I missed the Austrian GP today... thankfully, it seems. Anyway, looking
through the BBC's forum on the race (95% against Ferrari's decision),
here:
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
40.stm
I came across this paragraph by none other than Doug Nye:
"I have been a motorsport journalist and historian for almost 40 years,
and a fan for 50 years. While there will inevitably be much naive
chatter about Sunday's events, I must admit that - for the first time
since 1982's Belgian GP, when an entirely avoidable start line shambles
injured a mechanic 'live' on prime-time TV - I feel real shame at my
interest and involvement...thank God it's at arm's length."
Another view (from "Louise, UK") sums it up more simply:
"Remember, no spectators, no sponsors, no money, no motor racing."
As for my own view... some people say that team orders have always been
a part of the sport, and they've got a point. But. Ask most F1 bigwigs
these days and they'll say they're in the entertainment business. This
ain't entertainment. F1 can be purely about ruthless winning at all
costs, or it can be entertainment. It can't be both. Choose.
As it happens, I'm about to buy a new mobile phone. It would have been
a Vodafone - not now. A tiny and probably futile gesture, but it makes
me feel better.
--
"After all, a mere thousand yards... such a harmless little knoll,
really" - Raymond Mays on Shelsley Walsh.
The GPL Scrapyard: Back again! http://www.racesimcentral.net/~gplscrapyard