I love Formula One. I love the fact that they go to almost every region of the world. For me, the cars and the locations make me go nuts about the sport!
That is why I am a fan of new racetracks on the calendar. I don't mean to badmouth the likes of Silverstone, Hockenheim, or even Spa, but I think that re-using the older tracks just makes the season a rather boring one.
Now, that is not to say that we should use them once and then "that's all folks" either.
The Formula one calendar is a very tightly-scheduled calendar. Many countries are vying for the distinction of holding a race because having a race means the country has enough money and reputation for hosting an amazing event like this.
However, with the growth of Asia in recent years, and a downturn in the Western economy in general, the East is getting more races, with the additions of Shanghai, Singapore, Bahrain, Turkey, and soon to be Abu Dhabi as well.
The American Grand Prix is gone, the Canadian Grand Prix is hanging on, and Silverstone, as well as the UK in general, is set to get the ax soon. In their place are possible rumours of Grand Prix in Korea and Russia, as well as the building of racetrack for an Indian Grand Prix in 2010.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Formula One is moving Eastwards with new tracks, and I welcome that! Why? It's not because of money, which it usually is, but it is about all things new.
Formula One is known the world over as introducing new technologies to road-going vehicles, so why not do the same for road and track engineering? It will help in giving ideas for safer road construction in the developing nations that Grand Prix are being held.
Some of the countries where Grand Prix are either in development, have been proposed and await approval, or are just starting up a plan for, have traffic issues. If anyone has ever been to Moscow, they have probably said that the traffic there was a nightmare!
The same thing can be said about the Middle East and Asia, where having a car is now an indicator of how much money one has and how much they are benefiting from the booming economy.
Of course, biopolitics or biopower will not necessarily cause traffic safety to come to the forefront overnight, but it is a start.
My second reason for having new tracks is because they are literally a clean slate. Spa has the distinction of Kimi Raikkonen winning three times in a row, Monaco has the McLaren designation, Silverstone is steeped in Grand Prix Racing history, and Monza is the spiritual home of the Tifosi.
What problem do they have? They have precedents attached to them. Precedents, in sports, are a terrible thing to have. When you watch the Belgian Grand Prix, you put your wager down that Kimi will win it because he has won there three times in a row.
It's also not just an historical thing, either, it is also the fact that when you watch the next race, the fact that driver x won the race last year means he has a better chance of winning, while the others don't stand a chance.
With a new track, you, as the armchair racer, don't know what to expect, and neither does the real racer! It makes it exciting; it makes the race a fascinating thing to watch, and in the event that the race gets boring, you can always see what's around them as well because it is in a new locale.
I like it that new tracks are being added to the calendar, but I'm also upset that old tracks are being replaced for the new ones. Unfortunately, that is life, and if there were a compromise of some type, I would love it.
Over to your replies and thoughts.
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3 months ago
I love new tracks but I think there are certain tracks that should stay and never leave our calendar ... Silverstone and Monaco especially !
from 3 months ago
U beat me to it by a fraction of a second, and I completely agree. (as you can see below)
from 3 months ago
Let me ask you this Ben: you say Silverstone because you're British or is there another reason :P
from 3 months ago
Wait for the roundtable and all shall be revealed !
from 3 months ago
oooh a sneaky teaser for the RT... even more exited now
from 3 months ago
Shhhhh .. Dont tell no one but I let it all out ! Ha ha !
3 months ago
I am all for new tracks, but certain 'old' ones need to be kept. F1 has roots in Monza, Hockenheim, Silverstone, or Italy, Germany, and the UK, and this needs to be recognised. If F1 left the UK i think thats when F1 has gone too far, and will leave my heart. I shan't follow a sport where money is more important than history, roots and 'home'. Home has always been the UK for most teams and a few drivers, and a huge majority of mechanics, Home is the most important thing.
I like to see a change, but some circuits have to stay. I think 8 places should always be on the calendar no matter what, the other 12 slots can fight it out, money, bribes whatever as long as some consistency is kept.
