F1 Media

[Crafty_]

I've had a grumble about Sky this year trying to hype up animosity at Mercedes, from what I understand BBC are up to the same thing.
In general the F1 media circus has gone downhill, trying to create drama and scandal where there isn't any.
A good example is the whole "Vettel to Mercedes!!! ZOMG!" thing this weekend. Some hack suggests that Mercedes could be interested in Vettel, it wasn't really confirmed or denied by anyone but the media start running around asking anyone they can, including the current Merc drivers.. I mean, really what are they meant to say ? Its stupid, tabloid journalism because they can't think up anything interesting or insightful to write about.

This weekend Horner put them in their place a bit after continually being asked about F1 race locations and human rights records and if F1 should go to these locations: http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/f1/93...

I'm far from being a fan of Horner, but he's got this right. They are getting lazy and want to try and create the next scandal headline instead of actually concentrate on the sport.

Kevin Eason (The Times) tweeted that Horner "Christian Horner loses it spectacularly in the FIA after repeated questions about finances and racing in Russia". So trying to create a scandal again!

Then there was this :

Press Conference said:

Q: (Ralf Bach - Sport Bild) So we learn now that we are going to Azerbaijan. We drove in Bahrain, everybody knows that Bahrain is killing their own people. We go to Russia and no comment. We drove in China, China is not very famous for democracy I heard. So my question is: all you guys say that you have a Formula One and drivers and everybody has to make a good example for young people. Do you think it's a good example to follow Mr Ecclestone everywhere he wants? Next question is when he would go to North Korea, would you follow him?

Vijay Mallya: I think we're racing people, more popularly known as petrolheads. We come here to race and to win and to enjoy it. The governance is an international organisation called the FIA. It is up to the FIA to decide where the sport is conducted. I don't think that the teams, individual participants in the sport, should be holding their individual positions to determine social political issues that you have raised. The FIA is perfectly competent to determine where Formula One should be staged and not be staged.

Q: Anything more to add? Do you all agree with that? No more to add? So the question is you would follow Ecclestone to North Korea or you wouldn't?

Vijay Mallya: You know, it's a not question of following Bernie. I think the question has been wrongly framed. It's the commercial rights holder, it's the FIA. We race where they stage the events. It's as simple as that.

Boullier has since requested that Bach's FIA press accreditation be removed. I guess the Bahrain comment doesn't go down well in Woking. Nevetheless its a bit of a crass line of questioning.

Do they all need a good kick up the arse ?

[Crafty_]

johnfm said:

Perfectly valid line of questioning.

At what point do those managing F1 take account of ethics and politics when determining where to race.

Horner's whole point was ask those who are managing F1, not TPs, who do not manage the sport.

[Crafty_]

johnfm said:

"I was just following orders" can only go so far.

At some point I think the 'North Korea' question will need an answer - clearly NK is a reductio ad absurdam argument; but recent issues with Russia/Ukraine and passenger jets have sharpened the debate.

Why does the "North Korea" question need an answer ? is there a race proposed there ? is it on the calendar / has anyone mentioned NK ?
Certainly not that I'm aware of.

The media are asking questions of the teams about all this stuff but have they asked Bernie ? CVC ? The FIA ? If they are, they aren't reporting it. Laziness again ? too easy to wander in to the team press conference and throw questions out instead of putting some effort in ?

[Crafty_]

I think if you look close enough anywhere is up for scrutiny, The US and Guantanamo for example.

Raising the issue is fine, but continually throwing the same old questions around in the hope of a juicy comment is lazy.

[Crafty_]

Vaud said:

Agreed and damn you. This is about the 4th time in 4 threads I've had to agree with you. I thought we all want to argue...

No we don't etc etc

johnfm said:

The quotes around North Korea and my reference to reduction ad absurd am should give you a clue. I know there is no race in North Korea. It does;t matter, as it is a hypothetical scenario. The point being that there are new races on the calendar in places that have dodgy records of governance (and, worse, virtually zero F1 following).

The news of Briatore begin brought in suggests that F1 is realising it is becoming a bit of a circus.

So we're in to the "what ifs"?
What if British soldiers are found guilty of war crimes in Afghanistan/Iraq etc ? What if the UK Government of the time knew ?
What about going to the US given things that happen in Vietnam etc ?

We could go on all day along those lines.

Briatore is being brought in on the sporting side, nothing to do with locations, logistics etc. If anything if he gets his way it'll become more of a circus - but thats pretty much unrelated to the media thing or where CVC/FIA put races.

[Crafty_]

We should remember that the aircraft was shot down in what is basically a warzone. Russia ia a big place.

[Crafty_]

johnfm said:

Head in the Sand sale =======================>

You're kidding yourself if you think that passenger jet would not have been shot down but for Russia supplying anti aircraft weapons to 'separatists'.

Excuse me? when did I say anything of the sort ?

I didn't make any comment on who shot it down and where those weapons came from or if it would/wouldn't have happened if X or whatever. All I did was point out that the aircraft was in whats basically a warzone.

Do note that MH17 was a daily flight up until the tragedy, none of those flights were shot down, but then they didn't veer off course...