I think Marussia gets money. They have sponsors that they wouldn't have if the were running in another championship. They also get the technology. They are a relatively small firm that is able to run McLaren wind tunnel, to get money from a partner like Virgin, Marussia or RBC. Their sales have increased significantly since they entered F1.
It's the same story (albeit a 'smaller' one) of Ferrari.
Caterham has a similar tale, I'd say: from a small firm in Caterham, Surrey, UK, to the greatest races
in the world is a good business to me. There are literally hundreds of firms struggling in the sporting car category, from tuners to makers.
What are you going to tell your grandchildre? That you fixed cars or that you competed (against all odds) with the best? That, my friend, it's the greatest benefit of all. Nobody can take you that away from you.
I can only imagine the feelings of the owner in the first race. Pause for a second, close your eyes and imagine yourself in that position. Would you dare? Sure you would.
It's a nice history to tell your shareholders when you can benefit from having an interest in first rate drivers. That can be good, solid business, like many people in soccer can tell you.
For example, Ricciardo started in HRT.
You also attract, without doubt, better engineers, at least way better than the ones you would get if you continue your small shop factory that participate only in smaller categories. They also contribute to your business.
Finally, if everything goes wrong, you still have the "insurance" money of your slot.
Sure, it's not the same as being McLaren.
However, capitalism is based in investing (and forgetting you ever had) a capital.
You
have to risk it and find out if you can retire with your earnings. That can be done in two ways:
Either you invest in a small risk, low yield business, like salt, whose market is constant, competition is fierce and returns small but almost guaranteed OR you compete in high stakes, high yield business, like a Hollywood film.
So, F1 is a high risk, possibly high yield business.
So, I'd say, only in capitalism this kind of risky business are justified.
It's, as everything in life, a bet... and allow me to put it in this way: if you have to bet, it's way better to bet high stakes games than in small stakes, small returning ones.
If you have to overcome your shame to ask a girl to go out with you, no matter how ugly, small, uninteresting you are, it's way better to ask the most beautiful, charming and sweetest girl you know.
This may prove my point: you never know when you're going to get the bling. If you do, it's better with Lafawnduh.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSchRtgnvKE[/youtube]
So, try to call Kip (or Marussia) a backmarker: he's (it's) a winner in my book.
What some people call "ego" I call "self-confidence". What some people call "big wallets" I call "audacity".
Go, Kip! Go, Pedro! Go, Caterham!
