67 replies to this topic

[Marklar]

Behind the scenes...

https://www.youtube....h?v=X3ms5ekjYXA

Sad thing is that she asked better questions than most of the regular F1 journos would...

[Nonesuch]

Sorry for OT.

 

Ecclestone has been going on about Europe being old news for what seems at least ten years. It's no coincidence that we most often hear from Ecclestone when it's time for circuits to renegotiate their deals. Compared to the hundreds of millions some tin-pot 'president' is willing to spend on circuits, facilities and hosting fees, all in some vain attempt to make his country seem relevant and respectable, it must irk a man like Ecclestone to no end that some small town, and elected (!), representative is refusing to spend taxpayer money on his ridiculous fees. Ecclestone would probably much rather do business with the self-appointed governments of his latest favourite GP host than some local municipal politician from Milan or Buckinghamshire.

[ThadGreen]

I thought this was a strange interview that Bernie gave, perhaps because of the background of the (very annoying) girl who was asking the questions.

 

His comments concerning the US could be because of the inability of Bernie and F1 to gain a strong position in the US and Bernie was airing his frustrations. 

 

I agree, as I feel most do, with a lot of the F1 comments he said.

 

While watching Putin at the Russian GP I was wondering if Obama will make an appearance at Austin?

[chunder27]

I think we hokld certain people up to be something incredible at times without really asking why?

 

It seems to me that Bernie is simply a very good salesman. I do not think he is particularly intelligent or clever or even that good at businessman. If he was good at all aspects of businss he would realise the thigs he does wrong as they do.

 

But he can sell snow to Eskimoes and he is also very good at making very lavish people somehow feel imjportant when they have more wealth than anyone can ever know.

 

I watched a program abtu Alex Ferguson t he other day and he was being used a an instrument for business success due to his success as a manager.

 

He is NOT a businessman, he is just good at getting the best out of players of a simple game and very, very good at upholding discipline. He isnt very intelligent either, but he is glorified as some kind of deity byt he business world because of what he has done with a football team?

 

I think at times business needs people to look up to whether they are good for their business or not. Ecclestones approach would not work in most businesses, and neither would Fergusons or an ex Prime Minister, but they are courted by CeO'sto give motivational speeches worldwide.
 

Something I find rather odd

[chipmcdonald]

The brilliant part about Bernie is that he's extremely sharp, but also completely without druthers when it comes to not caring if people are uncomfortable around him or confused about what *they* think he's saying.  

 

Anti-American?  It's true, most 'Muricans have no idea how large China and Russia are both geographically and economically, much less how beholden the U.S. is to China at this point.  We don't have a race in New Jersey because Chris Christie & co.  thought they were going to play hardball with Bernie, and Bernie took the ball back home.   Europe is falling apart economically and politically.  Saying it's not the future isn't being "anti-Europe", it's just reality. I don't like F1 being in Azerbaijan, but it took New Jersey's penciled-in place on the calendar, so what I can I really say?

 

 China or Qatar, maybe both might end up owning a chunk of F1.  Why wouldn't he feel that the east isn't coming up when in reality they are?  Where and how the money has come about is immaterial to the reality.  The person reading this buys gas sourced from the middle east, if you want Bernie to abstain from doing business with them you can buy an electric car now and do your part in protesting.  Half of F1 is sponsored by the middle east, one can be naive about the "place" the west holds to the rest of the world, but if you're awake you'd know it's just being sucked dry because of taking offense to saying the obvious.  You should be mad about the situation, and how fake democracy put you there. 

 

Putin?  I don't like Assad, but I like ISIS sympathizers less.  I don't believe there are "moderate" groups on the ground in Syria, and also think you can't win a war trying to bomb around the 5 guys you spent $500 million on training.  If he wants to take on ISIS, good for him.  What are the options?

 

 "Democracy" as has been foisted on the planet is a lie, a cover for oligarchy.  There is something very special to learn from what he says on the subject: "if they believe it's a democracy, that's good, that's the way it should work".  That is a 1%'er telling it like it is.  Things are falling apart in the west BECAUSE people believe they live in a "democracy" and they're special, meanwhile they borrow $1.5 trillion from China to build F-35 fighters that don't work so a bunch of talking heads get to vacation in the Caymans.  How is that working out?

 

 And Lewis is right: we need to trade off a percentage of aero for an equal amount of mechanical grip.

 

 

  The rule book does need to be torn up.  And part of why F1 is screwed up now is the slow-motion elitist bureaucracy of the manufacturers "democratically" negotiating towards mediocre rules.  Bernie sees himself as a leader in the sense that he makes decisions based on his own opinion, as opposed to a "leader" that is corrupted by special interests.  Again, if one prefers a pretend "leader" one is very naive. 

