This looks ever more likely to happen. F1 drivers will be sent to spend some of their rookie years in CART. I don’t really see how F1 could help CART though. The US doesn’t seem to have responded so well to F1 (as will be proved by the lack of replies to this post :D ) so how will these changes help CART with their sponsorship problems??

I really doubt there will be a merger. It seems to me that it's just Bernie who wants another series to make himself some more money.

Apparently not. The CART boss has been talking about it more and seems very keen. But with Bernie involved, im sure he'll be raking some money in from this, as usual.

Yeah, these americans are savages for the most part when it comes to racing :D , this is the country that spawned nascar after all :rolleyes:

We're not much better in Canada, but at least we try... Open wheel racing is big in the US though, not just Indy and F1 either. There is the Formula Atlantic series, Formula Ford, Dodge, Mazda... The SCCA runs all sorts of good racing series.

So what do you think F1 needs to do to break America? It has the best drivers in the world (without a doubt) and the most advanced cars... how should it try to convince americans that its the best racing series? Do you think it will?

Race on ovals :rolleyes:

Race on ovals? Yuck :apuke:

We'll have to see what happens once USA gets another driver into F1. The audience in question may just be waiting for someone to root for.



So what do you think F1 needs to do to break America? It has the best drivers in the world (without a doubt)...

(Yes, F1 has the best F1 drivers in the world, without a doubt.)

You obviously dont agree with my driver statement. Well, according to anyone who knows anything about motor racing, and most recently Juan Pablo Montoya, who's experienced F1 as well as the pinnacle of American racing, F1 drivers are superior. Cant argue with that, surely?

Though I agree with you 100%, quite recently DaMatta said something to the opposite effect ;) Can't wait till they confirm his move to Toyota F1 team, and then he'll have all the opportunity he needs to prove his point.

... and it seems DaMatta's been confirmed (http://www.itv-f1.com/news/news_story/13371)

I cant understand why/how DaMatta could have said such a thing. He's never raced in F1 so how would he know? Even if he does prove his point (which is very doubtful), the potential for egg in his face is too high for his comment to be an intelligent one to make.

Well, according to anyone who knows anything about motor racing, and most recently Juan Pablo Montoya, who's experienced F1 as well as the pinnacle of American racing, F1 drivers are superior. Can't argue with that, surely?

Actually, if you ask the honest opinion of anyone who knows motor racing well, or at least from the inside, they'll tell you that different forms of the sport require different skills.

Therefore, the question of which driver is superior depends solely on what skills one deems most critical of the best drivers.

(Speaking as one who has spent some time working in motorsport marketing and driver management, I can advise you to question the marketing motivations behind anything that comes out of JPM's mouth, including comparisons between series.')

SS

The points you raise are all perfectly valid. Different disciplines require different skills, this is true. JPM has nothing to gain and everything to lose by saying CART was tougher than F1. But I think you and i both know when it comes to these two particular sports, F1 cars are the more challenging to drive and the standard of drivers is several notches above CART too.

Understandably, most F1 races are more physically demanding than most CART races. Still, my point is that F1 drivers are highly specialized - many have honed a specific set of skills since their karting days, and have driven the same well-groomed circuits for most of their careers.

As far as I'm concerned, the best drivers in the world are those who could get into any car on any day, and drive it as fast as it'll go, through any conditions.

Back in the day, an F1 driver could be found contesting the odd junior-formula or sports-car race, and even Indy. Understandably, active F1 drivers have become too committed to attempt LeMans, Indy, Pikes' Peak, Macau, Bathurst, or a number of the unique and great speed contests. So all you can say about them is that they do their specific jobs well, but they're out of the running for 'world's best driver.'

Im not so sure about their skills being limited to F1. Some ex F1 drivers have achieved some success in other racing formulae, but more often or not when the top dogs leave F1 they dont move to a "lower" racing series. Some of those who do have some experience of other series, such as sports cars have been fast and had decent success. Off the top of my head Thierry Boutsen was successful in America and in Le Mans, as has current F1 driver Allan McNish.
F1 drivers drive 900bhp, 600kg cars over a range of circuits (some old, but more and more new ones they have yet to experience) in rain or shine. I think F1 guys would be fast in anything but rallying, and some may even be good at that. The only challengers to their throne are the rally drivers, and i think that in itself can be a dangerous comparison.