3 months ago
Formula one is about, Clark, Ascari, Fangio, Senna and Schumacher. It is about Spa, Monza, Monte Carlo, Spain, Germany and England. F1 is first and foremost a European sport, run by Europeans for Europeans. Selling off the sport to Asia, is a disgrace and does nothing but drive up the cost.For my money, China and places like India, Turkey should NEVER get a race until they have dealt with some serious issues within their own borders and then only if there a day left. The US should get a F1 race long before Asia. It has been a part of F1 since it's start and has one of the best facilities in the world, with a fan base that continues to be screwed over. So sorry but I could not disagree more with an article, I am opposed to it in every way!
from 3 months ago
YEAH ! ... Go on Heff !
from 3 months ago
I do not subscribe to sports and politics together. As well, as much as I think that the drivers you mentioned are awesome, I think that F1 in the modern age is about ideas and improving them. The past was the drivers and when Schumacher left, so did the age of the driver. I think that constantly throwing teams a curveball will create more suspense within the racing community as a whole.
Sorry we couldn't agree on this one.
from 3 months ago
Sports and politics cannot be separated as they are both linked through our societies! Having the Olympics in China is an absolute disgrace, as would having them in other countries mentioned. If we in society do not stand for what is right, we are a part of the problem. China, India, Turkey are a few places that should not have a GP, to give them one, while taking from a real GP location, is disgusting.
F1 has been sold down the river and Bernie is making all of the money. Tradition has had the winner get Champagne, yet that had to be forgone when in a Islamic country, for my money, if they cannot respect our traditions they should not even have a race. Selling F1 to other cultures is whoring what the series is all about.
from 3 months ago
totally agree Heff. for once, haha!
oh and as for the olympics in ch9na bit, i dont know enough about any human rights thing so i cant comment on that. still, if another country cant respect our traditions and us vice versa, why bother, eh bernie? money grabbing tit.
from 3 months ago
Again I disagree Paul. I think that sport is a way to bring issues to light. Taking on the perspective "we don't give them F1 if they don't follow our ways" is akin to colonialism and the mentality that the British took during the time that they were a colonial power.
In some places, alcohol is not allowed, so what? Some parts of one culture should be adopted while new things from our culture be introduced at the same time. We are now more globalized than have ever been, and adopting customs from one culture is a feature of that.
from 3 months ago
For once we stand shoulder to shoulder Paul. Roll on the post Bernie era.
from 3 months ago
i feel exactly the opposite Paul
when you go to someone;s home, it is you who have to make an effort to whats the norm in their homes
its just decency
wat - we cant give up champagne for one race in a year, becos we are in an islamic country
jeez - thats pathetic
sure - if anything, it shows out willingness to accept a global potluck or cultures - and still be OK to operate in each country
have to agree to disagree on that one matey (first time yeah)
from 3 months ago
I agree with Paul for the 1st time ever, i just wanted to celebrate this moment, so here goes, WOOP!
from 3 months ago
What is there to celebrate when we take races away from America to put in some place, that demands we change the way we act. All that a race in China or India does for F1, is show how little the sport cares about it's fan's. Having a race in China or say India is an insult to our societies, it is saying that we condone their social behavior, the Olympics this year are a perfect example.
from 3 months ago
by Sheiban
from about 3 hours ago
Again I disagree Paul. I think that sport is a way to bring issues to light. Taking on the perspective "we don't give them F1 if they don't follow our ways" is akin to colonialism and the mentality that the British took during the time that they were a colonial power.
In some places, alcohol is not allowed, so what? Some parts of one culture should be adopted while new things from our culture be introduced at the same time. We are now more globalized than have ever been, and adopting customs from one culture is a feature of that.
Please read again what you said, "sport is a way to bring issues to light"
and how do you think we have ever done such a thing? It is not a question of accepting other cultures, it is a question of we do what they tell us, while they ignore our value systems.
Will say this as clear as possible, ANY country that does not hold to the same standards of human rights, as we do, should NEVER get an International sporting event. This means China, Turkey, India, Pakistan and most Islamic nations.
To take a race away from say America, for say Turkey or China, is nothing more than turning F1 into a whore. It is easy to say that it is no longer an European sport but last time I checked, that is exactly what it is. Next they will want the Tour de France to do a lap around the Taj Mahal.
from 3 months ago
It's kind of funny how Paul and I disagree for the first time ever while a lot of others agree with Paul for the first time ever :)
I don't know why you're so fearful of opening up to new places. It's not insulting to open up, it may be to you, but I think that having a new market is a welcome change. A new track is also a welcome change...
The way to keep people paying is by keeping Formula 1 fresh and attracting new audiences who might not have had an interest if the sport is to survive...
from 3 months ago
That is the difference, I do not look at F1 needing new markets to survive, that is like saying that soccer needs Asia to survive. There is only ONE reason that the races are in any of the new markets, money for those that control the commercial rights to F1, Bernie and Co. Having been to most of the "fly away races more than once, the only reason many of the fans are there is because it is an event, nothing more. The one exception is Japan and maybe, just maybe Malaysia, China is a joke, most of the spectators look lost! F1 does not need any of those markets, those markest want F1 to make a social statement, nothing more!
from 3 months ago
I guess we have to agree to disagree on this one Paul.
