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Post by GoodFriar on Jun 21, 2005 9:53:39 GMT -5
F1 racing....the F stands for FIASCO!
For those who don't follow, Indianapolis went out of it's way to stage a Grand Prix event, for the Formula 1 racing program.
Instead of getting world-class racing, we fans got a 2 hour test session by 6 cars due to a boycott by 14 of the 20 cars in the field.
Absolutely horrendous! Disgusting!
Bernz, be thankful you didn't waste your precious time.
Now, will there be a USGP 2006? We shall see...
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Post by Skinnyhead on Jun 21, 2005 13:03:20 GMT -5
I didn't quite understand what the protest was about. What gives, GF?
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Post by GoodFriar on Jun 21, 2005 13:33:47 GMT -5
Skinny, it all comes down to you know what and power:
F1 Racing has 10 teams with 2 cars each. There are two tire manufacturers in F1, Bridgestone and Michelin. Up to this point, all of the Michelin runners have been more or less dominating the season.
7 teams run on Michelin tires, and 3 teams run on Bridgestone. (Are you bored yet?). Very importantly, Ferrari, by far the most dominant team in F1, run on Bridgestone.
One of the Toyota cars crashed in practice at the Indy Speedway on Friday. The crash was due to tire deflation on the Michelin, but they could not explain the problem. It was determined by Michelin that they could not supply a safe tire to their teams, and attempted to setup a compromise with F1 to put an obstruction (F1 calls it a chicane) in the turn that was causing excessive tire wear, where the crash occurred. This would slow the cars down, and ostensibly negate any safety issues.
F1 rejected the idea of a chicane, and the Michelin running teams all put their cars in the garage and refused to race on 'unsafe' tires. The result was a field of 6 cars instead of 20, and no race at all. It was essentially a test session for Bridgestone, not a Grand Prix Race.
Imagine paying $85 for a ticket to see the Yankees/ Red Sox. Then, imagine each team only sending out their bullpens and three fielders to play the game. That is what happened at Indy on Sunday.
F1 Racing was trying to secure a foothold in the US, the land of Nascar. They failed miserably, and the racing fans in our country will never forgive them.
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Post by Skinnyhead on Jun 21, 2005 13:48:56 GMT -5
Thanks for the explanation. It sounds like it was more of the F-You race than the F1 Race.
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Post by BernzAMatic on Jun 21, 2005 18:21:25 GMT -5
Friar,
As I was not with you and BBT, I tuned in at home. Due to work & family commitments I was unable to watch either of the practices or check on line.
The HORROR that I saw was unbelievable!!! As a Die Hard F1 fan of 18 years (more or less) I was appalled at what I saw...then to top it off with Bernie Eccelstone's (F1 Supremo) comment of (morew or less) there is nothing I can do.?!?!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?!!?
Damnit Bernie You run the thing...I'm sure the Lord gave them to you, It would have been nice if you had shown them or used them....
To the 7 boycotting teams my question is this: The Rule says (more or less) No Tyre changes unless it's an emergency....Uhh Duhh it's an emergency...The FIA inspects all changed tyres to determine the emergency and if no emergency was warranted you start the next race 10 places back on the grid.
BIG F---ing deal, so you give the 1st 3 rows to Ferrarri, Jordan & Minardi, as a betting man I think you can make up 4 places...AT LEAST!!!!!!
What happened Sunday was appalling & STUPID
Friar, even though what happened was a TRAVESTY, I wish I had been there with you & BBT.
[shadow=blue,left,300]BernzAMatic[/shadow]
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Post by bbt on Jun 22, 2005 1:10:50 GMT -5
Bernz,
I don't know what to say...Friar did a good job illustrating what a cluster___ it was. I am far from a Bernie E. supporter but...this is completely a Michelin problem. How they cannot take any responsibility for this is hard to explain. Something I read that is the truth:
In the final minutes before the start of the race Sunday, as rumors circulated among the media about what the Michelin teams were threatening to do, noted British journalist Nigel Roebuck lamented "the stupidity" of it all.
