Bleacher Report - Articles by J.D Terry

Why FOTA's Tactics of Fear Must Not Win Out in F1 Row

J.D Terry — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:52:39 -0400

Oh look Formula One seems to be going through a bit of a power struggle, politics in F1 eh there’s a new thing! Now let, me see where are we as of today?

The FIA have published the 2010 entry list containing all the current teams plus three new, the expected entry of the USF1 project, the surprise pick of Manor motorsport and the Spanish Capos Grand Prix. All FOTA teams have made their way on under various conditions here and there and all looks good in the world.

Except of course it’s not that’d be too easy, this is F1, that’s not the way they do their business; FOTA’s members immediately challenged their entries and renewed their threat of a breakaway series if they didn’t get what they wanted.

Now I’m not going to go over all the details of how we arrived at this point (I’m sure many esteemed writers have navigated that particular issue in the past days). What I do intend to do, however, is explain why FOTA’s threat of a breakaway series must be treated with scepticism/contempt as opposed to fear.

Since the list was released on Friday FOTA have issued a statement in which they attempt to align themselves with the F1 fan saying they would fight the ‘crazy rules’ on the fans behalf, I’d be lying if I said this didn’t get to me just slightly.

The idea that somehow a collection of profit motivated car manufactures will somehow protect the sport you and I love is bordering on the obscene.

What makes this worse is the fact they are trying to scare people with the threat of a F1 world without them in it. Of course it would be better for everyone if a resolution could be reached with them in it, but what if it can’t would it be so bad?

I’ve heard Damon Hill recently saying that F1 must prevent Cart/IRL style breakaway, yet I can’t help thinking why? If the Manufacturers want to have a series which has no budgetary constraints let them.

The concept is utter madness not to mention unsustainable, only a few short months ago Honda ditched their entire F1 program because I assume it was not selling enough Civic’s, not to mention the fact that they pulled out at the very point their head designer was sitting on one of the most complete F1 cars in decades.While of course economics played a big role here, indeed we are living in unique times it cannot be disputed that car manufactures will (and always have) ran from F1 as soon as it stops making ‘economic sense’ recession or no recession.

These are not the people you would want as the custodians of Formula One no matter how crazy you might find Max’s latest plan. The last time I counted there were only eight teams in the FOTA group following the suspension of Williams and Force India. So at the very best that leaves the breakaway series with a mighty 16 cars! Now call me naive, but I don’t think General Motors will be rushing to sign up any time soon or any major car manufacturer for that matter, most car manufacturers, as I understand it, are on life support.

The one thing they do not need is to be rushing to sign up to a brand new series sans all F1 history and prestige with the very real prospect that one of them will end up coming last race after race.

There will be no Minardi or Force India to spare their blushes in the breakaway series. How long before those board meetings become a little too much for someone and FOTA’s series falls to 14 cars eh! That’ll really get the public interested, not to mention the fact that their simply won’t be enough seats for the ‘top drivers’ FOTA say its breakaway will attract, what happens then, maybe they’ll switch!

Now on the other side we could end up having a budget restricted F1, OK it’s missing some big manufacturers and even bigger drivers. But what it will consist of is at least 20 cars, operating within some rather free rules so as to aid innovation and create a real design challenge and exciting racing on most existing F1 venues.

It will have Williams a genuine engineering company with a enviable record and lot’s of fresh new teams who will give the sport a energy and vitality that has previously been priced out of Formula One in recent years, perhaps decades.

Not to mention the prospect of Aston Martin and Lotus named entries joining should the split occur, sounding any good yet?

As for the calibre of team, yes it will lack the odd badge at the start, but these people will be real racers, they will not abandon the sport when they are not shifting enough nondescript saloons in some corner of the globe.

For these teams F1 will be a passion like yours and mine as opposed to an expensive marketing opportunity. Manor motorsport are perhaps risking a very successful operation because the idea of F1 holds such appeal and mystique for them. If they were to fail in F1 their top brass would not be reallocated to another part of the motorsport program within some huge company, they would instead likely find themselves out of work, built up via years of passion and graft.

How dare the FOTA teams’ question their and other new teams’ value and worth to F1 in relation to themselves? I know which group of teams seems to speak for me and it’s not the FOTA group.

With regard to driver’s there is plenty of quality out there of that I am sure, but consider this also; Formula One has of late found it hard to retain the interest of some of its more flamboyant drivers.I am thinking particularly of Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve perhaps they would be tempted to return to a series with a slightly softer corporate edge not to mention drivers in the future who may prefer this style of racing, I can think of one current Ferrari driver who would welcome such a step

That is why dear reader I beg you as an F1 enthusiast/Fan/lover, don’t let FOTA scare you that all the good stuff would go with them, for that is what they want.

