Bad Era for British drivers?

[Esprit]

Well obviously it's dark days for anyone on the road what with all the scameras and numpties lurking about these days, but I'm talking about top level motorsports.

Two premier championships, traditionally well stocked with a healthy load of brits is now almost britless.... F1 Has only tired old David Coulthard touting the Union Jack (although he really touts the St Andrews Cross.... but that's all britain anyway) while the WRC these days is completely devoid of Brits.... does anyone see any particular reason for this or is it just swings and roundabouts? Comments?

[FourWheelDrift]

Jenson Button is in F1.

We still have the power in F1 through Bernie & Max plus the lion's share of teams and personel. It doesn't matter who wins the F1 World Championships in 2004 there will still be a Brit in the winnning team.

Alastair McRae is in the WRC albeit in Group N, Richard Burns will be back next year. Traditionally we have not had very many World Rally drivers over the last 20 years.

[paolow]

Esprit said:

Well obviously it's dark days for anyone on the road what with all the scameras and numpties lurking about these days, but I'm talking about top level motorsports. Two premier championships, traditionally well stocked with a healthy load of brits is now almost britless.... F1 Has only tired old David Coulthard touting the Union Jack (although he really touts the St Andrews Cross.... but that's all britain anyway) while the WRC these days is completely devoid of Brits.... does anyone see any particular reason for this or is it just swings and roundabouts? Comments?

swings and roundabouts imho. while its been a while in f1 since weve seen the triple GB podiums of hill, coulthard and herbert, drivers like button, firman and the charisma lacking wilson do suggest at least some hope. for rallying however, i am less confident of british interest and if the speeding camera debacle in wales last year, and the constant refusal of the govt to help modernise our premier circuits is anything to go by, much damage is being done to younger drivers and an industry in general that brings 2 billion to the uk economy every year.

and mcnish - never thought he had the right luck, but a skilled driver nonetheless. maybe hell return?

>> Edited by paolow on Saturday 14th February 00:34

>> Edited by paolow on Saturday 14th February 00:37

[Esprit]

FourWheelDrift said:

Jenson Button is in F1. We still have the power in F1 through Bernie & Max plus the lion's share of teams and personel. It doesn't matter who wins the F1 World Championships in 2004 there will still be a Brit in the winnning team. Alastair McRae is in the WRC albeit in Group N, Richard Burns will be back next year. Traditionally we have not had very many World Rally drivers over the last 20 years.

Oops, forgot about Button.... *blonde moment* And he's not doing half bad at the moment! Yeah I know F1/WRC etc is still heavily UK based in terms of teams, but the fact stands that UK don't have a great deal of drivers on the up at the moment..... possibly it's just the luck of the draw and we'll have another glut of them come through soon

[littlegearl]

i think there are plenty of Brits in top line motorsport... maybe not the pinical but they're scratching the surface...

although alot of them cannot raise the budget to hit F1 (and the like) whereas johnny foriegner may get government sponsership to get the drive...

take WRC for example, all of Britian's top drivers (with the exceltion of Colin McRae and Burns) such as Higgins, Alister McRae and Rowe are competing in Group N as they can't get the budget to get into WRC but still want to showcase their talents to the world...

As for F1, the sooner Coulthard gives up OR IMPROVES the better... Wilson was a victim of cash and some of Britians best drivers are looking elsewhere such as sports and touring cars...

i think give it 5 years and alot of the new generation will have come through...

[Esprit]

littlegearl said:

i think there are plenty of Brits in top line motorsport... maybe not the pinical but they're scratching the surface... although alot of them cannot raise the budget to hit F1 (and the like) whereas johnny foriegner may get government sponsership to get the drive... take WRC for example, all of Britian's top drivers (with the exceltion of Colin McRae and Burns) such as Higgins, Alister McRae and Rowe are competing in Group N as they can't get the budget to get into WRC but still want to showcase their talents to the world... As for F1, the sooner Coulthard gives up OR IMPROVES the better... Wilson was a victim of cash and some of Britians best drivers are looking elsewhere such as sports and touring cars... i think give it 5 years and alot of the new generation will have come through...

Valid words indeed, and my own feelings echoed... besides.... look at GT racing and the dias is usually stacked with brits.... I'd rather race GTs anyway.... I wish the international GT series had a higher profile.... I mean Le Mans always gwets a look in because of its history, but how about a really widely publicised series run like F1, for the TV audience..... people would soon realise that circuit racing can be very entertaining at the top level without being processional, like F1

[eric mc]

In 1980 the only Brit with a regular seat in F1 was John Watson. Definitely swings and roundabouts - although with only 22 cars on the grid each week the number of places available is the lowest it's been since the early 70s.