Jaguar Regret Taking Klein

[daydreamer]

bbc said:

Jaguar might have made a mistake in promoting rookie Christian Klien to their race team this year, according to managing director David Pitchforth.

So Jaguar do it again - building the confidence of their drivers in public. Another balls up by a team that appears to be struggling to get anything right. Let's hope that they start to learn from their mistakes soon

More here

[Eric Mc]

Jaguar will pull the plug - probably by the end of this season. The Detroit execs are looking more very carefully at the megabucks they are putting into F1 and the oerceived return they are getting from it.

[pistol pete]

Eric Mc said:

Jaguar will pull the plug - probably by the end of this season. The Detroit execs are looking more very carefully at the megabucks they are putting into F1 and the oerceived return they are getting from it.

[Dreamworld]
Royal Bank of Scotland funded buy out, Jackie S back as team boss. 5 years time, with stable team management, top 3 team. Maybe with Jaguar branded engines as would have been the sencible thing to start with.
[/Dreamworld]


Pete

[steviebee]

pistol pete said:

5 years time, with stable team management, top 3 team. Maybe with Jaguar branded engines as would have been the sencible thing to start with. Pete

Totally agree Pete!

Stewart were just starting to get it right when the Ford boys stepped in!

Trouble is, Ford have quite a big dillema as to pull out could be as damaging to stay in. IMO, Ford are fast destroying the Jaguar brand anyway and with no other high profile motor-sport activity, they could quite easily become the American "Lexus".

What is clear though is the complete hash any championship run by the major manufacturers would be.

[murcielago]

Does this mean next year there could be just 18 cars on the grid?!

Lets get something like 26 on the grid

[FourWheelDrift]

I think there is a section of the Concorde agreement or a "Bernie contract" that stipulates the minimum number of cars entered for a season as 20.

[Eric Mc]

Under the current set up we could very well end up with 16 cars on the grid - especially if Jordan or Minardi throw in the towel. Where would Bernie magic up replacement teams?

Maybe it might help if he droped the £46 million bond all new teams have to pay to his company before they can "join the club".

[hut49]

Of course they could build up the grid by letting teams enter 3 cars each.

[FourWheelDrift]

2 problems with 3 cars.

1st - The arguement of running costs for 3 cars over a whole weekend.

2nd - Do you want to see 3 Ferrari's locking out the podium race after race?

[Eric Mc]

That would make it even more confusing to follow who's who. What with miniscule numbers, complicated helmet designs and the drivers' helmets being obscured by high cockpit sides.

The whole "game" just needs to open up to more entrants. It is far too "exclusive" at the moment and in real danger of snuffing itself out through exhorbitant expenditure.

>> Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 25th June 18:51

[hut49]

FourWheelDrift said:

2 problems with 3 cars. 1st - The arguement of running costs for 3 cars over a whole weekend. 2nd - Do you want to see 3 Ferrari's locking out the podium race after race?

1. But the serious contenders take 4 cars and 3 drivers already

2. Depends who gets the 3rd Ferrari spot

[Munter]

I thought if it fell below 20 cars then the "remaining" teams had to fund another team. (so basically they would pay minardi to stay of Arden to come in from the cold)

[Eric Mc]

It's just a ridiculous situation. Having other teams "sponsor" or fund a potential competitor is total nonsense. The "sport" just has to be more open to newcomers.

When will they learn that their inward looking, self serving atitude is strangling the game?

[steviebee]

Eric Mc said:

When will they learn that their inward looking, self serving atitude is strangling the game?

Agree!

I've read a couple of things recently that lead me to believe where the core of the problem is:

One was Steve Matchet's book "A Mechanic's Tale" and the other was Peter Windsor's article in last months F1 racing.

In both, the writers alluded to an extraordinary arrogance or ignorance within F1 as to what purpose it serves - in that in the minds of all those involved, it exists purely to serve their needs - be it engineering excellence, commercial prowess of the pleasure of each other's company.

It's almost as if anybody outside of the sport deosn't exsist.

Wrong!

Its primary and most important market are those who watch it - from the casual observer to the enthusiasts who pay fortunes to see it for real.

It is this group of people that justify TV companies paying huge fees to air the races, this group that are more likely to be influenced by the presence of of certain company's brands...in other words - they are the paymasters!!

Sport is a branch of the entertainment industry. If people stop being entertained - they will go away.

So as soon as people within the sport begin the see this and shift thier attitudes, the sooner things will improve.

But this has got to happen first - before they start fiddling with qualifying, regulations and so on...which on the face of it at least, does appear to be happening.

But is it too late?

[john75]

Good job the Norman Lamont is not the boss of Jaguar F1 Team.

I can see the quote now "Non regret Klein"