mercedes have” and that is not true, they still have a big advantage.
      2. 

         ColdFly F1 (@)
         19th September 2016, 10:11

         I don’t think the titles are on a knife edge, @philipgb.
         2 more wins for either Merc driver and both titles are ‘in the bag’.
         1. 

            drmouse (@drmouse)
            19th September 2016, 17:27

            @coldfly

            He didn’t say that they championship was on a knife edge. He said Merc’s advantage was.

            Yes, they still have the fastest car on track. But the gap has closed, and a decent step forward by either Ferrari or Red Bull could see them draw level.
            1. 

               ColdFly F1 (@)
               19th September 2016, 18:48

               I know @drmouse, exactly my point. Performance advantage might be small/decreasing, but not so the title chances. In the end it doesn’t matter if you win titles by 1 point or 100’s.
8. 

   George
   19th September 2016, 5:48

   Williams 92 Mansell – 93 Prost
9. 

   lockup (@)
   19th September 2016, 12:22

   Hahaha at Arrivabene, TP of the smoking team, being locked up for 6 hours for tossing a cigarette butt! Where were the cameras?

   No mention on Sky, of course, even by supposedly bold, fearless Kravitz and Brundle. Bit like when Darren Heath was warned off after mentioning Arrivabene threatening to tear the head off a cameraman who accidentally bumped into him.

   Now even the BBC have picked it up, leaving Sky and some others looking a bit less than straightforward.
   1. 

      Robbie (@robbie)
      19th September 2016, 16:36

      @lockup Lol, you expected Sky cameras to follow him around everywhere and report on whether he is a polluter or not? But if they had, that would have been bold and fearless reporting?

      Yeah I can’t believe it either. The nerve of Sky to just be straightforward about F1 and to consider unrelated matters as unrelated. They should have done their duty as coverers of F1 and embarrassed the man. And then they should have expected the same access to him for interviews about what people really are there to see and hear about…F1.

      Hopefully they’ve learned a lesson from this and we will see full live digital coverage of every cigarette the man smokes from now on. Boldly going where they’re not needed, away from the race venue, seeking out every minute detail of every person’s activities for fear of missing something completely irrelevant to F1 and thus being touted as less than straightforward.

      And now for Breaking News…Arrivabene Breaks Wind…story at 11.
10. 

    DB-C90 (@dbradock)
    19th September 2016, 16:33

    Thanks for the COTD Keith. Topped off an amazing weekend.

    Whilst I read the articles about Liberty, Bernie and the future, I must admit that I’ll probably start paying closer attention when the articles aren’t written by the tabloid press.

    One thing that does scare me though is the mentions of Carey being close to Rupert Murdoch. If ever there was a person in their 80’s that could be worse for F1, he’d be it.

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