F1 Follies
Alfie, the Alpine Field Mouse, resides in Switzerland. Murphy hadn’t thought much about his old friend in a long time, when along came a note. It seems ol’ Alfie’s right in the middle of the F1 tif. Actually, it was quite a bit more than just a note.
On Tuesday, June 16, the boys from FOTA (based in Geneva, where Alfie hangs out) sent along a three-page letter to Bernie and Max (that’s exactly the salutation, too, “Dear Max and Bernie,”). A nice personal touch, Murphy thinks, in the middle of a Mexican standoff (apologies to our south-of-the-boarder buddies, substitute Polish parliament, if you like). Attached to the letter was a newly revised Concorde agreement, ostensibly language proposed for the FIA, but just as easily a document on which the FOTA teams might structure their cooperation with each other in a new venture.
As usual, the media (these days the web, at hyperspeed) has been buzzing – and it really is fascinating how wrong most of that buzz is, full of words like “posturing,” and “fault.” That quite misses the point. A few out there do seem to understand that this is about governance. (Satorian, for instance, over on the ten-tenths motorsport forum.)
In that sense, this little fight is very, very relevant to sports car fans, but not for the reason you might think. If there is a break-away “F1” it won’t lead to a sports car launch by Ferrari or anyone else, but it just might begin to unravel the business model of motorsport, which nearly alone amongst professional sports maintains an administrative structure that’s a profit center in competition with its participants. American football and baseball are examples of the alternative, in which the league structures are creatures of the owners, who provide a budget for those functions but do not allow them to independently compete for funding. That doesn’t mean those “governing bodies” don’t wield a great deal of power – they do. But it’s at the leasure of owners, who cede that “self policing” function, much as that new Concorde agreement would. (The Bear won’t get into FIFA, which appears to operate much as does the FIA in regard to F1, and, not surprisingly, has been tainted by acusations of financial impropriety.)
Anyway, this has nothing to do with “cost caps,” with television coverage, or with “the fan experience.” It has to do with returning the sport to the control of its participants, while ending the “rake off” of hundreds of millions by a powerful competing entity.
Almost as an afterthought, FOTA’s letter offers to extend negotiations by pushing the deadline for setting the 2010 grid from June 19 to July 1. Murphy’s correspondents won’t make book on whether that will happen, but about this they are certain: the eight signatories of FOTA’s letter of the 16th are ready, able, and willing to launch a racing series of their own in 2010, and that includes a substantial enough “war chest” to operate through the 2010 season and beyond.
Max is sending proposals to five FOTA members he thinks are “wavering.” The Bear’s sources say that’s a mistake. Tuesday’s letter was signed – John Hankockian bold – by all eight active FOTA members, Brawn, McLaren, Toyota, Ferrari, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, and BMW Sauber. They’re ready to go.
Lola presser
Lola announced the withdrawal of its F1 application. Lola’s press release, according to the Bear’s best sources, supports Alfie’s understanding. Lola withdrew because it has agreements with the FOTA Eight – with whom it expects to participate in 2010 – and doesn’t want to appear on the list of accepted entries that Max is likely to publish Friday.
Panoz LMP something
Well, that damn dumb idea is back again. Murphy reported on this mucking around (fiddling while Rome burns?) months ago, and thought the whole goofy idea was mercifully dead and buried (May 13th) with the virtual shutdown of Elan Motorsports Technologies. The Bear has been told this is not a “new design” to be raced by the Winchester, Virginia team, but rather the old Panoz with the roof put back on by the same guys who campaign the current Esperante. (Reynard –> Esperante GTR-1 coupe –> Panoz LMP 1 Roadster S –> Panoz LMP 1 coupe?) Those old chassis bones are getting a bit worn, aren’t they? Since EMT no longer has the capability to build a Radio Flyer, say nothing of an LMP, this is the only route available. (Or did Carl “pass” after his “due diligence?” That would hardly be an endorsement, would it?)
While the entire series is in serious financial straits, one has to be pretty clueless to take this kind of irrelevant adventure as good news. Murphy’s asked this before: “Is this the best use of funds?”
Murmurs and Rumbles
So far it’s more a murmur than a rumble, but ALMS teams are talking about longer (not shorter, as at Road America) races. It’s pretty certain they know little about this inside the walls of the Braselton castle, they’d have to come outside and ask, right?
On the rumble side the algarve planters might not be very happy either. It seems they like their little Porsche series so much that they’re working to adopt it and find it a new home.
Another one circulating – it seems to have lept the Atlantic after fading here – is a Muscle Milk branded RS Spyder. Now the UK’s leading publisher of rumor (Murphy long since threw in the towel on keeping up with rumor mongering champ) writes that a “new” LMP2 will debut at Mid-Ohio. The Bear suggests a simple tests for such stuff. If the first race to be contested is not the next race on the schedule for a rumored entry, make its probablity 50-50; if it’s two races after the next, make it 30-70, three, 10-90 against. You get the idea.
Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood (or The Smiling Optimist). ALMS’ supremo was circulating at Le Mans with a consistant message: “the worst is behind us.” What? Meanwhile, the Don was on hand, but staying out of sight. When’s the last time that’s happened?
Did you notice that Road America’s slashed its advance raceday ticket price from $75 to $50? Sales a little slow? Wonder why the Brian Redman is cheaper, even though it’s claimed attendance is higher? Wonder who picked the “feature photo” for the Road America promotional mailer, the one that features D Sports Racers that look like Malibu Grand Prix cars? That will bring them in, won’t it? Anybody been able to find a photo of an ALMS prototype or GT car anywhere on the Road America site? (Murphy finally found an AGR Acura.) Want to know why Road America can’t draw fans? Check out their 2009 promotional video, here. Go-karts, ATV’s, golf cart scavenger hunts (?), good grief.
Tags: Bernie, Carl Haas, Don, FOTA, Max, Mid-Ohio, Muscle Milk, Patron, Porsche RS Spyder, Road America
Yaay, my first mention by the The Bear! Off to get some new business cards printed, titling me a “Motorsports Analyst”.
The Lola bit does not surprise me. I expected something like that for them and possibly Prodrive. The two-staged media approach to Lola’s withdrawal (announcing the possible announcement of their withdrawal) hinted at deeper rumblings and a multi-tier approach to checking out next year’s high-profile racing opportunities.
And I like that evaluation scheme for rumored ALMS entries, even if the odds seem a bit benevolent.
Maybe The Don has been reading Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Habit 2 is to Begin With the End in Mind. Start the Series with the Batmobile. Move through the years, the Panoz LMP1s leave the scene – bring it back. Thus, turn the Series into HSR! Probably more profitable than the ALMS at this point…..
Wow. So in the end, do the folks in Braselton think size is all that matters? (That’s grid size, don’t get the wrong idea!)
Wow^2
We discussed the league/team relationship elsewhere and that is exactly the thought that it left me with… it just doesn’t seem like a wise plan.
So it’s OK to complain about the promoter being the problem at RAm, but not at Portland? OK, granted that the People’s Republic of Portland isn’t exactly a race town and the population density probably isn’t as high as would be optimal, but still, the race would have done better if it had been promoted better.