The fans don't look lost, at least the way I see it. Maybe in the first few races when the event was held there, it was a totally new experience. But after they got into the whole routine of what an F1 race is, they act just like the fans from Europe...
from 3 months ago
Why should Europe or the States lose a GP for a non F1 country, what is even worse, half the countries getting GP's have serious problems with human rights!
from 3 months ago
funny how i dont agree with paul on this one either
i guess its super presumptuous to say, the f-1 society condones social behavior
except for very few things - no social behavior is right or wrong - its cultural diversity, so there s nothing to condone
from 3 months ago
Since when as human rights been a non issue?
3 months ago
i happily welcome new circuits to the calender but i think that maybe just one every few years is sensible. if we keep adding new tracks at the rate we currently are, circuits like turkey and bahrain will be 'old' in a decade's time.
of course some tracks should stay like spa, hockenheim, monza etc. because of its history, but i think that the hungarian grand prix should go and either the pre season testing at catalunya should go or a different spanish circuit come because the Spanish GP is very boring.
good article mate
3 months ago
The day there is no more Spa Francorchamps , Uk ( no matter hich circuit) , Monza , Magny-Cours , Hockenheim will be the day my love for the sport starts to drop off .
Its bad enough that we have no San Marino GP anymore .
They can bring in new circuits but when hey start removing Magical historic circuits thats when ill go against new circuits , Id rather keep tradition than go all brand new ,
Bernie Ecclestone= Ar**hole :-)
from 3 months ago
Well spoken. I have just written a few words about magical Spa for Michael, and the idea it could ever be dropped in favour of a venue that puts more cash Bernie's way is scandalous. The sooner the FIA's contract with the Formula One Group runs out the better.
3 months ago
more new destinations is the only way for the sport to reach out shaq
we need global deployment of f-1
i wud love for a race in Kolkata > wouldnt you ?
from 3 months ago
The appeal of F1 is all about it being international. Keeping it all in Europe is not the future I like to see in F1. The fly-away races make it appealing, even though the hours are inconvenient for me...
Anyhow, the trend I'm seeing here in general is that those who are English are vehemently opposed to this while those who aren't don't mind more fly-aways...
from 3 months ago
yeah - did you read my rebuttal
thats exactly what I pointed out - and too some stick for it
read it when you find time
from 3 months ago
but yeah ... am sure they all think silverstone is the next best thing to sliced bread
might be true - but everything has its shelf life
3 months ago
"Formula One is moving Eastwards with new tracks, and I welcome that! Why? It's not because of money, which it usually is, but it is about all things new."
Sorry, it is everything to do with money, you must know that.
"We are now more globalized than have ever been, and adopting customs from one culture is a feature of that"
Most of the newer venues are not keen on adopting our customs such as universal franchise, free association and assembly, sexual equality etc. Perhaps you could give an example of an adopted custom?
"The past was the drivers and when Schumacher left, so did the age of the driver."
Never heard of Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica? When F1 team bosses plot and scheme to sign a hot driver they must be lacking your insights.
Sorry man, you are just not making sense.
from 3 months ago
Peter, these are all great drivers, but a car is no longer just a car anymore, it is a piece of technology that has taken engineers, designers, programmers, and you name it to become the thing it is. The driver is an integral part, but not as much as they were years ago.
F1 in and of itself is a custom. Automotive racing is a popular sport in the Middle East now more than ever before. The other customs you talk of don't come overnight.
Formula One may be about money for a hobbit at the top, but for the average guy, I find that new tracks in more exotic locales has a better flavour than just having races in Europe and a few 'fly aways' in other places of the world.
3 months ago
being a Sri Lankan(india's neighbor) i love this article. but i think f1 should never leave the spiritual home lands in UK, Italy, France, Brazil etc. at what ever cost.
3 months ago
Sheiban,
First of all I completely agree with your point that new tracks add the extra bit of uncertainty and enthusiasm mix which keeps any sport going. Something when becomes predictable .... however big it may be cannot pull crowd (e.g. Brazil vs. A new football team's match... nobody enjoys it!... hardcore fans of Brazil may get a sadistic pleasure seeing the other team getting bombed, but then nobody remembers it). Similarly in F1 we need new tracks.