The F1 world of the '80s and '90s I grew up with did indeed have manufacturers but the core was the engineering companies doing it out of sheer passion with a leg up from a works engine supply when the time was right and I can promise you the racing was not bad at all.

It’s not a time to be afraid of what might happen but instead to be excited, it is not either a case of going back in time and stopping progress; it’s a case of creating an environment in which Formula One can exist through future years to be enjoyed by everybody with a will to watch it and to participate, it's this as opposed to a closed shop of automobile manufactures trying to sell road cars off the back of your loyalty and masquerading as passion.

As I finish writing this I have just read that the FIA intends to push on with the budget cap; having failed to reach an agreement yesterday (15th June) with the existing teams. From a personal perspective I hope the FIA does not cave in at the last and I hope you do too.

Why Today Is a Day To Be Proud of Lewis Hamilton, Really!

J.D Terry — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:33:58 -0400

This is not an article I ever thought I would be writing, for I will confess straight away I am in no way a Lewis Hamilton apologist, quite the opposite in fact.

Watching some of his driving over the last two years not to mention his off the track conduct has left me feeling numb in the sense that once again it would seem one of the most gifted drivers of our time is willing to push the rules and sportsmanship into places his supreme talent does not require to go.

As a Jarno Trulli fan then, it may surprise you that I am taking this moment (in light of recent events which need no further discussion) to appeal to all true F1 fans and those in the media in the UK to take a step back and give Lewis Hamilton a break regardless of his actions not in spite of them.

Remember why we know him to talk about in the first place: his supreme ability, his young age.

Over the recent days I have read numerous articles in daily papers about how Hamilton has been disgraced and is dragging his name and that of F1 through the mud, I’ve seen similar before and agreed with many but these seem to have stepped up a notch both in how frequently they have appeared and in tone and vitriol.

I make no bones about it, before today, I may well have been jumping on this wave of criticism.

But no longer, for the press coverage has made me uneasy as I hope it has many others, its personal nature, from many people who care little for the sport of F1 and are simply looking for their next tabloid scapegoat who is to be built up ready for the oh so familiar knocking down.

If you’re not familiar with the UK gutter press, then count yourself lucky!

Dare I suggest that the press now feel that launching attacks upon Hamilton is now a risk free policy given that we have Jenson Button stepping up and doing it for the UK as it were? I dearly hope not if it is it’s a terrible route to take.

Did Lewis Hamilton lie over events in Australia to ensure he got the third place he was entitled to, yes I think so. Do I feel the punishment is correct yes I do.

But having seen his press conference transcript from Malaysia addressed to the press (and the wider world), I must be honest and say I respect him more today than I ever have and I really hope others feel the same.

This day should not be looked upon as a low but rather an important day in the life of a exceptional young man growing up in the unforgiving glare of the worlds press, mistakes and all.

He will make further errors of judgement in his life and be poorly advised of course—as it now seems was his main issue in Australia, he’s still young and like Senna and Schumacher before him he treads close to the line at all times, it would be folly to think he will not step over on the odd occasion, that is the nature of the these men.

They are not ‘cheats’ but supreme competitors conditioned to achieve the maximum at all costs.

But today Lewis deviated from the above archetype in one key area many had felt beyond him (I include myself in that); he gave a full and frank apology not a few mumbled words but something that seemed to me genuine and full of regret, for that he must be respected as a human being racing driver or not.

I only hope this revisionist opinion of him is not confined only to myself, people who should know better must not destroy him in the chase for headlines and paper sales.

Lewis Hamilton is a man as much in love with F1 as you or I that is now clear to me. We must be careful not ruin his love for this great sport by allowing the media to carry out a bizarre character assassination with no thought for the consequences.

Critique his racing, yes, and his sportsmanship even, but please keep perspective.

I have read comments on blogs and YouTube video’s over recent days about how he is ‘bad for F1’, this is just not so, to have a driver with that level of ability on the grid will always be an absolute pleasure for any ‘real fan’ of F1.

The real disgrace is not Lewis but the treatment he is receiving from sections of the media and the guidance he has been given. He made as he put it ‘a huge mistake’ and that’s all there is to it really, a 24 year old guy making a mistake in his job, doesn’t look so bad when you put it like that hey….

It’s a good job I’m not trying to shift papers I suppose!

