Breaking point?

A few weeks back I was contacted by a couple of enthusiastic supporters of Tavo Hellmund's Austin F1 endeavor.  

Once I recovered from the shock that someone, somewhere was actually reading my blog . . . I realized that the topic of their outreach (my November comments regarding first news that not all was well with the event) suggested that they might know something the rest of us did not.

I had in fact only recently spent a few hours in Austin to put eyes on the proximity of our reserved accommodations to the circuit.     I wanted to get an idea of  the logistics and what sort of traffic challenges might lie in wait.   Construction was certainly buzzing at the circuit that day and I found that encouraging.  

There was, however, no sign of infrastructure or road improvement underway and I wondered if access to the circuit would be limited to the single two lane blacktop I'd parked alongside.     A nagging question, but I left Austin headed home with some confidence that all was indeed well with the return of F1 to US soil.

Flash forward a couple of weeks from that visit and news comes that Tavo Hellmund was suing his former partners in the Circuit of The Americas venture he created.      

I'd wondered whether my November observations were premature.   I am after all but an outsider, with no real connection to what had and was transpiring in Texas.  

Unfortunately, as I read the court filing it was instead looking like my post was spot on accurate.  

It simply made no sense that the one guy within the organization who understood the business of international motor sport had been relieved of his duties.      As if the details of the lawsuit were not troubling enough, other questions arose.  

I'd also read that CoTA had started contacting those who had placed deposits to be on their select seating wait list.    I must have been among the very first to place such a deposit, but two weeks had passed since the process commenced and I'd heard nothing.  

There was other news . . . unresolved questions surrounding CoTA's alleged contract with Moto GP, and renewed questions as to whether the race qualified for the major events trust fund among the more troubling.

Since then, it has started to feel like every day brings another report which only makes one wonder what the hell is going on with CoTA's management?

I have also finally heard from CoTA regarding my wait list reservation and tickets for the USGP.    As they they might say in Texas . . . the news ain't purty.

I had a nice chat with the ticket agent, but the details of his proposal were laughable.     He explained that for the main straightaway grandstand, Turn 1, and the "Grand Plaza" multi apex Turn 15 through 19 complex, one must purchase a "Personal Seat License."     The astronomical cost of this seat license did not include ticket costs and also held the purchaser to a 15 year minimum "season ticket" purchase.
To make matters worse, they are requiring this commitment from the purchaser when CoTA . . . even at this late juncture .  . . still can not say what plans for seating at Turns 1, 15 through 19 will look like.     Really, they want a fifteen year commitment to a seat that right now only exists in theory?!    Nonsense.

Much like consumer product marketing people making movies instead of filmmakers, CoTA believes, quite foolishly IMHO, that they can and should reinvent the wheel.

CoTA has apparently decided to fashion their ticket sales after the model set attracting season ticket holders to new football stadiums and hockey arenas.    This thinking is riddled with so many false assumptions about the race-going public that it makes my head spin.    Worse, it demonstrates complete, total ignorance on their behalf.

CoTA's approach confirms that the current climate of sports marketing in this country looks to marry apples to oranges and boil us all down into one, neat, tidy package.    CoTA must somehow believe that motor sport fans are as generic as a guy watching four different sports at once on his quad partitioned TV screen.    Such a broad generalization across the whole of motor sport enthusiasts only reeks of arrogance.

Race promoters have been selling tickets to F1 Grands Prix for decades.    It's not rocket science.    

It is mind boggling that this venture, which I believed to be a slam dunk, now appears teetering on the edge of becoming only the latest in a series of disappointing chapters in the history of F1 Grand Prix in the United States.

The ticket agent also explained that they had taken this ticketing route because F1 is not popular in the US.

Make no mistake, I have long believed to the contrary that F1 should flourish in the United States.   There is no shortage of passionate, enthusiastic fans.    The fans are not the issue.   (there's so much mythology surrounding this topic, but that's another discussion)
   
It is instead more probable that CoTA, sans Tavo Hellmund, may be the latest corporate entity to not understand the sport and its (their) customer base.  

