formula 1 discussion

["John Barbera" <j_barbera@domain.elided>]

"Getting slave of TV races is, to me, like, a saturday nite, prefering
watching a porno movie rather than dating the sexiest partner date
you ever had.  Just senseless to me.

Anyway we watch for fun.  We watch for entertainment. We watch

the SHOW. It's all about a SHOW."

You're right, Luca, it's a show (capital letters, if you like).  And
every two or three weeks I sit down and watch it.  I'm not really
concerned with the politics of the series, and I don't mind if housewives
swwon over the drivers.  It's simply a diversion, an excuse to get
together with my friends and talk cars.

As for the technology/big budget complaint:  The alternative is to put
all sorts of artificial constraints on the constructors (some of these
exist already).  We have a series like that here in America - it's called
NASCAR.  In this series the money doesn't go into the cars, it goes into
marketing.  And with so much advertising money at stake, the organizers
cannot afford to have non-competitive races.  Every rule in NASCAR is
designed to keep the races as close as possible, artificially so, in my
opinion.  The result is that the teams involved can do little to help
their drivers win.  In the end it's all about the sponsors, not the
sport.

Currently, Formula 1 is dominated by Ferrari, not because the sponsors
say so, but because Ferrari is the best team with the best cars and the
best driver.  This will certainly change in a few years, as other
big-budget teams like Toyota and Renault catch up.  I think that this
kind of competition is exciting - really pushes the technological
envelope.

Am I jealous of the drivers in Formula 1?  Would I like to take Michael
Schmacher's place behind the wheel?  Of course I would.  But the chances
that I'll be hired by Ferrari (or any other F1 team) are about as good as
getting a date with my favorite supermodel.  But this doesn't stop me
from driving my Alfa a little too fast on the back roads of Pennsylvania,
or going out with my girlfriend on Saturday night.

Like you said, Luca, it's just a show.  Sit back and enjoy it.

-John Barbera

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