Owner-Drivers

[Ruslan 0]

In the old days of Formula 1, many famous teams consisted of an owner who was also a driver (Brabham, McLaren, Eagle, etc.). Now we seem to have developed a new wrinkle, where the teams have an owner and their son is the driver. One can argue this started with Andretti Racing in the U.S. In Formula 1 this is clearly the case with Racing Point/Aston Martin and now appears to be the case with old man Latifi and Williams. It is an interesting trend, where we have now two billionaires who appear to be buying teams for their sons.

[Sakae 0]

30 minutes ago, Ruslan said:

In the old days of Formula 1, many famous teams consisted of an owner who was also a driver (Brabham, McLaren, Eagle, etc.). Now we seem to have developed a new wrinkle, where the teams have an owner and their son is the driver. One can argue this started with Andretti Racing in the U.S. In Formula 1 this is clearly the case with Racing Point/Aston Martin and now appears to be the case with old man Latifi and Williams. It is an interesting trend, where we have now two billionaires who appear to be buying teams for their sons.

Date 2020.04.10   Time 15:58 (UTC)

I am not convinced this is healthy development, despite that some may like it for all wrong reasons.

1. Purposeful ownership to advance kid's career is nice (but shortsighted IMHO) gesture by a father. Does this however means the team will disappear once father will wake up and see clearly that his son is a dud? Risk is there. Why spend all that cash if son exited?

2. How healthy is it for the sport when a better driver has to take No. 2 position in a team only because No.1 is taken?

3. How healthy is clash of aims when one team is after brand platform advertising, other one is after son's victory...no wonder there are so many wars around rules of the game.

I still prefer the old way. You get a seat with a top team in F1 because you are (i) lucky, and (ii) you are best available driver on the market in right time.

[Ruslan 0]

It does appear that the “loan” to Williams has the look of a buy-out according to an article on the front page.

It is beginning to look like we have two Canadian owned teams, one America owned team, two of the teams run by Americans (McLaren and Racing Point) and the series is run by an American company.  Are there any real British teams left?

[Sakae 0]

I thought the Racing Point is run by Otmar Szafnauer (Romanian by birth).

[Ruslan 0]

8 hours ago, Sakae said:

I thought the Racing Point is run by Otmar Szafnauer (Romanian by birth).

American father and Romanian mother. Born in Romania but moved to Detroit when he was 7. BS and MBA from Detroit, and then went to work for Ford. American by most standards.

[Sakae 0]

59 minutes ago, Ruslan said:

American father and Romanian mother. Born in Romania but moved to Detroit when he was 7. BS and MBA from Detroit, and then went to work for Ford. American by most standards.

Sounds like story of Binotto. Born Swiss, but rest is Italian. (That American thing has some German blood in him, which explains his brains... )

[Ruslan 0]

9 hours ago, Sakae said:

Sounds like story of Binotto. Born Swiss, but rest is Italian. (That American thing has some German blood in him, which explains his brains... )

Well, Germans are one of the larger groups of migrants to America. Lots of German names among Americans, like Eisenhower and Rickenbacher. Something like 10% of the country are not born here....and most people (including me and Donald Trump) have a grandparent from elsewhere, if not a parent. I coached a basketball team recently. Of six kids I knew well on the team, only one did not have at least one parent born overseas (but two of his grandparents were). So yea, Otmar Szafnauer is very American.

[Sakae 0]

Date 2020.04.12   Time 13:59 (UTC)

Do you want to take stab on prediction how American influence will change F1? My first thought was it's end of F1 I felt in love many years ago in Africa. Just wondering when government gets into business of telling F1 where they can and cannot race.

[Sakae 0]

Date 2020.04.17   Time 7:14 (UTC)

FERRARI VETTEL / per F1 main site + HAMILTON

Vettel is one of two key drivers on the grid who is in his contract maturity year. Latest somewhat pre-contract discussion suggests, that he will choose to retain his seat, and we will have probably confirmation one way or another soon.