I can only hope for those who recognized the potential in Hellmund's vision that this year's US Grand Prix will still prove a great success.   Perhaps I'm being a bit reactionary.

It did not help matters that the attached, rather vague seating map noted "breaking" as opposed to "braking" points:

   You get my drift.

Anticipation

We are three weeks out from the lights going down in Melbourne, and I'm cautiously optimistic for the season ahead.    

Clarity is normally elusive this time of year.    Winter speculation and general hearsay usually comes tinged with high degrees of skepticism and cynical commentary.     The political nature of F1 can astonish, and sometimes outrage, yet I cannot personally escape the promise . . . the potential . . . that each new year brings.

I've great anticipation for the 2012 F1 season.     First and foremost, it's fantastic to see Kimi Raikkonen back on the F1 grid.    Whether it means anything or not, six World Champions in competition is impressive.    Winning the F1 WDC is kind of like winning an Oscar . . . it doesn't necessarily identify the the best performance in that role . . . yet it is an accomplishment that requires an enormous degree of mettle.    Kimi maybe regarded in some circles as the weakest of the bunch, but my money says that he will surprise those who question his '07 title. 

There are a couple of other returning drivers that I also look forward to seeing this year:    Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean.    Hulkenberg is a no brainer.    Grosjean?  I had the chance to watch him attack Spa's Pouhon corner in GP2 in '08.    To say that I was impressed by his aggression would be an understatement.    

Grosjean's first foray with Renault in F1 came in the depths of the team's crashgate saga, which could not have been the ideal climate in which to succeed.    IMHO, his Lotus seat is a well deserved second chance, but it comes with pressure to prove that he belongs in F1, and he will be counted upon to immediately produce results without the luxury of a grace period.

There are a couple of new faces I'm curious about:   Charles Pic and Jean-Eric Vergne.    I know very little about both drivers.    

There are a couple of returning drivers I'm not convinced belong on the grid:   Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan.    I really don't have anything against Pedro . . . I doubt he'd be continually invited back without good reason.     However, in light of limited vacancies and the prime of his career probably past, I can't help but wonder.     IMHO, Karthikeyan simply has not demonstrated unrealized potential.        

 . . . and while I'm dredging the depths, let's consider F1's modern day pay drivers.    Pay drivers have always made up some portion of the F1 grid.     Their rather unfortunate presence is hardly new.    It is my opinion, however, that under the restrictions of an overbearing governing body, a grid limited to 12 teams which must field 2 cars, and the continued dilution of the sport to business pressures, they are now more destructive to the sporting principle of F1 than ever before.      

Finally, I'd be remiss not to mention the drivers who are right now missing from the 2012 grid:     Kubica, Trulli, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Alguersuari, Sutil, Buemi, and Liuzzi.     Certainly we have not seen the last of Robert Kubica.    I wonder who else might find a way back to the grid in the coming months?

I still believe F1 would be a better place with less restricted testing.    We're not increasing competition nor improving the show by limiting testing to the budgets of the smaller teams.    I'd argue that F1 is instead being diluted by this "democratization."     

I also suspect that this restriction further dilutes the sport by tilting open race seats in favor of those with money and connections over those with sheer potential.    

With so few opportunities in which the teams now have to evaluate young up and coming drivers, we may not be seeing the best and brightest enter the sport.     F1 should remain the toughest proving ground . . . the toughest arena to enter, the toughest in which to succeed, and the greatest reward.    Artificial restrictions on testing work against each of these unique distinctions which made Grand Prix the pinnacle of motor racing.

Speaking of restrictions, the role of the race steward has spiraled way out of control.    I can only hope that someone within the FIA will wake up and re-inject common sense into the process.      It has gotten so silly of late that I have often wondered whether the sheer act of fighting for position was against the rules.    Dear FIA:   Get a grip.   Racing incidents happen.    You are truly on the verge of sanitizing the sport completely out of F1.