Roebuck, who has written for Autosport magazine since 1977, accurately predicted Indianapolis fans would give little credence to claims the race had to be scuttled because of a possible tire problem in one high-speed corner.
"Many of these same people were here a few weeks ago (for the Indianapolis 500) watching supposedly less-sophisticated cars go a lot faster through four high-speed turns every lap without a single tire problem," Roebuck said. "They're not going to like this."
I was at the 500 this year and 1000s of laps were turned at 225+ mph through these same corners, WITH NO PROBLEMS!!! Their lack of preparation should not have constituted an emergency for the companies that did their homework. F1 and FIA did exactly the right thing by not changing the course for the sake of the Michelin teams. At an earlier race this year, Ferrari had a tyre problem and Michael ran only 4 or 5 laps before he parked his car and received zero points. SHAME ON MICHELIN AND I HOPE THEY STRIP SOME SUBSTANTIAL POINTS FROM THE LOT OF THEM. Anyway, see you at the reunion, Bernz!!!!
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Post by DavidL on Jun 22, 2005 9:34:07 GMT -5
Forgive my ignorance in this, but what is the problem with the Michelins, and why is it only at Indianapolis (or is it)? If Michelin can't supply safe tires, why aren't teams switching to Bridgestone, or why isn't another tire company getting in the game? And, if Michelin has been supplying F-1 tires for years, why are they suddenly unsafe? Or is this not a new problem with Michelin?
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Post by GoodFriar on Jun 22, 2005 11:02:22 GMT -5
David,
Michelin did almost no testing at Indy, and were completely unprepared for the USGP. Bridgestone, on the other hand, work with Firestone and Firestone has quite a bit of experience at Indy with the 500. They were able to extract alot of data from the Indy 500 and use that data to supply a competitive tire.
Michelin, OTOH, didn't test and came to Indy with a tire that would not withstand the stress of a high-speed, banked turn that is unique to F1 racing. It's unfortunate, but also a spit-in-the-eye to the fans here. The ugliest thing about it is Michelin has offered no apology or taken any responsibility for not bringing a workable tire to the USGP.
F1 racing is about you know what and power, and the fans of the sport had to suffer the consequences.
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Post by goodad on Jun 22, 2005 11:59:19 GMT -5
Ole Bernie Ecclestone must be a piece of work. His quote regarding Donica Patrick of Indy fame is one for the books.
For those of you who hadn't heard his quote went like this, when asked about her performance at the brickyard Ecclestone responded;
"You know, I've got one of these wonderful ideas that women should be all dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances."
Now my wife and I were watching one sport show or another when we first heard this, and she looked at me and said, "Did he just say what I think he just said?"
Better him than me, was my only response.
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Post by GoodFriar on Jun 22, 2005 12:24:43 GMT -5
When Friar read that, he laughed, thinking Bernie is an old man who's just making an off-color joke.
Then, it was reported that Bernie called Danica to talk with her, and repeated the same stupid joke to her! It's bad enough that he says it once, but then again to the very person he was talking about?!?!
This is another example of the hubris and disregard the F1 bunch shows to everyone.
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Post by BernzAMatic on Jun 22, 2005 19:13:59 GMT -5
Berne Eccelstone has ALWAYS P!$$3D me off, forget the sexist remarks.
He singularly could have saved US F1 on Sunday but instead chose to raise his hands and say not my fault.
Michellein Screwed up by not doing it's homework...or even bringing the books home for that matter and I respect the team principals for looking out for their drivers. As sick as it sounds, an F1 death at Indy WOULD have increased butts in seats next year, BUT that is not what it's all about.
If the FIA pulls points, I hope it is only constructors points, not driver points.
The resonating quote from Sunday's race was that of Red Bull Driver (and my favorite) Scottsman David Coulthard saying on team radio during the formation lap: "If I have a say in the matter, I want to race today, but I will follow the orders of the team principal" (or words to that effect.) I'm sure the majority wanted to race.
I'm still mad about it, but end of the day, I respect the principal of the team principals...a death in turn 13 would have been far worse.
[shadow=blue,left,300]BernzAMatic[/shadow]
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