Motorsport racing - business against safety

So much to say!

Consequence of the recent event on Sunday, August 23rd 2015, the world of Motorsports is screaming for more changes in SAFETY.

Unfortunately, they are looking at the horse from its behind.

Why accidents happen? Many reasons, right?
Mechanical, been the most. And then is that little word: Safety.
What is safety? Lately that word means: let's do something to keep the lousy drivers SAFE! and the good drivers safer.

I'm not saying let's go back to the 1960's and race in a crazy way, otherwise i think that Jackie Stewart won't be happy about it, and he had been through a lot those days. I sincerely believe that the maFIA, (as i call them), has been doing a good job concerning "safety".

Why do we have to change the way open wheel motor racing do RACE? to make it safer!
Good answer!

Well, . . .

Already they changed the cars, making them slower, safer. Of course, if we all are honest to ourselves, going against the reason of "racing", meaning going faster to be first, right? Well, because of safety, we have to slow down, fine. I do understand that. (Technology will really make you fly away, otherwise!).
But why don't look things from another perspective?

I do understand that accidents happen, doesn't matter if you are a good or a bad driver, it's just racing.
But in the last couple of years i have been stopping watching racing, it's just not my kind of racing, it's not for me.

As an example, the Honda Indy, in Toronto, which i have the chance to go, almost every year since 1996, it is a shame to the racing fans nowadays. The reason? Money! This is not a surprise, it's well known.We all know the trouble in the world, we all know the luxury around this sport, we know the technology it takes to make it SAFE!

So, what do they have to do to survive? Attract people! which people? anyone! how do you do that? well, you have to go beyond the real racing fans and dig deep to bring those other ones who are not.
New marketing ideas target the young people, and the easy ones to bring are men. Therefore you bring nice pretty, young girls in bikinis to show around the track. And don't tell me that i'm wrong because i have been there, before and after the changes in CART, Indy, and now Honda IndyCar. I know the difference.

So again, we come to the question, why accidents happen?
Another reason, consequence of the above is Human Factor, meaning, drivers.
I have to make reference to a name, i don't want to but i have to, and we all know that i'm right.
Danica Patrick, is she a good driver? We all know why she is in motorsports, and don't tell me different because you will be lying to yourselves. Thanks God that for some reason she didn't go to F1, and hopefully won't happen, never.
We all know her story, can't fool me.

Saying that, i'm not against women in the sport, i admired the driving skills of Sarah Fisher, she was a real racer, and now a Great Team Owner.

We all know the Sato's, Maldonado's, Massa's, Grosjean's, Kobayashi's, etc., and many more.
We make fun and jokes, but if you think about it, they are "practicing" the RACING day!
Thanks to the testing ban enforcement in the series, specially F1. Why? Money and environmental safety.

So, again, why do we have to change the open wheel racing cars?
Maybe we just need to change the drivers SKILLS SET! (I remember Jackie Stewart offered mentor Grosjean but this one refused, can't remember why)
Maybe we just can bring their SKILLS first and then the money bringing in.
Maybe we can allow them to practice BEFORE really racing.
Maybe the teams will contract a REAL RACER brought up. investing from a young age (which some teams do have this program in place).
Maybe we can stop the racing of who will be the next driver younger than the last!.

In the old days a driver used to jump from Cart to F1, they needed that experience before. Now they are champions in any other category in Europe and they get the F1 Super license right away. Easy peasy.

Where are the kinds of Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard, Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Alex Zanardi, Jacques Villeneuve, Dario Franchitti, Sebastien Bourdais, Oriol Servia, Kimi Raikkonen, Scott Dixon, even younger Marco Andretti fits in this category, (very impressed with his skills from the start).

On the track the RESPECT must be ABSOLUTE. The choices are made in an instance. Therefore if a racing driver do not understand OFF the track the word RESPECT, will not applied on the track. Simple.
There is no respect nowadays, with the pressure the drivers are in, it's another kind of ABSOLUTE.
I don't know much what exactly is going on behind doors, and i'm sure some of you knows better; but i don't need to know, it's obvious.

There are so many bad drivers out there nowadays, that to me it's a real miracle no more accidents happen, seriously. I don't watch it as often as i used to, as the good drivers are gone.

To ended it up, in my humble opinion, there is no reason for closing the open wheel cockpit (canopy cocoon), just bring, educate, skilled racing driver, not because she/he brings money, and yes, accidents will happen, but not as many or severe. It's not science, it is just logical.

I miss a good race.

A little bit of everything . . .

Once upon a time it was a book. That book will be reality soon.