Vettel in comparison to Hamilton got shafted in having a top person within Ferrari organization to lean on, as Ferrari was changing his bosses several times during his tenure, and as a result there is no mental support for Vettel at Maranello for almost whole time he is there.

Hamilton will most likely choose Mercedes as his home again, however:

- will be there a team Mercedes in 2021?

- will be his mentor Toto on the scene with Mercedes next year? Hamilton for some reason seems mentally dependent on him.

A lot of stories with open ending - for now.

 

 

[Sakae 0]

Date 2020.04.18   Time 5:56 (UTC)  

in Re: WOLFF ● RACING POINT

Quote

Per motorsport.com, Wolff has made the “personal investment” of a 4.77% stake in the Lawrence Stroll-owned company, which will be diluted to 0.95% after a rights issue to happen next week. The value of the near-1% stake is estimated to be $46 million.

So, he jumped and did it. His not so secret meeting with Stroll weren't just innocent talk about yoghurt and strawberries. 

I do subscribe to theories, that every person is of three ages. Calendar one, that's the most often cited, physical, and mental are the other two, how you feel about yourself, and in what condition your body is. I am bringing this up only because I am having serious second thoughts if this is really true. Mentally I felt 30 years younger, until now. Suddenly, in flick of a switch I feel old and down, beaten up by helplessness over what I see, hear, and experiencing.

That's our world today. Former white is now black as an alternative truth, what I am hearing is not what is being said, and you know probably the rest.

Wolff is quoted that he can lead one team, while his financial interest is in rival's team, and he doesn't see conflict in this situation. I am not wondering what FiA will say about it, which is nothing, as usual, as I suspect. 

Attacks on human decency, and any, even remote thoughts about ethical branch of philosophy seems totally foreign to certain special interest groups, religions and cultures. Why I am suddenly tired of it all, and why a monastery with preponderance of silence in high mountains of Japan seems like place to be for returning safely to calmness and oneself?

[BradSpeedMan 6]

6 hours ago, Sakae said:

Date 2020.04.18   Time 5:56 (UTC)  

in Re: WOLFF ● RACING POINT

So, he jumped and did it. His not so secret meeting with Stroll weren't just innocent talk about yoghurt and strawberries. 

I do subscribe to theories, that every person is of three ages. Calendar one, that's the most often cited, physical, and mental are the other two, how you feel about yourself, and in what condition your body is. I am bringing this up only because I am having serious second thoughts if this is really true. Mentally I felt 30 years younger, until now. Suddenly, in flick of a switch I feel old and down, beaten up by helplessness over what I see, hear, and experiencing.

That's our world today. Former white is now black as an alternative truth, what I am hearing is not what is being said, and you know probably the rest.

Wolff is quoted that he can lead one team, while his financial interest is in rival's team, and he doesn't see conflict in this situation. I am not wondering what FiA will say about it, which is nothing, as usual, as I suspect. 

Attacks on human decency, and any, even remote thoughts about ethical branch of philosophy seems totally foreign to certain special interest groups, religions and cultures. Why I am suddenly tired of it all, and why a monastery with preponderance of silence in high mountains of Japan seems like place to be for returning safely to calmness and oneself?

I love how.. when the rumours appear they vehemently deny any involvement, then afterwards when the news break they come up with cleverly crafted sentences to justify their decisions.

 

Certainly, there's rats everywhere...

[Sakae 0]

Date 2020.04.23   Time 14:18 (UTC) 

It's hard to say what Wolff wants to do and why. I am under impression that website which makes statements like "Wolff is out" is capable to print such declaration with no basis for it, only to next day print something else. Is click and bait business profitable? 

Binotto is also in some kind of "correction" statement.

Binotto has however a point which is dutifully ignored, namely, last year teams already agreed on decreased budget level. Then it was changed, promised target broken, and changed again, and there is no end to it. 245, 145, Now 100 and maybe tomorrow even less...is 30 MM enough?

Why would Ferrari serve as a whipping boy when it is actually some other teams who cannot keep to an agreement? Why should anyone believe them that tomorrow they don't come up again to some new figures? 

Is a new IRL series named F1 in cards? That's what some want, don't they? All standard parts.