So according to you, who IS in the running for worlds best driver(s)?

As you know, that's been a tough question since the end of the Group B days.

In any case, I think we've at least concluded that the matter has become too complicated to say 'the world's best drivers' as loosely as we'd seen earlier in this thread.

But I do see where you might have a point. If the world's best drivers are able to pedal any car quickly, I guess that would have to include an F1 car...for example, I don't know if Yvan Muller could be quick in a top-level open-wheel car right away, even if he could drive anything with fenders pretty quickly on ice or pavement.

Anyway, I'd think it's fair to say that JPM should at least be somewhere in the top five - I'd safely expect him to be competitive in pretty much anything. I'm sure Robby Gordon would want to put himself on that list. (As for whether I'd agree with him, I dunno...)

Still tho, guys like Stuckie and Mario would try to conquer pretty much everything, instead of just beat one series into submission like Schumi's done. Maybe it's not so much a question of skill as it is application.

Nice post.

Hans Stuck and Mario Andretti have branched out and been successful in many series, but i dont think it would make sense for Schumacher to follow suit. He has quite a bit to gain but too much to lose. Whether it has the best drivers in the world or not, which we may continue to disagree over, F1 is recognised as the pinnacle of motorsport. Why should MS leave now when he's on top of his game and about to take the last few records that remain not his? Remember that despite the fact he IS pulverising the opposition now, this isn’t what the man is all about. MS took on a big challenge in ‘96, leaving a championship winning team, rejecting the chance to drive for other championship winning teams, and instead choosing Ferrari, which was a shambles at the time. If this does not constitute a challenge i dont know what does. His current success could not be more deserved and he has every right, and should be expected, to prolong it. What about after ALL the records are his, which is quite likely to happen, what should he do? CART? Too dangerous compared to F1, and like i said he has too little to gain from it. Rallying? I doubt it.
This said, I would have loved to see Schumi take up McRae on his offer, as i think they are the fastest drivers in their respective series. Although i think MS would win, as he has sports cars experience, he has too much to lose if the 5x F1 WDC loses out to the rally driver, which could definitely happen. Not worth the risk, though what a spectacle it would be.

So what other 4-wheel-racing series are as high profile as F1 and held in as high esteem? Im struggling to come up with a suitable answer. F1 drivers drive 900bhp, 600kg cars. If they can drive these they can drive GT’s, sports cars, touring cars, whatever. This has been proved by several drivers, which is why I give F1 the “best drivers” tag. The only thing that I think MS could do is Le Mans. That would be worth it, and in the right team he would pulverise the opposition. Fast and fit as hell, he would thrive at Le Mans.

http://user.tninet.se/~aiq291w/1991.htm

Note car 31 ;) Also note the fastest lap :D

Here's something you've probably never seen on AF before...

You know what? I think you may be right.

:eek:

In the case of a driver who has been able to beat Michael on occasion, it would probably be a good move to 'diversify' in order to raise his stock. On the other hand, Michael has always been 'a special case.'

wow.... i didnt know he'd already experienced Le Mans.... 11 years ago! :D

Schumi has indeed always been a special case... did u hear about his karting exploits this year?

Originally posted by crayzayjay
So what do you think F1 needs to do to break America? It has the best drivers in the world (without a doubt) and the most advanced cars... how should it try to convince americans that its the best racing series? Do you think it will?

Sorry if it offends anyone,but those are EXACTLY the reasons that F1 struggles in the U.S. Like most countries, their main interest is in sport that they can win. Until Ford or GM come up with a full race team,the Americans won't take much interest.A nd even then,they have to start winning races,and fast.

those are EXACTLY the reasons that F1 struggles in the U.S

what reasons? I didnt know that id specified any reasons :confused:

i agree with you that you'll be more interested in something if you have a chance of winning. But what exactly are you saying in your post? that Americans cant win in F1? Theyre not in it! Surely its defeatist not to enter a racing series, or competition because you dont think youre gonna win? Of course it will take time for an American team to catch up, theyre starting from the back! But if they do start winning that would make the achievement all the more impressive. Isnt that what competition is all about? Who wants to be a big fish in a small pond?