[To Paul] I will ask 1 simple question..."What is the objective of having Olympic games?" It is a melting pot of all the cultures from all over the world, intermingling in harmony. That is what nay sport including f1 is all about!. Sports has always been a symbol of unity in diversity. Why are we loving F1? Is it to foster communalism? Is it to increase the differences? Is F1 the platform in which we should rejuvinate curses like apertheid? If u dont let a sport to become global, two things happen... 1. People lose interest because F1 is a rich sport and money matters there! (Dnt think I support Bernie!) but if there are no increase in viewer ship how will a sport survive? 2. Why can't F1 be a global phnomena which erases borders? What you say seems like I am hearing about The Iron Curtain from Stalin! I admit countries face social problems but is USA and Europe devoid of it? What u say is no better than colonists!
And just one thing about India..... Are you an Indian? No I suppose... Have you tried to visit or understand one of the oldest civilizations on earth? ... I suppose no.... Try to respect cultures... You speak about "human rights" and then write about why we should differentiate! .. strange...
from 3 months ago
The Olympics are about a global family coming together in one accord to celebrate sport. How can there be an accord, when peoples human rights are being violated by a nation? As for India, your assumptions are incorrect, in fact I was there many times in the last year. It was because of their human rights violations that I moved our manufacturing out of India. The truth is, you write one thing then quickly rush to judgment. The fact that I have many Indian friends, does not stop me from saying that we should stand against it's violations.
As for your question "why can't F1 be a global phenomena" ? My reply is simple, why in the Blue Moon should the people who built it lose it to those who had NO part in it's history and or the building of it?
from 3 months ago
Yeah I go with your definition of Olympics. But I would really like to know what kind of human rights violations did u observe which made you so bitter about such a nice and homely country where people consider visitors to be Gods! So coming into India, having a manufacturing plant here (of what I surely would like to know... as I admit you made a big decision) but then u r so pissed off about it.... I am interested to know why...if u hav no problem in sharing...
One more thing, my support for inclusion of new tracks is just for the sake of having F1 as not only the richest but also the MOST POPULAR sport in the globe....and more people get hooked to it..its better. I NEVER want F1 to COME OUT of USA or Europe...no. I talked about globalisation but NOT at the cost of racing havens like silverstone, spa or monza.
from 3 months ago
First I am not bitter about moving my manufacturing out of India, it was a conscious decision and stand by it, even if it cost us money. The reasons for the move are the same as not going to China, if we use these countries we condone their actions. If you are from India, then you should be fully aware of the major issues regarding human rights violations. My statement is as it was, if the country in question refuses to address these human rights violations, there should be major sanctions applied. As long as they have serious problems such as Female infanticide, the world must act!
from 3 months ago
Absolutely true mate! Acts like "Female Infanticide" are horrible and should be eradicated and I hope that more of the less-educated varieties of our 110 crore population develop a similar mindset as you have even after not being a part of the country. But this dark veil of superstitions and false concepts can only be eradicated by exposure to higher levels of society and making each person a global citizen and not of some dilapidated village. I believe actions like popularising a global sport like F1 into the country is one of the many steps required.
P.S.: If you try to look you will also find a very bright sunny-side of the country too... I am sure.
Cheers to F1...
from 3 months ago
Happen to love the country, have been there so many times, yes I have lots of friends from there. However, I stand by what I say, if we do not speak out, nobody will. As for F1, global expansion means only one thing, money. The sport costs the teams more, while Bernie and co make more!
2 months ago
F1 needs new tracks alongwith the old. While not having a US GP and having a Dubai GP is a mockery of the sport's fans in US, it still is good business sense to have more markets than just Europe. I'd say let's have races in South American countries like Argentina, Chile, etc., and one in the heart of Africa. Bernie has promised Russia, South Africa and India a GP each - so let's cover the whole damn globe including the North and South Poles - oh, and how about a Martian GP?
2 months ago
Kimi's won at Spa 4 times in a row hasn't he? In 2006 it was being rebuilt.
But as for moving the GP's out of Europe, I don't agree with. Most of the teams are based in Europe, and I like that places such as Silverstone have a history to them. And I like that the Ferrari team are alot more vivacious about winning at Monza than anywhere else.
I do like some of the asian racetracks (I especially liked Suzuka before that was replaced, but the new tracks okay too), but it is only right that we remember that the people in F1 are human, despite the fact that what they say on TV cameras is usually boring, and the amount of jet lag that they would have to deal with week in, week out would be unfair.
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