 

 You can take what he says out of context of "Bernie Ecclestone's life" and "Formula 1", and not temper what he's saying with your historic knowledge of Bernie trolling, as well as not being aware of how the only thing that matters to *Bernie* is what people think around him.  He said he likes Putin: does he care what YOU think about that?  Does he care what investors in Russia think?  Yes.  Does it matter what he really thinks?  If you were a billionaire would you really care what people thought?  He keeps everyone off balance, and is the only guy in F1 that knows the whole picture, and made his fortune off of it. 

 

 If none of that made any sense to you, blame it on Obama.

[chipmcdonald]

While watching Putin at the Russian GP I was wondering if Obama will make an appearance at Austin?

 

 

 America is the most powerful nation, so there is no reason for the POTUS to appear before an international stage.  It would be undignified for Obama to appear at a car race.  Putin wants F1 in Russia to appear to be interested in global attention, built a track, the U.S. doesn't care because it thinks it doesn't have to.  Bernie's point.

[ThadGreen]

 America is the most powerful nation, so there is no reason for the POTUS to appear before an international stage.  It would be undignified for Obama to appear at a car race.  Putin wants F1 in Russia to appear to be interested in global attention, built a track, the U.S. doesn't care because it thinks it doesn't have to.  Bernie's point.

 

My comment was tongue in cheek and perhaps I should have included a funny face to underline that.

 

Although Putin has been schooling Obama of late and perhaps, just perhaps, BHO may try to show everyone he is all that Putin is and more?     

[Ross Stonefeld]

Obama won't show up at the GP for the same reason Cameron, Merkel, Abe, etc don't show up. They're running First World nations. The national leader doesn't need to show up at some car race to show they're a serious country. That's something 'lesser' countries bother with.

 

I thought some of you had pretty loopy opinions about racing, but now seeing you 'analyse' world affairs... Dios mio.

Edited by Ross Stonefeld, 18 October 2015 - 04:38.

[Nathan]

 

Being the so called bossman of F1,doesnt that make him part if not wholly responsible for the mess the sport is in?.If not then who is?          

- he doesn't write the rules

- he can't control outside forces (global economy)

- he can't control important inside forces (team budgets, team management etc.)

- he can only control so many costs

Edited by Nathan, 18 October 2015 - 05:29.

[AustinF1]

Like I've said before, I think Bernie never opens his mouth in front of a camera or a mic without full awareness of and very clear motivations for what he says. 

 

That said, unlike some of you here, when he spoke of the U.S. I don't think he was speaking so much about politics as much as he might have been sending a message to a certain venue. I would concentrate less on what he said, and more on what his motivation for such comments might be.

Edited by AustinF1, 18 October 2015 - 05:28.

[ThadGreen]

Obama won't show up at the GP for the same reason Cameron, Merkel, Abe, etc don't show up. They're running First World nations. The national leader doesn't need to show up at some car race to show they're a serious country. That's something 'lesser' countries bother with.

 

I thought some of you had pretty loopy opinions about racing, but now seeing you 'analyse' world affairs... Dios mio.

 

Really? Well a car race is an event and the people you mentioned are politicians  and most politicians will do pretty much anything if they feel it will endear them to their constituents Of course it would be difficult for Merkel to attend her country's GP this year. Do you know why? It may not be politically wise for Abe or any Japanese politician to attend this years race at Suzuka considering last year's tragedy and the current performance of the Honda powered McLaren.  Cameron, I don't know, perhaps the traffic in and out of Silverstone was a factor, however I seem to recall that a Prince who is (5th?) in line for the throne attending the race in which Hamilton clinched the WDC last year.

 

But let's address US Presidents and BHO in particular, he has in fact attended at least one college basketball game and he loves his golf especially when he can team up with the likes of Tiger Woods and current and former NBA players. He has also been know to show up on late night tv shows. US Olympic athletes, winners of the Super Bowl, World Series and other major US sporting events are always invited to the White House so this notion that US Presidents are too busy 'running the country' to stoop to sporting events to gain attention is a fallacy.

 

I do however agree with your statement that Obama won't show up at Austin next Sunday, I don't think he is that keen on motor racing plus he may be unsure of the reception he would receive, he may decide he needs a day off and go and play yet another round of golf.   

[Fatgadget]

- he doesn't write the rules
- he can't control outside forces (global economy)
- he can't control important inside forces (team budgets, team management etc.)
- he can only control so many costs

In other words...No one in overall control yes?

