13 replies to this topic

[Vicster]

So, do you think anyone does??? Would they listen to our opinions? Would Max, Bernie et al take any of our opinions and say "Hey these are hardcore F1 fans, we should take some of their ideas and make the sport even better!"
Well?? Or is this just a pipe dream??

[desmo]

Perhaps I am being a trifle cynical, but I have seen no evidence that Bernie is interested in anyone's opinion unless they have ready access to vast sums of money.

[Ray Bell]

There are thousands of people 'in' F1, so there is bound to be someone who will find the time to visit us... but more likely they will look at Readers Comments and decide to stick to the news etc and never come to this forum... whaddayrekkon?

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[mini mum]

Max and Bernie are only interested in themselves and money. They don't listen to each other never mind the fans. They were both so full of exonerating themselves from any blame for the chaos at Silverstone that us poor plebs in the grandstands wondered if we were on the same planet as them. If either of them could be bothered to visit this site - do you really think that they would take any notice? I think not!

[Roger Clark]

Much as I hate supporting a billionaire, i think it's time someone put in a word for Bernie Ecclestone. his long term involvement in GP raing, from Connaughts and Lewis-Evans through Rindt and on to the ownership of the Brabham team did not indicate someone who was only in it for the money. I'm sure that Sir Jack's regret that he sold the Brabham name did not include the period Ecclestone owned it. He raced a bit himself too. It's too easy to blame everything we don't like about modern racing on one man.

[Ray Bell]

Maybe we'd all prefer if he'd stuck to the racing and team ownership...

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Life and love are mixed with pain...

[Dennis David]

I think the term hubris fits nicely for those two.

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Regards,

Dennis David
Grand Prix History

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

[Michael M]

Yes, Bernie has his merits in motorsport, as team owner and - hmmm - as driver too. The same for Mad Max (for those who don't know, he was the "M" of March. For us this is motorsport history, remains and rememberings of a - as we see it - glorious period, but for these guys it's only a station in their career, which should be forgotten and which is not worth talking about it. May be both had a certain interest in motorsport, but never any passion! It was simply business as usual.

[Ripples]

Didn't Johnny Herbert once say he reads Atlas F1 regularly? I seem to remember that. Also, I know from a colleague who works in a big F1 sponsors corporation, that his boss always gets the Atlas F1 magazine printed and he reads it every week. And if to judge by the fact that Bernie Ecclesone gave this site an interview, I would guess that he also knows what Atlas F1 is...

Maybe they don't visit the bulletin board, but I think they do read some of the articles that are published here.

By the way, Off Topic: I am new to this forum. I don't expect to make too much contribution because I don't really know as much as you all do, but I just wanted to point out what a great contribution you have all given me.

Don - I read your columns regularly. Thank you!

[Vicster]

Okay, so maybe thinking Bernie would visit was a bit extreme. But what about team owners, drivers, engineers, mechanics. If I was one of them, I'd be finding out what the fan base of the sport was thinking. Consider it a sort of customer survey.

[Don Capps]

In a word, Yes.

There are many in "the business" who read the articles each week. However, I have no clue about whether there are any who participate in the Fora. If anything, it would be the Readers' Comments Forum and they would probably lurk and observe...

A few do check out a certain column dealing with ancient history... and have let me know they read it....

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Yr fthfl & hmbl srvnt,

Don Capps

Semper Gumbi: If this was easy, we’d have the solution already…

[The Sleeper]

Hey, I was wondering the same thing in the Atlas F1 forum. I thought that any F1 personality would be in the paddock club.

If Bernie ever read the readers' comments he would probably laugh his heart out. I think he takes pride out of people hating him.

Don, it must be really great receiving mail from those on the inside! I really like your column too, just like the others. Especially Mitch McCann makes me laugh.

[Vercertorix]

Vicster - the answer to your question is: "yes."

[Darren Galpin]

Some six years ago, when at University (and I even got an article accepted into Atlas F1....), a post-grad student at Bath University had a part-time job with the FIA in Paris. Round about that time someone from the university posted a fairly rude flame complete with expletives about Max and Bernie on rec.autos.sport.f1. The post-grad was shortly afterwards hauled up before Max himself to see if he posted the article. He didn't, and I also denied responsibility. But it does go to show that they did at least at one time pay attention to what people were saying. Whether they do now or not is of course another matter entirely.