Celebrating Toyota F1 Racing: 2002 and Beyond

J.D Terry — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:00:51 -0500

Toyota Racing will later today launch the TF109, it will be their ninth Formula One car design to be produced since the formation of the F1 programme in 1999 When it was first announced they intended to enter Formula One as a sole manufacturer of both car and engine. Noises came from within the paddock that with the amount of financial backing and resources Toyota had and their relentless ambition it would only be a matter of time before they would become a major and potentially unbeatable force in the sport. However seven race cars and one test car on, this view has proven to be incorrect as Toyota still awaits their first trip to the top of the podium. The purpose of this piece however is not to criticise what has not been done but instead look back upon what they have achieved at the top level of motor sport since their official entry at the start of the 2002 season and to thank them for their efforts in the sport which often seem to go unnoticed. Indeed they were and are the first team since Ferrari to attempt to build both chassis and engine under one roof, they were also a completely new birth coming not out of an existing racing team like many manufactures but instead from the ground up. Toyota's F1 Program is a remarkable one that deserves recognition that so often seems reserved for outfits that often shout louder yet with less reason. It tells you everything you need to know about Toyota racing, that since their debut they have maintained the exact same livery and a large percentage of the same commercial partners; for this is what is known as 'The Toyota way' employing the constant improvement theory of Kaizen to achieve the desired goals. So join me as I take a quick look back on some of the key moments, cars and people in their F1 program to date; with the online launch of the TF109 now just hours away.

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Last Of The New School: The Intriguing Debut Of Sébastien Buemi

J.D Terry — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:40:57 -0500

Every season in Formula One fans look forward to the introduction of some fresh blood in the form of young drivers rising from the lower formula’s to fill the role of the rookies to watch for the year ahead. 2009 will be no different with all eyes on the men who have broken into the elite and unforgiving world of top level motor sport that is F1.

This year the light falls upon 20 year old Toro Rosso pilot Sebastien Buemi and at the time of writing the latest product of the Red Bull driver program looks like being 2009’s only rookie and as such the pressure on this young lad from Switzerland to impress will be magnified yet further, what’s more due to circumstances far beyond any single individuals control he may just be one of the last rookies F1 sees for some time; at least that’s my opinion as the doors to the top table slowly slide shut to many a young hopeful, allow me to explain.

In recent years you could indeed argue that F1’s obsession with youth has inadvertently spoilt the fans, with the emergence of a stunning group, driver’s who will go down as greats, notably Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen already champions, add to that the quite supreme Robert Kubica the frighteningly good Sebastian Vettel and the ever improving Felipe Massa and Timo Glock, there can be little doubt that we are about to enter a golden age the like of which not seen since the late 80’s and early 90’s.

However sadly in many ways Formula One in 2009 is nothing like those years past where over 30 cars would regularly compete in a battle to make it on to a final grid of 26. If the team formally known as Honda Racing does not make it to Melbourne then the season will begin with a worryingly anaemic grid of just 18 cars with 7 spots taken up by absolute top line drivers mentioned above, all of whom are in their 20’s and could conceivably lock out the top end of the grid for years to come, not to say that’s a bad thing; all are exceptional drivers who will do nothing but provide an awesome world class spectacle as we move further into the post Schumacher era, were you to be a young driver however looking to move into the rookie spotlight for the 2010 season you might not take such a fond view.

For not only is there a very small number of actual seats to go round, the radical cost cutting measures undertaken by the FIA to keep F1 alive appear to have given a lifeline to a few of the older driver’s plying their trade on circuits across the globe. With no in season testing now allowed, it would be a brave team who stacks their chips up against a young kid knowing that once the season has begun there will be no hiding place. All genuine practice at the wheel of a bona fide grand prix car from now on will take place at grand prix weekends, and if a driver doesn’t hit his mark at a given weekend that weekend is likely to be a long and fruitless one leaving an inexperienced driver painfully exposed and potentially embarrassed.

This was seen to a certain extent in early 2008 as Nelson Piquet was left trailing in the wake of Fernando Alonso and found himself on the end of some harsh words from boss Flavio Briatore with his very future in the sport brought into question during the early races. By the very skin of his teeth and many miles pounding the test track Nelson escaped getting his p45 early, and by the end of the season looked almost like a competent F1 driver capable of the occasional points finish and the odd lucky podium, but would this rediscovery of form been possible without the testing miles, I’m not at all sure.

The other side of the coin is BMW’s Nick Heidfeld who for all his effort early season could not get to grips with the unique handling characteristics of his machine (despite his considerable experience) and found himself getting destroyed by Robert Kubica; not a problem though, BMW have the ways and means to work out exactly what’s going on here and they did, but again it took many miles of testing, that seemed to compromise the progress of Kubica himself as the car was developed.

The phrase ‘You can’t have the penny and the bun’ was proved correct and in 2009 in the cut throat world that is F1 that will never be truer.

