F1 fans - what will YOU be watching in 2010?

[Alpinestarhero]

It would appear, based on a statement issued by FOTA (linky to crash.net (http://www.crash.net/Formula+One/News/148520/1/the_fota_statement_in_full.html)), that next year will see the formation of a break-away championship from F1, where several teams (including Brawn, McLaren, Ferrari, Toyota) are free to carry on racing as they always have done - free of budget restrictions (except those imposed by themselves), and perhaps with the promise of a set of rules which dont change for longer than 5 minutes.

So, what will you be watching?

Is F1 now in its twighlight years, threatened by a new, young sport which promises to have miuch better political stability?

Discuss...

[Viney]

So there will be yet another 'F1' style event...great...not! We have A1 which really hasnt taken off as much as they would have liked. I just think its wrong. The teams should all tow the line, simples, and race.

[fizzwheel]

I cant believe Max and Bernie have engineered this and let this happen. It will kill the sport, mind you they've been doing their best to wreck it for years.

F1 with none of the big teams is not F1.

A breakaway series with the big teams and big name drivers ( who are contracted to them ) will be eminantely more watchable.

[Alpinestarhero]

yea your right...but you can understand why some teams want to break away can't you? The rules change every 5 minutes, no wonder the sport is so expensive...the teams have completly redesign their cars almost every season now, rather than evolve an existing design. It must be frustrating, wondering what new rules will be imposed in the next half-hour

it would be nice if F1 could say "here are the rules, we've consulted everyone and this is best. this is how f1 will be for the next 5 years, no changes."

then you could sign up for 5 years, and know that thats how it'll be. Theres all this talk of how ferrari are in beach of contract since they signed until 2012, but when they signed they didnt know what rule cnages would be imposed, and indeed, how drastic those rule changes are

[carty]

I find it difficult to believe that a 'break-away' series, with the logistics involved in F1, could be set up in time for next season.

Circuit bookings / deals?
Travel arrangements?
Endorsements?
TV coverage?

I would think that F1 would have some pretty sh*t-hot lawyers that would object to the creation of a break away 'parallel' series that pretty much mimicked F1 under another name. I just can't see it happening. I think it's all talk and media spin in an attempt to stop that budget cap and show the bosses that the series can't function with these ever changing demands. I'm 99.9% sure they will reach a compromise.

[Spiderman]

Take out all driver aids and bring back manual gearboxes, proper manual boxes too not the tiptronic ones. And then it leveles out the field a bit as it brings back driver skills above and beyond any budget. You can spend the most and have the very best car...mess up a gear change and the race could change dramatically.

i'm so bored with the processions that most F1 races have been over the past few years.

[Alpinestarhero]

i'm so bored with the processions that most F1 races have been over the past few years.

Same here - I didnt watch F1 really from 2000 onwards, up to this season when the brawns caught my interest. This season has been fantastic so far, some real life racing has been occuring, not just tactics based on pit-stops. I feel the rules now are perfect, but the FIA dosnt see it that way...pillocks.

I don't mind the technical innovations on the cars, I like the technical side of F1. But getting ride of driver aids such as traction control has made the spectacle more exciting

I find it difficult to believe that a 'break-away' series, with the logistics involved in F1, could be set up in time for next season.

Circuit bookings / deals?
Travel arrangements?
Endorsements?
TV coverage?

I would think that F1 would have some pretty sh*t-hot lawyers that would object to the creation of a break away 'parallel' series that pretty much mimicked F1 under another name. I just can't see it happening. I think it's all talk and media spin in an attempt to stop that budget cap and show the bosses that the series can't function with these ever changing demands. I'm 99.9% sure they will reach a compromise.

This is all very true. But i think the curcuits will jump at the chance to host a new world championshipfeaturing established teams and established stars of motorsport. Who would deny having the worlds most advanced ferrari roaring round their track? I suspect the logistics of getting teams around the world wouldnt be too difficult, it'd be a relativly minor re-arrangment

[metalangel]

F1 is dull as heck compared to any number of other motorsports (including but not limited to touring cars, GT, WRC, Rallycross, superbikes, sprint cars, motocross, swamp buggy racing, truck racing, speedway, and that thing where huge offroad trucks have to negotiate big piles of rocks) so any attempt to jazz it up and get away from all the tedious politics is welcome.

[fizzwheel]

I feel the rules now are perfect, but the FIA dosnt see it that way...pillocks.

I'd go a step further, Max Mosley doesnt like the current regulations.

