In the round-up: Three-times world champion Sir Jackie Stewart urges Formula 1 to ensure a British Grand Prix goes ahead this year.
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Shocked to discover the ramifications of this for @Daniel_Abt. Maybe it's time to stop portraying these Esports events as being more serious than they really are. Want to run a *serious* Esports championship? Use pro sim racers then. A young man's career now needlessly ended.
— Rob Watts (@robwattsf1) May 26, 2020
The Silverstone Classic, which was scheduled for July 31st to August 2nd, has been cancelled.@SilverstoneUK has been tipped to hold one of two @F1 races behind closed doors on August 2nd:https://t.co/pAWjeBU4dj #F1 #BritishGP
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) May 26, 2020
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Full episode: Pinkers and 'The Flying Scot' Sir Jackie Stewart (In The Pink)
On the possibility the British Grand Prix may not be held this year: "I hope that doesn't happen. That should not be allowed. That's why you've got to have quality and you've got to have integrity and you've got to remember history as well. It would be a mistake. In any case it would be said to have no spectators there. But not to have a British Grand Prix when you consider that Britain started Formula 1 grand prix racing, it was the first time ever there was a world championship Formula 1 race, and it's had such a strong history with tremendous attendances always, to lose that I think would be a disaster for motor sport. I think if they're not careful, that could be the beginning of not such a good time. "
Brown open to Ricciardo Bathurst wildcard (Supercars)
"I think they would both love to do it."
Dmitry Mazepin, the father of Formula 2 racer Niita Mazepin, who tried to buy Force India in 2018, has been tipped as a potential buyer of Renault's Formula 1 team.
Best Car, Worst Car, Dream Car: Guy Smith (Daily Sportscar)
"I’d never driven anything with a paddle shift and remember going to like my local amusement arcade and playing a driving game that allowed you to choose paddle shift, just to try to get used to it before driving the F1 car!"
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Comment of the day
Sven offers a view on why some drivers responded critically to Audi’s decision to drop Daniel Abt for cheating in a virtual race:
It should be noted that Da Costa and Catsburg are drivers who have streamed long before this special year has started. Catsburg has also driven iRacing endurance events with Verstappen and Norris in recent years, and he is also the driver who accompanied Jimmy Broadbent along his first laps around the (real, physical) Nordschleife last year.
They aren’t new to simracing or streaming, it is rather that the new kind of attention simracing gets, and teams/sponsors/bosses transfering expectations from real-world-racing towards the sims collides with the slightly more casual atmosphere and culture simracing had until recently.
Sven (@Crammond)
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On this day in F1
- 15 years ago today the court of last resort in Italy rejected the final appeal arising from the trial over Ayrton Senna’s death, confirming the acquittal of all six defendants over his death 11 years earlier.
X1Znet (@x1znet)
27th May 2020, 0:24
I have to disagree with Sir Jackie… if F1 can have a season without it’s crown jewel, Monaco, then it can also do without Silverstone. Obviously, having a race at Silverstone would be better than not having one.
You can’t always get want you want…
pastaman (@)
27th May 2020, 3:29
Have to agree. While I really enjoy Silverstone, it does not define a season and certainly does not define F1. Also, I would happily drop Monaco from the calendar. Except for qualifying, it’s everything I do not like about F1 rolled up into one weekend. Rich elite and celebrity posers who are more interested in showing off their wealth or themselves rather than anything having to do with motorsport.
pastaman (@)
27th May 2020, 3:30
Meant to say: have to agree with you, @x1znet
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
27th May 2020, 4:20
Sorry, I agree with Sir Jackie and with you as well.
Unfortunately F1 will just hold as many “races” (read that as shows) whenever and wherever it can regardless of whether it actually represents what we expect from a F1 season.
For me, I’ve already mentally written off the season for this year and just hope that we might have something resembling a proper season next year. That doesn’t mean that I expect no “races” in 2020, I expect some cut down, rushed, pale imitation of the proper races that won’t seem quite like a real F1 race but might satisfy the shareholders that the management did everything possible to maximise profit opportunities.