So while the odd ‘old timer’ may struggle with the new regulations and the lack of testing it’s fair to say they have a lot less to worry about than any rookie with nothing to draw on when they lose their way under the full glare of a world media. As a result I suspect the seats of, Fisichella, Trulli and Webber are the safest they have been for some time, and the same goes for Heidfeld; who may bizarrely have been saved by the upcoming regulation changes as BMW rediscovered the value of a steady hand in changing times

Formula One is now harder than ever and so for that reason I would like to extend my best wishes and luck to Sebastien Buemi for the season ahead, I get the sneaky suspicion that regardless of his level of raw talent he’s going to need it and not just for himself but aspiring drivers everywhere, no pressure of course.

Time For Honda To Do The Right Thing and Line Up For 2009

J.D Terry — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:43:36 -0500

When Honda announced it's withdrawal from Formula One at the end of 2008 it was presented to the world as a near certainty that a new buyer would be found and thus the team would be saved, heck the good folks at Honda might even provide engines to keep the outfit alive and if they didn't Ferrari would.

But that was then and now, in the middle of January 2009 and there does not seem to be a buyer on the horizon, Ferrari have announced it is unlikely in the extreme that they will supply engines and Honda seem to have given a definite no on that front.

Is this then the end of the team formally known as Honda F1 and BAR before it?

It doesn't look good that's for sure Dave Richards seems to be distancing himself following initial optimism that the Prodrive man would step in and reports of a buy out by Mexican based Carlos Slim are being talked down.

Of course negotiation is a hard nosed business and just because things seem to be looking bleak doesn't have to mean a saviour will not appear at the 11th hour. Perhaps those at Brackley know this perhaps they will roll on to the grid at the end of March a fresh and revitalised outfit (I dearly hope so).

However if this doesn’t happen what then? An 18 team grid for will not exactly fill the sport with confidence, it won’t look good on the TV and it’s something that must in my opinion be avoided at all costs. But who can stop it, well this may seem crazy but the obvious answer has been there all along, Honda can! It’s easy to walk away when the going gets tough it takes a little more guts to stick it out, sadly Honda have a bit of history for not exactly sticking around when things start to get a bit rough round the edges.

In 1992 as soon as Renault started to get the upper hand in a supremely designed Williams Honda ran from McLaren leaving them to endure a number of seasons in the doldrums.

In 1999 Honda’s new F1 project was scrapped after the death of head designer Harvey Postlethwaite, a sad situation indeed but still slightly perplexing given the promise of the initial lap times shown by the test car that was already pounding round the test tracks of Europe, this was no far flung idea it was a fully built F1 car and a quick one at that, a program never given the chance to evolve or compete, simply ended. When Honda decide to cease doing something it seems rarely to come with a warning or indeed much sentiment as was again proved in December 2008.

But I know Honda have good intentions (why else would you paint your gas guzzling cars like an earth to highlight the issue of global warming) and a reversal of this latest pull out can be seen as their chance of redemption, to show the world they don’t just leave people in it when things no longer suit them they have racing in their blood.

Now I know what you’re thinking they didn’t pull out because they felt like it but rather because sales of their cars are plummeting and spending around 200m a year on a F1 program in the current climate would hardly be seen as good business.

All the above is true but lets get real, they are losing billions not millions in road cars, the shutting down of the F1 branch was an effort to be ‘seen to be doing’ as opposed to a measure that will save the company and its workers. Pulling out now serves no purpose, what just might be smart however is showing the world you can run an efficient and nimble F1 team on budget, what could be better at economic stimulus and advert for your company than that?

The FIA are bending over backwards to make F1 cost effective, Honda should play a central role in securing the very future of the sport not run, if anyone can help it’s these boys.

My main reason for writing this piece was a quick look at the F1 entry list (released to the press yesterday) showing that Honda were still very much considered an expected entrant in the upcoming championship.

Indeed it is simply a piece of paper with Honda’s name left on that can be changed at any time and I’m sure would be were a buyer to be found. But the fact remains, no matter what they may say Honda have not yet left F1, they have not stopped paying their staff, they have what will no doubt be a very quick car designed and ready for manufacture by one of the brightest brains in F1, they still have a top facility and a driver under contract, not to mention an engine which requires no development sue to the freeze on R&D.

Essentially a lot of 2009 is paid for already and it certainly doesn’t have to cost 200m (just ask Renault), Honda have less to lose than they may have thought Now assume you stick Takuma Sato in the other car to please Japan and run your team on a budget.

Does Honda F1 look so daft now? Because it’s not too late to turn back, you can do it Honda you can make a real difference to F1 but not if you keep walking and you know what…it may even help sell a few cars, I think that's what they call 'the power of dreams!