All griping aside, there's much to look forward to.     So many questions . . . have Ferrari given Alonso a chance?     What of McLaren?     Will Hamilton bounce back or will Button continue to dominate?      Has Mercedes produced a car capable of placing Nico on the top step for the first time?     Schumi for the 92nd time?     Surely one might find a tear in my eye should that occur.    Kimi?    Webber?    Can anyone uncover a weakness in Vettel's armor.    Hopefully someone has produced an answer to Adrian Newey.      

Can't wait . . .

Speed bump?

I adore the new Ferrari F2012, and challenge the wildly popular contention that the new "low" nose configurations incorporated by Ferrari, Lotus, Caterham, Red Bull, etc. for 2012 are ugly.

Specific to the F2012, I find the car to offer a more balanced overall footprint.     Compare the image above to this profile of 2011's F150 Italia:

Of note, I find there to be several key points to consider.     

The F150 looks bottom heavy.    I'm no aerodynamicist, but I can't help but think this may have contributed to Ferrari's issues with front tire temperatures throughout 2011.    In contrast, the contour of the monocoque dropping to the keel, under and around the radiator side pods, gives the F2012 a more aggressive stance.    All four corners now appear firmly planted upon the asphalt.     

The new airbox configuration looks fantastic.    I also dig the deeper hue that Ferrari have opted for the 2012 red and the new OZ wheels don't look too shabby either.

I suggest that too much emphasis has been focused solely on the "speed bump"joining the nose/wing to the monocoque.    

I can understand where if one were to look at that particular facet of the car alone, then "ugly" might be fair commentary.    However, when stepping back to take the car as a whole, I fully expect that the F2012 will not visually disappoint when attacking the world's great corners.

where has the time gone?

I can't believe that F1 2011 is history.   I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, despite Sebastian Vettel's dominance from moment the lights dropped in Melbourne.

I managed to post my first Top Ten list last year.     I found this season much harder to qualify.    Don't hesitate to comment with your own thoughts if they differ.  

Here's Vol. 2:

1)  Sebastian Vettel    

I hold no contempt toward this adolescent world conqueror even though I very much enjoyed his early departure in Abu Dhabi!  

Ok, fair enough, he's no longer an adolescent.

He is, however, a rare talent.   With the exception of Montreal, I'm having trouble recalling a single mistake that Seb made all season long.    I must acknowledge that consistency.    Seb has obviously demonstrated an uncanny knack for finding the quickest, grippiest line.

2)   Fernando Alonso

I feel like an idiot putting a number 2 in front of Fernando Alonso's name.     Let's start this again.


1)  SEBASTIAN VETTEL & FERNANDO ALONSO

If Alonso is one thing, he is that supreme pilot who can raise his game above it's already lofty perch when the occasion demands.   He is also one of very few drivers who can drive a car to race finish well beyond it's mechanical and aero threshold.  

Fernando is the best driver in the world.     Despite Seb's innate skill, I believe Alonso would beat him in equal machinery.

Several moments come to mind.    His starts in Barcelona and Monza.    His tenacity in England and Abu Dhabi.

2)  JENSON BUTTON

Button may not be the most exciting guy to watch at times but his race craft is becoming legendary.    Very much his own man . . . he gets my vote as the sportsman on the 2011 grid.
 
Stepping into McLaren Jenson has silenced his skeptics and dominated his teammate, never once displaying the slightest insecurity.     He's driving better now than when he won the title with Brawn, and I suspect he will continue to grow stronger.

I feel very fortunate to have witnessed his amazing drive in Montreal first hand.

3)  NICO ROSBERG

I find it interesting to compare Nico with his father.     I sometimes feel that he is actually a more naturally gifted driver, but wonder whether he lacks Keke's fighting instinct.     Keke Rosberg clawed his successes in F1 from drivers such as Senna, Lauda, Prost, Piquet, Mansell.

To the contrary, Nico appears to qualify ahead of Schumacher with apparent ease.    Those qualifying results aren't necessarily translating into race pace, and although I feel both he and Schumi are currently handicapped against Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari, the question remains:   Is Nico too nice a guy for F1?

