RE: Senna 'Axed As displinary Measure'
Friday 16th July 2010
Racing at the back of the F1 grid is never easy, especially as most drivers have to bring sponsorship money - or their own - along with them to get their bum in a race seat.
Senna 'Axed As Disciplinary Measure'
German mag claims angry e-mail cost Senna his Brit GP race seat
So it is at Hispania Racing, with drivers Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna fighting hard to keep their drives.
So there was more than a fair bit of speculation as to exactly why young Senna was dumped from the cockpit of his Hispania car before the British GP in favour of Japanese driver Sakon Yamamoto. Was it that he hadn't brought enough cash in? Or did Sakon have some big backer that was too tempting for the HRT team to resist?
Turns out that the truth might just be a little more embarrassing (for Senna). According to German mag Auto Bild, Bruno Senna was axed as a disciplinary measure, after he accidentally sent an e-mail criticising team boss Colin Kolles's management style - to Kolles himself.
The matter must now be resolved though, because Hispania has since announced that Senna will be back for the remaining races of the season.
Intriguingly, Auto Bild also suggests that Yamamoto - who is said to have $5m-worth of backing - was actually closer to replacing Senna's team mate Karun Chandhok, after the Indian driver was late with sponsor payments.
It might be tough at the top, but it sounds as if it's even tougher at the bottom...
Discussion
I read elsewhere that they wanted to replace Chandhok as his sponsorship hadnt come through and Yamamoto would earn them the $5million nut when the money from Chadhok did come they could not drop him and the email from Senna gave the team a perfect excuse to drop him and get Yamamoto' $5million for that race.
senna007 said:
I read elsewhere that they wanted to replace Chandhok as his sponsorship hadnt come through and Yamamoto would earn them the $5million nut when the money from Chadhok did come they could not drop him and the email from Senna gave the team a perfect excuse to drop him and get Yamamoto' $5million for that race.
More likely, if there is any truth to all this. Bruno wasn't renowned for his tact and diplomacy at times in F3!
?E36GUY said:
I think that as a driver paying for his seat by bringing in money for the team you can be as critical as you like if you don't like someone's management style, especially considering the car's woeful performance
Seconded.
thirded.... "did I pay for that seat?.... yes I think you you'll find I did"
I think that as a driver paying for his seat by bringing in money for the team you can be as critical as you like if you don't like someone's management style, especially considering the car's woeful performance
Seconded.
thirded.... "did I pay for that seat?.... yes I think you you'll find I did"
IforB said:
I thought Senna didn't pay for his seat. They're using his name as a lure rather than expecting him to bring actual cash himself. If I recall correctly.
I think it's a bit of 6 of one... He may not be bringing hard cash but the main sponsors on the car are Brasilian and I know Embratel has been Bruno's personal sponsor for a while, whilst I read the press release for Banco do Sul and it was expressly about Bruno (and Ayrton) not the team so in this respect he could be classed as a pay driver, I also don't believe he gets a salary (not that he needs it, I've seen the pile(s) his family live in)Although I've been a long time fan of F1 I've never got this thing about people having to pay for their own seats. Just because Driver A (who couldn't ride a bike) brings £x million he gets a seat over Talented Driver B who has limited backing. So much for the cream rising to the top!
It all sounds like it originated from a lazy feeling PR/Corporate sponsorship Director who was rubbish at doing his job.
It all sounds like it originated from a lazy feeling PR/Corporate sponsorship Director who was rubbish at doing his job.
disco1 said:
Although I've been a long time fan of F1 I've never got this thing about people having to pay for their own seats. Just because Driver A (who couldn't ride a bike) brings £x million he gets a seat over Talented Driver B who has limited backing. So much for the cream rising to the top!
It all sounds like it originated from a lazy feeling PR/Corporate sponsorship Director who was rubbish at doing his job.
I think you will find from club racing to F1 there are a lot of people paying for their seats, and that is the way the money goes round in racing. Paid drives are very very very hard to find and it is up to the drivers to bring in the sponsorship.It all sounds like it originated from a lazy feeling PR/Corporate sponsorship Director who was rubbish at doing his job.
It is definitely very limiting to the talent, but then it is very expensive to race, so only the good ones with financial backing become world champions.
disco1 said:
Although I've been a long time fan of F1 I've never got this thing about people having to pay for their own seats. Just because Driver A (who couldn't ride a bike) brings £x million he gets a seat over Talented Driver B who has limited backing. So much for the cream rising to the top!
It all sounds like it originated from a lazy feeling PR/Corporate sponsorship Director who was rubbish at doing his job.
Supply and demand...It all sounds like it originated from a lazy feeling PR/Corporate sponsorship Director who was rubbish at doing his job.
Same with every sport...
At the bottom of the leagues you pay to play, at the top, you get paid to play...same in Motorsport.
Ferrari, Mclaren etc have loads of money through intenal funding and/or sponsorship so can afford to 'buy' the best driver they can.
Rich Johnny who's got loads of money (or can attract loads of money through sponsorship) can afford to 'buy' the best racing car he can...just happens to be F1...
If you were running a Sunday side footie team, had no sponsor, you were skint and had a mate who wanted to play for you who was 8/10 good but also skint and a mate who was 7.9/10 good but loaded and said he'd provide the shirts, the team bus and the pints after the game if he could play for you...who would you REALY chose?
disco1 said:
Although I've been a long time fan of F1 I've never got this thing about people having to pay for their own seats. Just because Driver A (who couldn't ride a bike) brings £x million he gets a seat over Talented Driver B who has limited backing. So much for the cream rising to the top!
It all sounds like it originated from a lazy feeling PR/Corporate sponsorship Director who was rubbish at doing his job.
There was a big driver survey done a couple of years ago which looked at all levels of international motorsport / bikes across four major continents and from what I remember under 220 drivers / riders worldwide were paid. The UK is notorious for not looking after fast developing talent and there are a number of motorsport commercial directors and driver 'advisors' who are not upto the job. Talent alone will not get you a seat in the professional era, money however will!!It all sounds like it originated from a lazy feeling PR/Corporate sponsorship Director who was rubbish at doing his job.
virgil said:
If you were running a Sunday side footie team, had no sponsor, you were skint and had a mate who wanted to play for you who was 8/10 good but also skint and a mate who was 7.9/10 good but loaded and said he'd provide the shirts, the team bus and the pints after the game if he could play for you...who would you REALY chose?
Can I have both please, all my players are 6.3/10? 
This is why motorsport is not quite a sport. Almosy nobody has a chance to compete and it is not just in the top echelons either.
Even in the lower catergories the entry lists are full of legacy surnames and double barrels. Actually its ridiculous.
You can be fat and old but as long as you are rich you can still be competitive even in Le Mans.
The person who can really introduce motorsport at a grassroots level should be honored whenever that time comes.
No-one will ever know how many potential brilliant drivers are out there because competing or even having a go is absolutely prohibitive for almost everybody.
Having said that i think it will get better as it can hardly become worse.
Even in the lower catergories the entry lists are full of legacy surnames and double barrels. Actually its ridiculous.
You can be fat and old but as long as you are rich you can still be competitive even in Le Mans.
The person who can really introduce motorsport at a grassroots level should be honored whenever that time comes.
No-one will ever know how many potential brilliant drivers are out there because competing or even having a go is absolutely prohibitive for almost everybody.
Having said that i think it will get better as it can hardly become worse.
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