Dennis speaks out on manufacturers - a good read!

[ShiftingGears]

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=31539


I agree with him 100% in what he says there, and I'm glad he did make the point about the manufacturers and teams, as well as noting the huge cost in Mad Max's ideas. Thoughts?

[ArrowsFA1]

See my post #85 (http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=272870&postcount=85) in the Max wants 2.2L 10000RPM engines??? (http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117730) thread ;)

I think RD is spot on with his comments. F1 cannot rely on manufacturers because they come and go according to their marketing budgets & aims. At the moment there is a strong manufacturer presence in F1 and they are very influential but, as the departure of Ford showed, that can change at any time.

Multinational companies will have no hesitation in pulling out of F1 if it suits their needs, and what happens to the sport then?

[Valve Bounce]

I just wonder who will pull the plug first: Toyota or Honda.

[Mark]

You only have to look at the likes of touring cars to see how things can go boom and bust.

In 1998 the BTCC had the involvement of 8 manufacturers, but of course some of them were not winning races and making themselves look silly, (Peugeot!) so they pulled out, which then gradually led to others pulling out because they didn't want to run at the back, then the ones at the front pulled out because they didn't have anyone to compete against, then we were left with just 2 manufacturers and the series in almost total collapse.

Now the BTCC is more like F1, with a strong involvement from independent teams with the help of manufacturers, and I think it's built itself a much more sustainable future.

[ArrowsFA1]

...a strong involvement from independent teams with the help of manufacturers...
I think that's the way to go for F1 as well. Obviously (unfortunately) you can't stop manufacturers buying a team (BAR/Honda, Sauber/BMW) because they have the money to do so, but a result of that process is that the tail wags the dog, as Max's proposals show.

F1 needs to retain its independence, and if manufacturers want to take part then they should do so as suppliers not owners.

[wedge]

I agree with article's conclusion - what has RD been eating or smoking?

RD represents elitism in F1, he loves to keep F1 as the pinnacle by demanding to keep electronic gizmos, loved criticising Minardi every year (and not just in the Paul Stoddart days!) and at one point he seemed happy for Daimler Chrysler to have a larger stake in McLaren.

[ioan]

I agree with article's conclusion - what has RD been eating or smoking?

RD represents elitism in F1, he loves to keep F1 as the pinnacle by demanding to keep electronic gizmos, loved criticising Minardi every year (and not just in the Paul Stoddart days!) and at one point he seemed happy for Daimler Chrysler to have a larger stake in McLaren.

We all know RD's hypocrite stance on things.
He is right with what he says but his actions and attitude do not always suit his opinion.

[Valve Bounce]

If Toyota and Honda continue to be beaten by Williams, Red Bull, Torro Rosso and even Super Aguri, then I can see either one or both teams pulling out of F1. Then if Renault cannot beat the likes of Ferrari and McLaren, and get beaten by BMW as well, then they might just decide to go also.

At present, there is just too much money required to be spent by the teams and not enough return for the money spent.

It does make one wonder where F1 will be in a couple of years time with this exponential increase in expenditure. This pinacle nonsense is getting us nowhere fast.

[raphael123]

If Toyota and Honda continue to be beaten by Williams, Red Bull, Torro Rosso and even Super Aguri, then I can see either one or both teams pulling out of F1. Then if Renault cannot beat the likes of Ferrari and McLaren, and get beaten by BMW as well, then they might just decide to go also.

At present, there is just too much money required to be spent by the teams and not enough return for the money spent.

It does make one wonder where F1 will be in a couple of years time with this exponential increase in expenditure. This pinacle nonsense is getting us nowhere fast.

Aren't there measures to make F1 cheaper though?

I know just the other week Dave Richards, when asked why Prodrive didn't enter F1 earlier, and he said one of the reasons was that as things stand, it would be impossible for his team to survive financially, but with the new changes, it was going to be sustainable for a team with a small budget (comparable to other teams anyway) to stay in F1 for the forseeable future.

If this is the case, F1 manufacturers struggling for success, may be less hesitant to pull out if it's not as expensive as things currently are.

[rlenis]

RD is a moron, he is going to be out of Mercedes soon.

[wmcot]

Aren't there measures to make F1 cheaper though?


Every time the FIA (substitute the word "Max" if you like) mandates a rule to make F1 "cheaper," it costs the teams a fortune in R&D. They must completely scrap the past design and build the "cheaper" car/engine/aero from scratch. None of the rules passed in the last few years to control costs have saved a speck of money.

As much as I thought I would never say this, I have to agree with RD for the most part in his statement.

[XR8]

If we want the manufacturers to be the mainstay of the sport we should go down the path of a stock block rule. That would make a manufacturer be required to race the basic engine that we get in our family car and get a whole lot better family car in the process. Now isnt that the whole reason we are supposed to be racing?

[Big Ben]

If we want the manufacturers to be the mainstay of the sport we should go down the path of a stock block rule. That would make a manufacturer be required to race the basic engine that we get in our family car and get a whole lot better family car in the process. Now isnt that the whole reason we are supposed to be racing?

no