I greatly respect Nico for his skill and maturity, but he resides at this level on my list by default.

4)  MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

Schumi had an inconsistent season, but managed to give us a few glimpses of his old self.     I personally found several of his better drives to borderline on sublime . . . granted all sub podium results, they were beyond the reach of lessor drivers.

I can't add too much other than to express my hope that AMG Mercedes will give him a more competitive car in 2012.     His 20 years in F1 have been a gift, and I will certainly break down to pathetic heap if he finds his way back to the top step.

5)  MARK WEBBER

Geez this was a tough call.      

I've joked that Mark Webber has spent too much pre-race time prepping for his post retirement broadcast career, but the serious truth is that he had a rough year.  

Mark has never been the most consistent driver on the grid . . . I've found him prone to brain fade over the years.    However this season he seemed to develop a strange habit of making those mistakes only at the start then recovering with controlled, solid drives to obtain reasonable results.

It's a mixed bag.    His incredibly brave pass on Alonso into Eau Rouge was a season highlight.    However, the late race recoveries contrast the manner in which he was so dominated by his teammate.    

6)  LEWIS HAMILTON

Another very tough call.     A solid argument can be made as to why Hamilton was not one of 2011's top ten drivers, and I came very close to expressing that belief.

That said, I don't want to belabor the ridiculous infantile moments of 2011.     Let's just say that within his wretched year I found a couple of noteworthy performances.  

I will be very interested to see how 2012 shapes up.

7)   SERGIO PEREZ

Perez demonstrated to me that he is controlled, relaxed, smooth, and exceptionally quick.    He's demonstrated that he can take care of his tires.     The on-board moments prior his crash in Monaco were something to behold.

I'm convinced that he is a force to be reckoned with in the coming years . . .

8)   PAUL DI RESTA

I don't have quite the same handle on di Resta's talent . . . I'm lacking thorough insight into why I find him impressive.     He did not finish the year as well as he started, but again I don't fully understand the reasons that he fell behind his teammate.

Despite my need to study this topic further, I've no doubt that di Resta has merited this spot in my top 10.

9)  KAMUI KOBAYASHI

Selecting a driver for this spot was a toss up.

When I ranked Kobayashi 9th on my list last year, I wondered if he'd garner similar notice in years to come.      

Kamui had a formidable teammate this time around and pretty much held his own.    It's fair to say that given the equipment, he probably could not have risen above mid-field, but I'm again curious as to how I'll rate him next year.

I hope to see more growth, less I fear he risks his potential becoming diluted to just another fixture on the grid.


Other drivers of note . . .

Nick Heidfeld.     I'm afraid we may have seen the last of quick Nick in F1.     It's sadly too easy to forget his amazing start and podium in Malaysia.      Had he survived the year I probably would have rated him, but that did not happen.

Adrian Sutil.     I've never fully understood Sutil's potential.    He started to impress me in the final races, but I'm wondering if this was coincidental or due to the threat of losing his job?    

Rubens Barrichello.     I'm sure Rubens deserves more credit but despite his experience he appears incapable of lifting Williams from disarray.    

Felipe Massa.     In all fairness, Felipe spent the year proving that it does in fact take two to tango.    He may have been the victim more often than Hamilton, but he made enough bad judgment calls to prevent my rating him for 2011.    I saw fleeting glimpses of the Massa I knew pre-Hungary 2009, but it would be a stretch to describe this as a year of growth.     I'm fairly certain 2012 will be his last season with the Scuderia.

Thoughts?

Monkey Business

I found this interview with Texas Comptroller Susan Combs revealing.  

I've questioned Bernie Ecclestone's agenda and modus operandi many times over the years, but not this time.    To say that I have a pretty clear idea on where the problem actually lies with F1 in Austin would be an understatement.

Although the USGP has proven a tenuous venture since the days when F1 was a gentlemen's pursuit, Tavo Hellmund's vision for this purpose built permanent home was in my mind genius.  

