Was I The Only One...

[Vintage Racer]

who felt slightly ill at the end of the US Grand Prix yesterday? It's a sad day for F1 racing when the 14 drivers who stayed in the pits issue a public apology to their fans at the end of the race. Michael and Rubens wouldn't even spray their champagne they were so embarrassed at arriving on the podium in such a manner.

Is Bernie and the FIA so intractable that they couldn't work something out to keep all the cars on the track? I guess if the Europeans can't come together on the EU, it's no surpise they can't get it together for a car race either.

It was a pitiful event. Not that I condone it, but I was surprised there wasn't more trash thrown on the track by the frustrated fans. Though Michael had a good quip. He said he knew it was beer on the track because he could smell it! That's a good German lad for you.

 

[Viperfreak2]

I wasn't ill at the end of the race, I was ill all the way from start to finish.

 

[PhoenixGTS]

Just glad I dumped my Michelins for Kumhos.

 

[Blade Runner]

It's all fixed anyway.

 

[HOGDEALER]

I think it is going to be a real black eye for F1. I went to the race last year. I would really be pi$$ed if i had spent 3K to get there for the week and had not gotten to see a race.

 

[ceieio]

I can't imagine how PO'd I'd be. My first F1 race was the last USA GP in Phoenix. We did it to the nines; chartered jet; start/finish line seats; set of suites at the Biltmore, dinner in the Gold Room, and so on. Senna won that one by a mile and the whole experience was worth it. Had I done the same for this one I doubt I would feel the same.

What reading I have done on the problem with this race shows a confluence of events that leaves plenty of finger pointing to go around. All that doesn't make a whit to those that laid down the big dollars for the experience of an F1 race and got stiffed.

 

[MAVERICK]

I feel sorry for the fans watching the race that paid to go

 

[VIPER52USA]

What happened?

 

[Viperfreak2]

Six Bridgestone cars ran a 20 car race due to Michelin saying it's tires weren't up to *****.

 

[thebigsnake]

Michelin should've shut their yap, and taken the possible resulting bad publicity. Instead of arresting the entire proceedings to safeguard their precious image.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

My wife and I went to it. Our first F1 race. We wanted to support the US F1stage, so we went to see it in Indianapolis. We went to the track on all three days. Practice, qualifying and the race day. We had a great time and the people of Indianapolis were great so I wouldn’t blame them or the speedway for the F1’s power game. From what I can make of it, there is so much money involved in F1 racing that they have forgotten why they are there in the first play. “To entertain the fans” Bridgestone has been having problems with their tires this year and Michelin has told them tough $hit, deal with it. Sunday was pay back, and the fans like myself and over 100,000 others paid the price. Next time F1 should think about the fans first and not let the teams get into these ******* matches to screw each other out of a few points. I think if the FIA were able to think out side the box, a solution could have been found. The first thing that came to my mind was put a water hose on the corner as though it was raining and slow that corner down.

I spoke with some people from the Netherlands and they were shocked we (Americans) didn’t make more of a big deal of it. They said if this had happened in Europe or South America the fans would have torn the place to pieces .


I’m not too pissed though. We made the best of it. I would certainly go to another F1 race but I would make it PART of a vacation not, THE vacation.

 

[ViperRay]

So would Americans if it was NASCAR!

 

[Bonkers]

Despite my loathing of it, if its a show you want, then NASCAR is the only way to go this side of the pond...

 

[Jeff-00-ACR]

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