The teams agree'd to cost cutting measures, but to be brought in gradually reaching the budget cap in 2012 as a compromise, Mosley IIRC agreed to this and then took a massive U turn a few weeks ago and said "No Compromise Budget cap in 2010 or lump it )

Its all one big power struggle and I wander if it will get resolved when / if Max Mosley steps down.. as I think this is what really is behind it, the teams have had enough and want him gone from the sport.

[Alpinestarhero]

I'd go a step further, Max Mosley doesnt like the current regulations.

The teams agree'd to cost cutting measures, but to be brought in gradually reaching the budget cap in 2012 as a compromise, Mosley IIRC agreed to this and then took a massive U turn a few weeks ago and said "No Compromise Budget cap in 2010 or lump it )

Its all one big power struggle and I wander if it will get resolved when / if Max Mosley steps down.. as I think this is what really is behind it, the teams have had enough and want him gone from the sport.

Yes, Mosely does seem to be the catalyst for all the stuff going on. It is rather rediculous to ask teams to cut their budget from...what....at least £200m (maybe over 350m?) to a mere fraction of that almost overnight. It just couldnt work...and the teams that have been able to develop new technology will always have it, and the smaller teams cant have it because they'll never get the money to do it. stupid, silly.

[pookie]

and take that andy warhol wannabe with him too. I dont think they are interested in racing just all the commercial aspects and lining their pockets

I like the design of the cars and at least this year with the thought of an under dog to win the championship seems to have me hooked

I'd go a step further, Max Mosley doesnt like the current regulations.

The teams agree'd to cost cutting measures, but to be brought in gradually reaching the budget cap in 2012 as a compromise, Mosley IIRC agreed to this and then took a massive U turn a few weeks ago and said "No Compromise Budget cap in 2010 or lump it )

Its all one big power struggle and I wander if it will get resolved when / if Max Mosley steps down.. as I think this is what really is behind it, the teams have had enough and want him gone from the sport.

[thedonal]

I think Bernie needs to go too.

He's going to be the one pointing the lawyers at the teams, as he stands to lose a potential fortune (like he's not got enough and so many years to enjoy it in!).

Though all the teams also have their specialist lawyers too.

Also, I'm sure there's got to be some kind of defense in the way of EU competition regulations- for instance the 100 year contract between the FIA and FOM for the TV rights, with no-one else apparently tendered.

And the money FOTA claim has been 'withheld' over the last few years.

Of course, all this is claimed. There's a lot of posturing going on (and probably plenty more to go around), but I would think that any court cases involved here could potentially go on for years.

This has surely got to get a vote of no confidence in Max Moseley, at the very least.

[flymo]

I wouldnt be too surprised to see Mosely resign soon.

Personally I couldnt give a cr*p which series is on, if its interesting I'll watch it. I hate the way F1 gets interupted by legal issues and technical inspections after the races.

If cars are passed legal to race they should be in, no follow on punishments days after the race completes. On top of that a referee should decide there and then what action to take following an on track infringement. A yellow card, red card system would work. First minor problem you get a yellow, the second one and you get a red (black flag).

[Supervox]

Ok, first of all I don't believe that we've neccessarily reached the end-game yet. The timing of the announcement (last night) just puts the ball back in Mosley's court before his deadline is reached.

However, if the breakaway does go ahead I shall probably end up watching both - albeit (IMO) what we currently know as F1 will be, for the near future at least, a diluted 2nd rate series.

F1 will be whatever The Poison Dwarf decides it to be - he owns the rights to both F1 & Formula One. What it will not be is the pinnacle of open-wheeled racing.

I think the legal profession are going to earn some serious money out of all this - not only because Bernie has threatened to sue Ferrari, Red Bull & Torro Rosso if they do not race - but also because I think circuit owners who have paid ridiculous amounts of money to FOM to host a race will now be considering legal action to recoup some because of the potential loss of revenue.

Also as far as circuits are concerned, which way will Monaco 'jump' ?
Will they follow FOTA (they'll have to find a new name as well) which will have the grand marques associated with the principality ?

Can you imagine Monza (or any other Italian circuit) paying to host a race that doesn't feature Ferrari's ?

I don't think that the breakaway series will have any trouble finding suitable circuits on which to race - despite the FIA threatening to withdraw other FIA events or Bernie threatening legal action against any who he currently has a deal with.
Just think, they can take GP racing back to North America (hands up if you'd like to see McLaren, Ferrari et al racing at Laguna Seca ?!!) and hold races where the fanbase is - not somewhere who just has the money to pay off FOM.

[fizzwheel]

Can you imagine Monza (or any other Italian circuit) paying to host a race that doesn't feature Ferrari's ?

No I cant see that happening... I cant see any big circuit paying to host races that dont include any of the established big name teams


I don't think that the breakaway series will have any trouble finding suitable circuits on which to race

Nope me neither, and I can see a possible return to clasic circuits to replace these dull new circuits. Canada back to having a race again. A return to Imola to perhaps ?

