I know there's a handful of F1 fans on here, so. . .
Will you be watching the race in Bahrain after it being cancelled last year due to the violence, detention and torture against its people whom only ask for a political voice? Amnesty International report (on Monday) that nothing has changed and violence towards the people continues. The Bahrain ruling family are more concerned with polishing their tarnished image.
Quote from Time magazine-
" The eighty-one-year-old Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone is normally just thought of as eccentric, but at the Chinese Grand Prix last week, he sounded completely out of touch with reality. Asked by a reporter if he thought Bahrain was politically stable enough to hold the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix on April 22, he was unequivocal in his response. “There’s nothing happening (in Bahrain),” he said. “I know people that live there and it’s all very quiet and peaceful.” Hours later, clashes broke out between protestors and security forces after the funeral for Ahmed Ismail, who was shot during a demonstration in March."
" But obviously, politics and Formula One are deeply intertwined—particularly in Bahrain. Crown prince, Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, spearheaded the construction of the Bahrain International Circuit and owns the rights to the Grand Prix. Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa al-Khalifa, the brother of the king, serves as head of the Automobile Federation of Bahrain and is a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council. Bahrain also owns a 30% stake in one of F1’s top teams, McLaren."
f1 is a show, and if you start thinking politics and f1 then what about china, or if you go back far enouth most countries have bad things in their past.
where does it end???
or just put on the show and hope it brings some good?
the fact f1 is going has made us all look at bahrain, is this a bad or good thing?
I will be watching .. its entertainment and I love F1. There are good people in Bahrain and if the sportsmen and teams are planning on racing there, i will be watching.
I think of the football clashes we have had here, where people have been killed. People still watch football here in there millions.
Think Bernie was trying to keep things calm and not cause issues by stirring things up. Great reply imo.
as another poster has said Chinas human rights record is bad but so is the USAs we (UK)dont come out so good in other countries eyes especially ex colonies. I dont think F1 should have gone there but since they have i will watch ....providing Mrs G doesnt have other ideas
Dee if you visit Bahrain, it is a former British colony we put the rulers in charge with very little legitimacy. My sympathy is with the protesters, I hope they create a big enough stink to get it called off but if its on I will watch it.......slightly hypocritical I know but thats me.
Anyway. I've stopped watching the F1 these days. I don't enjoy it like I used too. Think it's all the rules and regulations to make it fairer, which makes it a bit like watching washing machines to see which one will stop first!
I agree, I used to race and danger is part of the sport, so much has understandably been introduced for safety something is now missing.
I always had a strange feeling about spectators because most had come to see me or others crash, a strange side of the human mind but if crashes wernt possible it wouldnt be interesting to anyone.
Anyway. I've stopped watching the F1 these days. I don't enjoy it like I used too. Think it's all the rules and regulations to make it fairer, which makes it a bit like watching washing machines to see which one will stop first!
I agree, I used to race and danger is part of the sport, so much has understandably been introduced for safety something is now missing.
I always had a strange feeling about spectators because most had come to see me or others crash, a strange side of the human mind but if crashes wernt possible it wouldnt be interesting to anyone.
Depending on the sport i guess you will always have spectators who want to see a crash.
I never watch on the basis that i `hope' i would see a crash. God, no way do i want any person injured in the name of sport but the racing drivers are fully aware its a possibility.
I would hope that most people do not watch only to hope there is a crash in the race. Yes the safety regulations and rules are far tighter you are correct AA and I for one am very pleased as there has been no deaths in F1 since they brought in the new safety regulations... that is a very good thing imo.
Depending on the sport i guess you will always have spectators who want to see a crash.
I never watch on the basis that i `hope' i would see a crash. God, no way do i want any person injured in the name of sport but the racing drivers sign themselves up knowing its a possibility.
I would hope that most people do not watch only to hope there is a crash in the race. Yes the safety regulations and rules are far tighter you are correct AA and I for one am very pleased as there has been no deaths in F1 since they brought in the new safety regulations... that is a very good thing imo.
