Formula One used to be referred to as a "circus", but now, it is one. Meet the clowns, magicians, tricksters and two-faced buffoons!
Really, the current state of the world’s leading auto racing series is pitiful. In two weeks or so, the cars that will take part in the 2010 championship are scheduled to line up and warm up for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Shakir.
However, the new cars from first-year teams USF1 and Campos Meta have yet to hit the track — any track! Even worse, they’re not even built as we speak!
USF1 hasn’t released a single comment or news since January 25 and we’ve just learned that its technical director Ken Anderson asked permission from the FIA to skip the first four races of the season.
Last Friday, the word came that Campos Meta’s board of management had pushed the eject button on the seat where Adrian Campos was sitting. His business partner, Jose Ramon Carabante, picked up the pieces and put Colin Kolles at the helm. Problem is, the cars remain at Dallara, in Italy… and will stay there until the F1 team lays out the cash.
Shame on the FIA for welcoming in new teams without demanding solid financial guarantees!
Over the last few hours, speculations about Lotus, Virgin and Force India leaving Formula One as early as the Spanish Grand Prix (due to a lack of funds) have grown significantly.
All these racing teams are owned by ultra-wealthy businessmen who are smart enough not to invest ridiculous and excessive amounts of money in the series. Their plan, obviously, is to pass the torch to a number of rich, dedicated sponsors. Which ones? All I see is a global economy that’s still idling…
USF1 partly belongs to Chad Hurley, cofounder of YouTube; Virgin Racing is owned by Richard Branson of the Virgin Group; Lotus is controlled by Tony Fernandes of AirAsia; Campos Meta now finds itself in the sole hands of Carabante; and Force India is owned by Vijay Mallya of Kingfisher Airlines.
These billionaires are not exactly inclined to throw their money around. They have no other choice but to display the logos of their own companies on the cars. No real outside sponsors = no new money.
What about Stefan GP, a Serbian team with a Toyota-engineered and built car for 2010, which has yet to make its official entry into Formula One. Meanwhile, other entrants don’t have a car! What a circus!
March 14 is fast approaching, but who will be on the starting grid?
Really, the current state of the world’s leading auto racing series is pitiful. In two weeks or so, the cars that will take part in the 2010 championship are scheduled to line up and warm up for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Shakir.
However, the new cars from first-year teams USF1 and Campos Meta have yet to hit the track — any track! Even worse, they’re not even built as we speak!
USF1 hasn’t released a single comment or news since January 25 and we’ve just learned that its technical director Ken Anderson asked permission from the FIA to skip the first four races of the season.
Last Friday, the word came that Campos Meta’s board of management had pushed the eject button on the seat where Adrian Campos was sitting. His business partner, Jose Ramon Carabante, picked up the pieces and put Colin Kolles at the helm. Problem is, the cars remain at Dallara, in Italy… and will stay there until the F1 team lays out the cash.
Shame on the FIA for welcoming in new teams without demanding solid financial guarantees!
Over the last few hours, speculations about Lotus, Virgin and Force India leaving Formula One as early as the Spanish Grand Prix (due to a lack of funds) have grown significantly.
All these racing teams are owned by ultra-wealthy businessmen who are smart enough not to invest ridiculous and excessive amounts of money in the series. Their plan, obviously, is to pass the torch to a number of rich, dedicated sponsors. Which ones? All I see is a global economy that’s still idling…
USF1 partly belongs to Chad Hurley, cofounder of YouTube; Virgin Racing is owned by Richard Branson of the Virgin Group; Lotus is controlled by Tony Fernandes of AirAsia; Campos Meta now finds itself in the sole hands of Carabante; and Force India is owned by Vijay Mallya of Kingfisher Airlines.
These billionaires are not exactly inclined to throw their money around. They have no other choice but to display the logos of their own companies on the cars. No real outside sponsors = no new money.
What about Stefan GP, a Serbian team with a Toyota-engineered and built car for 2010, which has yet to make its official entry into Formula One. Meanwhile, other entrants don’t have a car! What a circus!
March 14 is fast approaching, but who will be on the starting grid?