Peter Windsor (USF1)
Discussion
Anyone else read this on Autosport?
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80730
This is the second interview Ive read where Peter Windsor seems desperate to big up US based engineering and correspondingly slag the UK off saying how inferior it is.
One of the things he goes on about in the above link is how great it is to be in the USA as it meant they could work on their car over the Christmas holiday only taking a couple of days off, whereas the.... "UK – and most of Europe – basically shut down on December 18 and will not stagger back to life until January 4. That's 16 valuable days lost in the too-short life of the F1 European winter"
Does he seriously think that the likes of Mclaren and Ferrari all close down for 2+ weeks over the Christmas period?
He also seems to think Europe as a whole shuts down throughout August and that's the driving force behind the summer F1 factory shutdown rule!
"August for Americans is just another working month in which some people maybe take a week or two away. There's no nationwide shutdown, as such – not of the type that regularly afflicts massive F1 teams like Ferrari.
For years all of their suppliers have been shutting their doors for the month of August – and for years the European teams have been complaining that the situation has been growing worse, not better."
Looks like they're setting themselves up for an epic fail if they continue to delude themselves that they're working harder and smarter than the established teams!
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80730
This is the second interview Ive read where Peter Windsor seems desperate to big up US based engineering and correspondingly slag the UK off saying how inferior it is.
One of the things he goes on about in the above link is how great it is to be in the USA as it meant they could work on their car over the Christmas holiday only taking a couple of days off, whereas the.... "UK – and most of Europe – basically shut down on December 18 and will not stagger back to life until January 4. That's 16 valuable days lost in the too-short life of the F1 European winter"
Does he seriously think that the likes of Mclaren and Ferrari all close down for 2+ weeks over the Christmas period?
He also seems to think Europe as a whole shuts down throughout August and that's the driving force behind the summer F1 factory shutdown rule!
"August for Americans is just another working month in which some people maybe take a week or two away. There's no nationwide shutdown, as such – not of the type that regularly afflicts massive F1 teams like Ferrari.
For years all of their suppliers have been shutting their doors for the month of August – and for years the European teams have been complaining that the situation has been growing worse, not better."
Looks like they're setting themselves up for an epic fail if they continue to delude themselves that they're working harder and smarter than the established teams!
Edited by LocoBlade on Monday 4th January 16:59
I think he is also trying defend his business plan. He talked about the benefits of working in the US during last season when he was a commentator for the Speed channel. I too don't like it when people are less then gracious, and would rather hear about US tech in F1 without his comparisons to the EU, and how setting up an American team was the right move. Other teams have their moments where they aren't very gracious either. I've resigned myself to the fact that people are gonna say stuff that irks, and try to be aware whenever classy things are said.
With regards to the August shutdown:
American way = lets all have holidays at random times causing disruption to suppliers and customers alike.
European way = Why don't we all shut down together (suppliers and customers) to minimise disruption.
I know which one seems better on paper. And having worked in Automotive I know that it also works well in practice as you can have a 2 week break and not return to a mountain of piled-up work.
American way = lets all have holidays at random times causing disruption to suppliers and customers alike.
European way = Why don't we all shut down together (suppliers and customers) to minimise disruption.
I know which one seems better on paper. And having worked in Automotive I know that it also works well in practice as you can have a 2 week break and not return to a mountain of piled-up work.
Yeh no problem talking up facilities etc to attract sponsors as it goes with the territory, it just seems his opinions are a little more ingrained than that, as if he's got a bit of an axe to grind or point to prove somewhere. You wouldnt catch Mclaren or Williams etc saying stuff like this about Italian engineering and vice versa with Ferrari about UK suppliers / workers.
Perhaps someone should remind him the engine they'll be using will have been designed and manufacturered by a company using these inferior UK based engineering sources that have almost certainly all been on holiday since mid December.
Perhaps someone should remind him the engine they'll be using will have been designed and manufacturered by a company using these inferior UK based engineering sources that have almost certainly all been on holiday since mid December.
chris_w said:
I assume he's chasing patriotic US sponsors so this kind of talk is inevitable, personally I'd like to see an American team tackle F1 as it would help promote the sport over there so good luck to him.
agree with that part. what worries me about US F1 is that they seem to be repeatedly suggesting that all the best tech is US and everything from the US is 'bigger, better, smarter....etc etc' 
so they are actually going to crash and burn when they can't live up to the hype. US teams, sponsors, drivers etc in F1 has to be a good thing, but a lot of noise followed by abject failure will only set things back, yet again. 
a huge number of European firms do shut down for the whole of August so he has a point. Try working with engineering companies in France, Spain and Italy during this time- bloody impossible and very irritating- especially when kit brakes down and you can't get it fixed.
