The Future of Formula One

[Max]

Planet-F1 Article Link

 

All in all it sounds good for most, if not all involved in the sport, not mention the regular car buyers themselves. Keeping the teams operating rather efficiently and productive, not only to their race teams, but to the future of street cars as well.

 

Should Ford return to Formula One? I'm all for it, even if it would mean dropping NASCAR.

 

Following NASCAR, I haven't heard of anything where NASCAR was looking to improve its relevancy to the automotive world. Not surprising to most...even though they are going to unleaded fuel.

 

I know they have the Car of Tomorrow (COT), ready to be phased into competition next year. This COT offers nothing technology wise to what's on the track now. Only advancing in driver safety (basically coming from an increase in the actual car size) and competition, with supposed ease of adjustments and better racing from a big wing on the back. While the Busch series is still looking to get Pony cars in the near future.

 

What should Ford do? Seems like F1 has things planned out for their future as well as their taking care of their manufacturers' developing needs...where as NASCAR is just racing for entertainment, essentially contributing nothing to the advancing auto market.

 

I'd like to hear some constructive comments regarding this issue, since Ford most certainly identifies with racing. With the expense of racing, where should their dollars go? Sounds almost like a 2 for 1 deal with racing exposure and development for the future of F1. Compared to money going down the hole with NASCAR.

[ZanatWork]

Formula One is a fantastic place to throw hundreds of millions of dollars away in sponsorship and R&D, and get limited returns.

 

I'm a huge race fan, and was watching with interest as my Benetton team got Michael Schumacher from Jordan over a decade ago. I've followed F1 in some way since childhood in the 70's when Mario Andretti won the championship for Lotus.

 

I love F1...but if you're not winning, you're pouring money into a bottomless pit with no real promise of any real return whatsoever. In the modern era, it seems no more than 2 teams can ever have truly competitive cars and the drivers have less and less personality.

 

NASCAR is essentially an advertising expense, with no real R&D benefits forthcoming. What it does offer, however, is possibly a better investment in TV time than commercials themselves can dream of. A huge fan base of some of the most polite sports fans on record (you can sit surrounded by Dale Jr. and Tony Stewart fans replete in Kenseth swag, and likely spend the race in friendly conversation. Try that wearing the wrong jersey at a Cowboys/Giants game...

 

I'd love Ford to buy Cosworth Racing back, and to get back into F1...but that's not gonna happen until they're comfortably profitable again.

[Roadrunner]

Ford in F1 does not help Ford NA because F1's viewership numbers in the States are low.

 

I am fairly sure that their time in owning Jaguar wasn't useful either -- although, firing Bobby Rahal? WTF?

 

I think building the Ford GT helps Ford's premium performance image here in the Americas much more than sponsoring F1, because F1 competition right now is one of those sports where either you try your hardest and kick butt, or you... sort of mosey around.

 

Compared to money going down the hole with NASCAR.

 

Tell that to all those people who say, "Man! I'm going to buy a Ford 'cause that's what my main man Mark Martin drives" Oh, wait...

 

No but I'm not sure if NASCAR is a hole overall, but Ford's current situation is that the sport is a Chevy and Dodge-dominated place. You think NASCAR, you think "Chevy."

 

Whether this is good or bad is another thing, because as we all know, you think Camaro, you think "mullet"

[RichardJensen]

I think Ford has a place in F1 as an engine manufacturer--contract with CART's Cosworth unit, just like in the past, and rotate the best powertrain engineers through the race facilities.

 

Ford should not be in the engine/chassis business. Only one team is, Ferrari, and it is doubtful if Ford would--even in the best of times--be willing to pay what Ferrari pays.

 

I would like to see a return to the customer engine model, as closely as possible. Possibly even a customer chassis as well--sort of like CART in the 90s, but with better technology.

 

During the 90s, I think it was a genuine toss-up between CART and F1 over which series gave you a better race--with an edge to CART for better 'racing', and to F1 for demanding better skills.

[jpd80]

Formula One is a fantastic place to throw hundreds of millions of dollars away in sponsorship and R&D, and get limited returns.

 

And this is different Ford and GM in what way?

[Roadrunner]

I think Ford has a place in F1 as an engine manufacturer--contract with CART's Cosworth unit, just like in the past, and rotate the best powertrain engineers through the race facilities.

 

Ford should not be in the engine/chassis business. Only one team is, Ferrari, and it is doubtful if Ford would--even in the best of times--be willing to pay what Ferrari pays.

 

I agree completely -- Ford's presence as a engine supplier to a strong team would be great. It's a shame that there won't be any Cosworths in '07 since Williams switched to Toyota.

 

Toyota is the new "all team" engine supplier. Renault's gotten into it too, and Ferrari has been there for years. The Super Best Friends are so hooked into Honda that I don't see that relationship changing until Aguri runs out of cash.

[Edstock]

"What we are doing in the car industry, and you can see this at BMW, is that we are shifting over to turbo-charged engines with a high-point of efficiency. In the future we will have down-sized engines with turbo-chargers."

 

Everywhere but NA, because DC and GM have Godzilla-size V-8's, Ford has to have 'em too, I guess.

 

However, the comment shows how important a turbo 3.5 will be in Ford product.