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As a fan, I agree wholeheartedly, nonetheless..
Great stuff, we want to hear drivers piloting the sport, and standing up against [censor]. It's about time!
Of course the Letter is vague and Diplomatic. The Real discussion must be behind closed Doors. Public shaming and Finger Pointing isn't the best Base for negotiations.
This Letter imho is more to Protect Drivers that say something along these Lines (recent Interviews from Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton come to mind). They will not be seen as some lonely Renegade anymore. Also it gives the Fans and Media more to work with and put Pressure on the Governing Body.
One thing to remember; the drivers are the only part of F1 without direct contractual relations with Bernie. The teams, tracks and TV are all subject to contracts that give Bernie significant muscle/leverage. The drivers could, for example, refuse to drive and there is nothing Bernie can do about it. Sure, he would pressure the teams and they the drivers, but it is indirect and takes time. If the drivers turned up at the next race and said "we're not racing until X happens", Bernie would be in trouble. He would fail to fulfil his contractual obligations.
The drivers hold some power, if only in small, short lived amounts.
If you are more fortunate than others, build a larger table not a taller fence.
Personally, I don't think this letter is necessarily against Bernie, but against the way and how F1 is governed. Meaning that the teams have too much say and are influenced by their aim to protect their own interest. This then causes the conflict that people like Bernie or the FIA, who try to sell the sport, are either limited in what they can change or achieve. This also then provokes stupid rule changes, like the recent qualifying rule change, that are neither fully thought through and feel like it is run by complete amateurs.
Democracy is great, but not when teams can't agree on anything and in the end, hold each other up because they are all more concerned about their own interests not being met, rather than the sport as a whole.
The veto of Ferrari is also problematic in that that too can limit what can be changed for the good of the sport if it is not good for Ferrari.
What we need is a strong governance that is able to make hard choices for the good of the sport, without being a profiteer at the same time. That person or body needs to be objective and constructive and the aim should be to create a sport that is both attractive, entertaining but also genuine (under the ethos of fair competition) and credible. Then we will see less 'last-minute-rule-changes' that hold the damage to create serious damage, like 2014's double-points-finale, or the new qualifying-format, or many many other quick-shot changes. The sport also needs consistency. A good sport with good rules has that. One that is not, will always be inconsistent and in a sport where teams have a say, this can be very damaging for all.
Not for nothing, Rosberg's Championship is the only thing that lends credibility to Hamilton's recent success. Otherwise, he'd just be the guy who's had the best car. — bhall II #Team44 supporter
Chene_Mostert wrote:"coolest tracks"
Was this written by twelve year olds?
What exactly is the letter addressing?
No, it was written by a group of men who are mostly in the their twenties; but they've also spent most of their lives in the world of motor racing - in effect, they'd be nerds in another world.
If you are more fortunate than others, build a larger table not a taller fence.
Bernie will immediately see this is an excuse to blame Mercedes and Ferrari. He hates them for taking away his power and influence. Expect to see lots of "low blows" in the coming weeks.
If you are more fortunate than others, build a larger table not a taller fence.
Chene_Mostert wrote:"coolest tracks"
Was this written by twelve year olds?
What exactly is the letter addressing?
No, it was written by a group of men who are mostly in the their twenties; but they've also spent most of their lives in the world of motor racing - in effect, they'd be nerds in another world.
What is a "coolest track"
Which tracks are considered un cool? And why?
Looking at this letter again, it looks very kindergarten. They are not saying much outside of they drive on cool tracks.
Maybe a early April Fools joke.
"Science at its best is an open-minded method of inquiry, not a belief system." - Rupert Sheldrake