Having said that, as ever with F1, pre- season its who can talk the biggest race that gets the best coverage!
Having said that, as ever with F1, pre- season its who can talk the biggest race that gets the best coverage!
llewop said:
what worries me about US F1 is that they seem to be repeatedly suggesting that all the best tech is US and everything from the US is 'bigger, better, smarter....etc etc' so they are actually going to crash and burn when they can't live up to the hype. US teams, sponsors, drivers etc in F1 has to be a good thing, but a lot of noise followed by abject failure will only set things back, yet again.
Exactly so they are actually going to crash and burn when they can't live up to the hype. US teams, sponsors, drivers etc in F1 has to be a good thing, but a lot of noise followed by abject failure will only set things back, yet again. pugwash4x4 said:
a huge number of European firms do shut down for the whole of August so he has a point. Try working with engineering companies in France, Spain and Italy during this time- bloody impossible and very irritating- especially when kit brakes down and you can't get it fixed.
Id say that 95% of F1 engineering outsourcing is UK based though, which generally don't, and even though they're based in Italy I can't imagine Ferrari tolerating working with local suppliers that sod off to the beach for a month in August and leave them stranded.LocoBlade said:
pugwash4x4 said:
a huge number of European firms do shut down for the whole of August so he has a point. Try working with engineering companies in France, Spain and Italy during this time- bloody impossible and very irritating- especially when kit brakes down and you can't get it fixed.
Id say that 95% of F1 engineering outsourcing is UK based though, which generally don't, and even though they're based in Italy I can't imagine Ferrari tolerating working with local suppliers that sod off to the beach for a month in August and leave them stranded.chris_w said:
I assume he's chasing patriotic US sponsors so this kind of talk is inevitable, personally I'd like to see an American team tackle F1 as it would help promote the sport over there so good luck to him.
+1 to that mate, it will be sponsor chasing or something very similar. I do hope they do well in F1, it would be a great boost for the sport over their... Can't wait for new season (big American team owners and all.)chris_w said:
I assume he's chasing patriotic US sponsors so this kind of talk is inevitable, personally I'd like to see an American team tackle F1 as it would help promote the sport over there so good luck to him.
The very fact that, after all these years, there is still - only just - one US GP engineering outfit, does rather speak volumes, I feel..."the majority of the teams, led by Red Bull, it seemed to me, are firmly committed to the summer shutdown. And so shut down we will."
I thought it was commitment to save money, backed up by F1 staff not getting enough breaks, or is this another shutdown?
And if he's still looking for sponsors, he should too.
Sounds to me he just wants more project time.
"That's 16 valuable days lost in the too-short life of the F1 European winter."
I imagine the handicap is having a US based factory, but good luck to him, interesting challenge.
I thought it was commitment to save money, backed up by F1 staff not getting enough breaks, or is this another shutdown?
And if he's still looking for sponsors, he should too.
Sounds to me he just wants more project time.
"That's 16 valuable days lost in the too-short life of the F1 European winter."
I imagine the handicap is having a US based factory, but good luck to him, interesting challenge.
oilspill said:
"the majority of the teams, led by Red Bull, it seemed to me, are firmly committed to the summer shutdown. And so shut down we will."
I thought it was commitment to save money, backed up by F1 staff not getting enough breaks, or is this another shutdown?
And if he's still looking for sponsors, he should too.
Sounds to me he just wants more project time.
"That's 16 valuable days lost in the too-short life of the F1 European winter."
I imagine the handicap is having a US based factory, but good luck to him, interesting challenge.
I thought the idea of the shut down was so that all the staff can at least take a break from F1 without compromising there development.. it might also save some money.I thought it was commitment to save money, backed up by F1 staff not getting enough breaks, or is this another shutdown?
And if he's still looking for sponsors, he should too.
Sounds to me he just wants more project time.
"That's 16 valuable days lost in the too-short life of the F1 European winter."
I imagine the handicap is having a US based factory, but good luck to him, interesting challenge.
These comments seem a bit daft from this side of the pond but I guess they are mainly aimed at the US media.
Whichever way USF1 goes its interesting, either there superior technology will work and they will make the established teams look silly, or they will fail miserably and we can all laugh at them
Either way it will be worth watching.
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