Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix

[Ryankelvin]

Congratulations again to Max ,
I seen his interview where he was unhappy with this Grand Prix ,
I don’t know if his criticism was justified.
As was said earlier your reporting on F1 is top class Steve , well done.

[SteveB]

Congratulations again to Max ,
I seen his interview where he was unhappy with this Grand Prix ,
I don’t know if his criticism was justified.
As was said earlier your reporting on F1 is top class Steve , well done.

I think his criticism is rooted in an old attitude in Formula One. That was that everyone was simply a worker, from the driver to the technicians to whoever swept the floor. The garage, the racetrack, the entire environs was their workspace.
Technicians did not like people (media, "VIPs" etc. ) in their garage getting in the road of them working, drivers would race and do what was contractually necessary with regard to media interviews and ceremony and then leave.

With increasing sponsorship, media deals etc. this has changed. But most people in Formula One would believe, with an acknowledgement that money is needed in the sport, nevertheless that it is a sport and not a media spectacle. Max's problem was that it was too much spectacle and too little sport. He did complain that he "felt like a clown" the way they were being presented to the crowd. The crowd were there for the spectacle, the drinking, to see the VIPs, and not to appreciate the racing.

The win, however, will do a lot to make him feel better.

[SteveB]

And to add, you get the "sudden death" type runs for pole position, extra shortened races (sprint races) and the like. All entertaining but is it "racing"? Whatever happened to, "May the best man (and car ) win"?
Now it is "entertainment" and people complain, when the best racer wins, and wins consistently, that it is boring.