I believe the Austin iteration of the US F1 Grand Prix was destined to become a fixture for many years to come.     F1 would finally have a worthy home on US soil; a circuit which could provide a real challenge to the drivers and allow US F1 fans a chance to see the pinnacle of automotive technology perform on the absolute limit.

The annual F1 GP accompanied by the Moto GP and V8 Supercar series pretty much assured that the Circuit of the Americas would prove a boon to the region's economy.

Business is business, I respect that.     However I'm sensing, much as sports franchises are hustled from city to city with practically no regard for the paying fan, a suspect lack of stewardship.     Mr Hellmund almost pulled off a miracle, and I can't see it succeeding without his continued involvement.

Worth watching . . .

Here's some truly inspirational filmmaking from both sides of the pond . . .

24HOURS MOVIE TRAILER from STEREOSCREEN on Vimeo.

The Racer's Group: 2011 Finale from TRG on Vimeo.

Enjoy!

2007, four years on . . .

I haven't had much to say about Sebastian Vettel in my occasional ramblings on the 2011 F1 season.     I guess it's because I've not found much to add to a success story so cut, dry, and free of scandal that thinking about it induces sleep.     Just about the only really intriguing question arising from Vettel's 2011 walk took the form of fantastic manufacture by bored pundits promoting nonsensical doubt over the über-quick German's ability to fight, defend, overtake.  


This is not to say that I've already forgotten 2010's intra-team squabbles at Red Bull, Istanbul, the fate later callously dealt to Mark Webber by the Austrian hierarchy, nor the sensational manner in which Vettel dominated the season's final two GP's to steal the 2010 title from Fernando Alonso's and Ferrari's late season charge.   Nor have I forgotten Vettel's almost ridiculous shrill "thank you boys" over the radio as he took the chequered flag and became the youngest World Driving Champion in history.


2011 has been very different, and for those hoping to experience a repeat of 2010's down to the wire title contest, it has served as a reminder of the days when Schumacher redefined perfection with 5 titles in a row at Ferrari.   It's been a great year nonetheless, but I for one hope that someone at Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, etc. can come up with a car as easy on tires and easy to pivot around a corner as Adrian Newey has at Red Bull.     Otherwise Seb's record setting pace might continue at all of our expense.


2011 has also drawn strict contrast between Vettel and another driver who essentially entered the sport at the same time:   Lewis Hamilton.


I've been fairly outspoken in my criticism of Hamilton, but I want to express understanding for the predicament in which he now resides.    Given the manner in which the British media went completely overboard on his arrival into F1, it was impossible that his career would proceed with any degree of simplicity . . . simplicity that might manifest in and allow for the pure, cut, dry, and boring ascent realized by Vettel.


Both drivers in four years time have become World Champion.     However as I sit typing the contrast between their immediate futures appears sharp.     Vettel appears to have only begun, whereas Hamilton has become unraveled.    Hamilton now languishes in virtual chaos . . . his aura penetrated by constant altercations with Felipe Massa and by being dominated by his soft spoken teammate Jenson Button.


I imagine Lewis is a good guy . . . I value his contribution to F1 and hope that the events of the past year make him stronger as opposed to taming his dynamic will to compete.     I'm brave enough a critic to acknowledge that he is an exciting driver, and that F1 is better with him on his game than off.


Unfortunately, I suspect Lewis has suffered from sensationalism and poor management.     It would be foolish to dismiss the youth factor here.     Although I will freely admit that both of these men are far more mature than I was at their age, I can't ignore the differences in how their careers have unfolded.      My guess is that Hamilton can not escape the distraction of ridiculous media hysterics on both sides of the pendulum.      I think it is fair to admit that some . . . not all . . . but some motor sport media personalities still froth just a bit too much at the mouth when it comes to assessing the 2008 World Champion.     


Consequently I've noticed more than one online reference this week that the Suzuka podium was populated by the moment's three best drivers in F1.     I agree with that assertion.     Who would've guessed some 18 months ago that Lewis Hamilton would not be one of those men?


Who also could have foreseen the depth and width of the chasm between the fates of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton scantly four years on from 2007?