Hopefully 2021 we’ll be able to turn it around.
Jere (@jerejj)
27th May 2020, 7:28
@x1znet @pastaman I couldn’t agree more with all three of you, but especially @dbradock
ColdFly (@)
27th May 2020, 8:31
I don’t think a race this year will be materially different after the lights go out, versus a race in any previous year. On TV it might actually be better with less cutaway shots of celebs.
The show is primarily before and after the race, and I don’t care of that’s different.
theRealMax (@millionus)
27th May 2020, 8:43
I agree with these comments. this season will always have an asterisk next to it and if Hamilton wins will he need to win next season to truly equal Schumacher..? Or will this shortened season be enough?
ColdFly (@)
27th May 2020, 10:53
I don’t even see the asterisk if it is 8 races or more, @millionus.
There is no asterisk next to the titles of Farini, Fangio, Ascari, and Hill Sr!
James
27th May 2020, 14:49
Is a shorter season really a benefit if you have the best car? it would only take a few race incidents and mechanical problems in the early races to see Hamilton fall behind someone in a slower car, but unlike a normal season he might not have enough races to make amends.
Mayrton
28th May 2020, 7:00
Exactly, there is no use in dramatic responses over individual countries having or not having a race. I am sure they are all very unique and special
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
27th May 2020, 0:52
Shock culture at its best. Couldn’t care less for Abt, I admit it yet, regardless of what is a stake, the outrage makes no sense, haters gonna hate.
Is f1 f1 without the British GP? Not really.
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
27th May 2020, 1:54
It’s safe enough for Brown to say he’d be OK with having drivers at Bathurst. I can’t recall any time it’s been run when there hasn’t been a F1 race on the same weekend so the likelihood of it happening is next to zero.
Glennb
27th May 2020, 2:21
I would be awesome to see though I agree with the Japanese GP timing.
I still remember 1976 when Brabham and Moss teamed up at Bathurst. Qualified in the top 10 but didn’t get off the line. The gearbox selected 2 gears at once from memory and just jammed. Hit up the rear hard and that was it. They did manage a few laps several hours later which was nice.
DB-C90 (@dbradock)
27th May 2020, 4:22
Yeah – was looking promising until the start. I remember the race.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
27th May 2020, 4:52
So regardless of the situation a British GO has to happen because it’s one of the most.important GPs…
This isn’t Liberty not renewing contract with Silverstone and leaving Britain without a race… If it’s not safe to happen this year, it shouldn’t happen. If it’s not safe to happen next year for whatever reason, it’ll be sad, but it shouldn’t happen either!
Jere (@jerejj)
27th May 2020, 7:29
@fer-no65 Indeed.
socksolid (@socksolid)
27th May 2020, 7:22
I don’t really get the point in the cotd. What abt did was fraud. It has nothing to do with being funny, casual or on-track events being taken to extremes. It is not about streaming or being funny. It is not even about it being virtual racing. It is fraud. He literally scammed these people. He told audi, formula e and his sponsors that he was going to do those events as a contracted driver. He agreed to do it. And then he had someone else drive for him. His actions go against some of the most basic rules of sports and it is also a clear cut case audi would win in a day if they wanted to take it to court. It is the same thing as hamilton agreeing with mercedes to do a commercial with coke and then sending one of his mates to do the photoshoot pretending to be him. After the commercial has aired I’m sure coke and merc would find it “funny” it was just random dude haha…? No, that would be fraud.
Sham (@sham)
27th May 2020, 8:30
@socksolid this is the point that a lot of people are forgetting. The FIA and the sponsors are using this as a marketing tool, and are keen to get actual drivers into the events for this very reason.
He screwed over the people that pay his wages.
sean kettlewood (@skettlewood)
27th May 2020, 8:36
Completely agree, i’m not fully understanding this is a bit of a game so who cares point of view. Its a man representing one of the biggest brands on the planet and at best being very dishonest – If you are Audi there is no way your company values allow a person like this to continue to work for your company.