Dee I raced because I enjoyed racing, spectators were an evil you put up with, spectators at most circuits go to where there are the most crashes. The sport is all about pushing your opponent past his fear and control level while being within yours. If cars/bikes cant crash there is no fear there.
Oh yes. I wouldn't want to see a crash, that is not at all what I would watch F1 for. But there is something that seems to be missing from it now. It's not crashing that is missing but rather it just doesn't seem to be a real 'race' anymore.
complex to explain in a single post but changes to allow cars to pass each other have meant that they can easily pass each other on the straight or in the pits, the skill now is in conserving tyres and fuel which arnt really very exciting subjects to write about or less still pay £200 to watch. For most people a race is two guys diving into a corner to see who has the nerve and skill to come out first.
Dee I raced because I enjoyed racing, spectators were an evil you put up with, spectators at most circuits go to where there are the most crashes. The sport is all about pushing your opponent past his fear and control level while being within yours. If cars/bikes cant crash there is no fear there.
Double post .. again!!! hehe .. you ought to get your pc sorted out!!It could be running a bit slow.
Thats why i like F1 gunther, because of the skill, tactics and knowledge that is involved but also the championship is always such a close competition..it makes for exciting races without life-ending or career crashes!!
I disagree with you on` its not exciting'.The drivers are not talking about tyres, thats the commentary just switch of the sound lol. Its exciting for me and millions of others gunther!! Even though things have changed, to reduce risk of fatality.
I agree dee, but the danger was part of it, I saw some get seriously hurt and a couple of fatalities, it was facing the possibility that made the sport.
Bravest person I ever raced against was actually a girl, her BF was killed racing (I saw the accident) and she started, maybe to exorcise a ghost or something, anyway she fell in love with her mechanic and it all worked out fine.
I am on a wireless connection sometimes its rubbish
To be honest, I just want to watch the race and not care about the politics or anything else. If it doesn't go ahead this year, just scrap it and replace it with a more reliable GP, I say
I think the idea of making a political judgement as to whether a country is sufficiently democratic to play sport with is a tough one - do you only play with countries where the government is elected by a sufficiently high-grade proportional representation system and re-elected, say, every 4 years?
As for F1, despite being a fan since the 60's, I'm rather anaesthetised to it in recent years. When you have to introduce 'trick' tyres and video-game style DRS (and highly prescriptive KERs) in order to make some overtaking possible it just doesn't do it for me. I have nothing against aerodynamics - I have a couple of foot of bookshelf space occupied by text-books on the subject - but it has totally ruined F1.
Hey i watched f1 for years in so many formats too many to list and i always say hey ho boring don't like this but it a challenge between man and machine and to try and get round stupid rules by inventing something better .Its great progress every week B,ut what i don't like isit being used as a political pawn ,i dont see peopel arguing at if a game of tennis is going ahead or football what about table tennis,so tell me to shut up but leave sport out of politics please w e are onlythtere for competive fun afterall
Ive just read that milliband has called for it to be cancelled, a disgraceful bit of grandstanding considering his party's history in the mid east........thats nuff politics for me
2nd free practice order Rosberg webber vettel hamilton shumi button...should be a good race
... and to try and get round stupid rules by inventing something better .
Except that the only game in town is aerodynamics - they froze engine development, standardised ECUs, issued standardised tyres, banned active suspensions and artificially limited KERs to a specified BHP for a specified time per lap so no real contest in any of these areas. And what have the killer technical issues been over the last few year? Double diffusers, flexy front wings and now a ducted DRS system on the Mercedes - all aero stuff. Boring as hell even for me who has earned a living for a time out of aerodynamics.
Anyway, from the latest news it sounds to me as if the security issue for the teams out there is perhaps a good reason to call it off.
Gyrator....it is no longer a race per se it is an endurance competition fuel restrictions tyres and other factors mean it is going as fast as economically possible. If they go flat out from the start they run out of fuel and shed the tyres, while I appreciate Le Mans and the Bol D'or to me it isnt truee racing.
as an aside I have an aquaintence here who worked on the wind tunnels for Benneton, he has some tales to tell