F1 at Laguna Seca would be awesome as well.

[Alpinestarhero]

shame it wont bring back the old hokeinhiem. That was a favorite circuit of mine. What willl happen with monaco? I guess street races have become quite the fashion, so the new series can find its own prestigious location for a street race

[Supervox]

F1 at Laguna Seca would be awesome as well.

Can you imagine 2 cars doing a 'Rossi & Stoner' at The Corkscrew ? :cool:

[Thingus]

If we have two... i'll watch both!

However, i reckon there will be mroe than one tyre manufacturer, burnouts when you win, and an altogether better atmosphere. There will be the hardcore F1 fans who go 'i will only watch FIA F1... but let's face it... who would you watch? 6 private teams bombing around with A1GP drivers in the seats, or a bunch of hardcore racing teams with the best drivers in the world?

Bleh. I love motorsport, i'll watch anything.

[Jdubya]

Just watching the practice under the red button and Moseley and the poison dwarf have just said that they would issue a statement later. They've just spent the last hour in the "kremlin" that is the poison dwarfs bus in the paddock. Mosely look quite grumpy. Ecclestone just playing a pratt while with Holly in the pits...

[arcdef]

Deep down i think it would be really good to see the teams head off but as mentioned already they have timed it so Mosley has several hours to change his mind, so maybe they dont want to after all? Plus i cant help but think we would all be disappointed with the outcome of a new championship not being as good as we had hoped?

[thedonal]

I'm sure that, in fact, the teams all want to continue in F1 as they know and love it, but that's clearly not what Max wants.

At the end of the day, the regulator needs to be an independant entity and it's not in F1- there's too many ties with the FIA and the commercial side of it. That definitely needs to change.

I guess we'll see by midnight what's occured.

[glsuk1970]

At least Force India might finally score some points :rolleyes:

[flymo]

And so it rumbles on. When will Mosely resign, place your bets.

[arcdef]

FIA are going to sue the FOTA now.....*sighs*

[MR UKI (1)]

And so it rumbles on. When will Mosely resign, place your bets.

According to an interview with the BBC he has offered to resign, but in his eyes that is not the issue. He also says that the position has left him in a dificult position when it comes to resigning, as the FIA are saying the mess is too big and they need him to stay. They should make their minds up :D

[simesb]

It is difficult to see how both sides can come out of this saving face: one side or the other (possibly both) have to back down.

I would like to see F1 stay as the pinnacle of motorsport - I think a breakaway would probably be more interesting than what would be left behind, but I'd still rather see the politics resolved.....

[Jamiebridges123]

So there will be yet another 'F1' style event...great...not! We have A1 which really hasnt taken off as much as they would have liked. I just think its wrong. The teams should all tow the line, simples, and race.

I agree, it's far too much willy waggling going about... what happened to the good old days 10 years ago.. :|

[Thingus]

The good old days was at the start of this season. Ever since this 'debate' started it's turned to that crap, but this is the best season i've ever seen. (racing right through the field rather than just the front runner).

There's clearly at least 6 or 7 drivers now who, given the right car, could kick the **** out of eachother and give us a heck of a wicked motor race, that wasn't really the case 10 years ago.

[rowdy]

Who would I be watching, thats a good question.
Who would likely show a series run by fota?
Surely the beeb are contracted to show f1 for x amount of years so their hands will be tied.
ITV would be next best but according to BBC news this morning they can't afford the 55 million a year it costs them to show regional news and now want to tap in to the tv license funds to pay for it if they can! so could they afford to show the new series?
Don't think I'd bother subscribing to sky sports to watch it.
So unless it would be shown on channel4 ,channel 5, eurosport or even Dave I doubt I'd watch either.
At the end of the day it is all about Max the perve and Mr Ecclescakes monopoly of power imo, although given Mr E's age and the amount of stress he is under at the moment he is not going to be around forever.
When Adolf Mosley was asked if he would step down he did say that he would put the sport before himself but in later press release said he couldn't at the time of crisis and it wasn't about him, maybe fota should change their argument and say they want him gone.
Either way it is just subtracting from what could be the last great british grand prix at silverstone, why do the fia have to drag these meetings up on race weekends?

[Thingus]

What i don't get is, that if legal action is being pursued and they're all gonna split, how on earth can they race again? Could this be the last race until this has all been sorted? :/

BTW Rowdy i 'lol'd' at your names for Bernie & Max. (hehe bernie mac get it -sigh-)

[tonyt]

nope ... not now or ever.... unless i have trouble sleeping...