We’d all be fired for gross misconduct by doing the same.
synonymous
27th May 2020, 8:40
Do you work for Audi?
What he did was stupid, there’s no argument about that.
Achieving a better race result actually makes Audi look better, and sacking him for having a bit of harmless fun makes them look pretty silly. Nobody is associating Audi with cheating because of this (other actions of their own, however…) so sacking the guy achieves nothing.
If the race was supposed to be taken more seriously than a funeral, perhaps they should have informed everyone prior.
What Audi could have done is pretended they knew about it and gained some popularity points by appearing to be a company that has fun and promotes positivity, while privately punishing him in some other form if they felt the need.
I can totally understand why other real-world racers are having second thoughts about posting their own personal content and virtual racing activities if there are such harsh penalties waiting them if and when they slip up.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
27th May 2020, 9:00
they’d sure fire you if you hired someone to stand for you in a sponsor event without telling anyone.
I think what people and even the drivers are forgetting is that they are spending their lives doing what they love, and in this situation, they are not having a bad time at all. They are still getting paid, and they are only asked to play a game once in a while. If you can’t be honest about it, and just show up and don’t act like a clown, then maybe you don’t even deserve to sit in the real car… you’re representing a brand, at a charity event!
socksolid (@socksolid)
27th May 2020, 9:03
Do you work for Abt?
He didn’t achieve it. He wasn’t even driving. How does it make audi look better when not only was the result disqualified but it wasn’t even their driver? How does any of this make audi look better in any way?
Fraud is harmless fun?
It achieves exactly what it is supposed. They got rid of the guy who broke his contract.
Yeah, that would be fraud as well. Maybe formula e should pretend as well? We could all just pretend?
About that word “slip”:
an unintentional and trivial mistake
Seems pretty intentional to me. Seems also pretty trivial considering it was his high paying job, his multiple contractual obligations in an event seen by hundreds of thousands of viewers. If not millions now.
xcm
28th May 2020, 6:44
Fraud? Come on man, its a vidya game.
Sven (@crammond)
27th May 2020, 10:16
@socksolid
True, the point of my comment has indeed been missed. I do not know how your comment connects to my cotd, as you are writing about a different driver and a specific event, rather than about the drivers mentioned in my comment and how events have changed.
I think drivers are having trouble being serious about racing-events that do not have serious driving standards enforced, do not have sim-damage on, do not have irating attached. The races that now have contracts and sponsors attached are held in settings that over years have been associated with goofing around, and now races with this setup are subject to old-media scrutiny. If they’d at least had driving standards being enforced, it would be easier to wrap your head around that.
Now, I totally agree with your assessment of what Abt did. I am just not surprised we have scandals like this, but rather see it as a sort of teething-problem that was to be expected when we have different environments converge like this. And besides the recent incident with Abt, we also had the way Bubba Wallace lost a sponsor, the Norris-Pagenaud-incident, the later incident of Norris’ pitlane-entry at the V8-supercars, a lot of things have been transported to old-style media and sensationalized. With that, what used to be a hobby is now becoming like the least-favourite part of any racing-drivers job: Media-duty. And you do not do any more of that than you contractually have to.
ColdFly (@)
27th May 2020, 10:57
Worthy CotD for tomorrow ;)
@crammond
socksolid (@socksolid)
27th May 2020, 11:27
@crammond
Actually now that I read it again it seems I have mixed the editorial text above your quote and your quote into one thing when they are separate. The text bit above your quote makes it look like your post was cirectly commenting on the abt controversy when that is not what you were commenting. So I did not understand the connection because there was none to begin with. I agree your opinion above and in the cotd 100%! It is exactly like you said.
John H (@john-h)
27th May 2020, 12:42
If there is a second peak (which judging by the way the UK government is handling this crisis, I think it inevitable) then I don’t see how the ‘history of F1’ should play any part whatsover in deciding whether to stage a British GP here or not. I’m afraid sadly Jackie Stewart is again talking nonsense.