[Ross Stonefeld]

Really? Well a car race is an event and the people you mentioned are politicians  and most politicians will do pretty much anything if they feel it will endear them to their constituents Of course it would be difficult for Merkel to attend her country's GP this year. Do you know why? It may not be politically wise for Abe or any Japanese politician to attend this years race at Suzuka considering last year's tragedy and the current performance of the Honda powered McLaren.  Cameron, I don't know, perhaps the traffic in and out of Silverstone was a factor, however I seem to recall that a Prince who is (5th?) in line for the throne attending the race in which Hamilton clinched the WDC last year.

 

But let's address US Presidents and BHO in particular, he has in fact attended at least one college basketball game and he loves his golf especially when he can team up with the likes of Tiger Woods and current and former NBA players. He has also been know to show up on late night tv shows. US Olympic athletes, winners of the Super Bowl, World Series and other major US sporting events are always invited to the White House so this notion that US Presidents are too busy 'running the country' to stoop to sporting events to gain attention is a fallacy.

 

I do however agree with your statement that Obama won't show up at Austin next Sunday, I don't think he is that keen on motor racing plus he may be unsure of the reception he would receive, he may decide he needs a day off and go and play yet another round of golf.   

 

They don't attend because their attendance doesn't boost the event/their own image. It's something the PM of Malaysia or Crown Prince of Bahrain or whatever does. Cameron/Obama/Merkel/Abe get nothing out of attending their GPs and the GPs get little out of their attendance, is my point.

 

In a way it was out of character that the Italian PM went to Monza, but that was because of the flap over whether the race is getting canceled. So the Italian GP is important(just like the BritishGP is if it was under threat, in a news sense) but rarely enough to actually attend.

 

And that Prince Harry(as you point out, 5th in line?) attended as a guest is kind of irrelevant. Even if Prince William showed up at Silverstone it's a bit Who Cares. Austin had the Governor of Texas, that's about what F1 can hope to achieve in your average OECD country. The only time I've seen US Politicians attend races is when they were campaigning.

 

But yeah, let's make this about how terrible Obama is beacuse he plays golf or something?

Edited by Ross Stonefeld, 18 October 2015 - 16:30.

[AustinF1]

Well, all I can say is that I sincerely hope the Prez stays far, far away from this event. Traffic likely shouldn't be bad with so few people going this year, but I've seen what his visits can do to traffic here. It's a nightmare. They close major highways at peak hours and do not have a single **** to give. Also, Obama might be wise not to attach himself in any way to this event.

Edited by AustinF1, 18 October 2015 - 17:31.

[Nathan]

In other words...No one in overall control yes?

 

Of F-1 as a sport...not so much it seems. Perhaps the FIA?  But FOM is what is for sale, not F1.

[chipmcdonald]

Obama won't show up at the GP for the same reason Cameron, Merkel, Abe, etc don't show up. They're running First World nations. The national leader doesn't need to show up at some car race to show they're a serious country. That's something 'lesser' countries bother with.

 

 

You're making Bernie's point. 

 

The U.S. is a "first world" country that owes umpteen trillions of $ to the rest of the world, has given away it's entire industrial infrastructure to other countries in order to make the 1% wealthier, and just spent $500 million training "4, maybe 5" (according to General Lloyd Austin) "moderate" fighters in Syria.  2 million people in jail, a gulag in Cuba, a state sponsored Stasi backed by effectively Big Brother.  38%+ unemployment, rampant inflation, and a half-illiterate populace that is more interested in the Kardashians than why literally everything they buy is from China.  Veterans from the Gulf Wars sleep in the streets, while fat cat military investors filter their income through tax havens after running the budget under the ground. 

 

"We Number One!  We're Number One!"

 

[Tsarwash]

You're making Bernie's point. 

 

The U.S. is a "first world" country that owes umpteen trillions of $ to the rest of the world, has given away it's entire industrial infrastructure to other countries in order to make the 1% wealthier, and just spent $500 million training "4, maybe 5" (according to General Lloyd Austin) "moderate" fighters in Syria.  2 million people in jail, a gulag in Cuba, a state sponsored Stasi backed by effectively Big Brother.  38%+ unemployment, rampant inflation, and a half-illiterate populace that is more interested in the Kardashians than why literally everything they buy is from China.  Veterans from the Gulf Wars sleep in the streets, while fat cat military investors filter their income through tax havens after running the budget under the ground. 

 

"We Number One!  We're Number One!"

 

That post is nothing about motor racing at all. Did you not read Sophie's comment earlier ? 

[SophieB]

Apparently not.