Bernie purposely trying to kill F1

Bernie Ecclestone wants to introduce "shortcuts" on race tracks to boost entertainment in Formula One and allow the top drivers to do more overtaking. The idea, which has yet to garner support from teams, would be another radical change to the sport with nothing similar ever having been adopted. "I've tried to push the teams with a number of proposals. Imagine a shortcut which a driver can use five times every race. It would stop people getting stuck behind others. It would be good for TV," the 79-year-old F1 supremo said at Ferrari's pre-season ski retreat. Ecclestone, who is also battling to change the points system to aid leading drivers, also complained that brakes in F1 cars were too efficient and reduced the amount of overtaking which fans like to watch. Despite believing the sport can be improved, the Briton reckoned this season would be among the best with Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and the returning Michael Schumacher all on the grid. "We've got four world champions for a start. It's going to be a good year. There'll be good competition inside the teams and between the teams," he said before declining to name his favourite for this year's championship, which starts in Bahrain on March 14. Ecclestone, who laughed and joked with Alonso after a day's skiing, repeated his belief that some of the new teams added to F1 this season may struggle to race. "I think they'll have trouble getting to the first race. We'll wait and see. It's only a small problem. Finance," he said as new entries USF1, Campos, Virgin and Lotus plan to start the campaign. "As long as we have 10 solid teams, it's all we need." Ecclestone also confirmed an agreement had been signed to hold a grand prix through the streets of Rome in the coming years, although no date has been set. Reuters

Bernie needs to be put in a home...

Checks calendar, nope it's not April 1st yet.

Come on, with all the money in F1 can't they have a whip round to hire the guild of assassins?

lets all donate 20 bucks to USF1, that'll help them get on the grid and might get us a GRM sticker on the side!

Also, I think Bernie has been playing a little too much Mario Kart...

Explosives. Yup, lots of explosives. Oh...and machine guns too. That'll boost the ratings right up there!

Kinda reminds me of the Death Race remake from a couple years ago. Hell, he might as well get some convicts to do the driving & make them have costumed like wrestlers if all he's after are ratings...

"Shortcuts"? Isn't that in the same wacky category as NASCAR using the short course at The Glen (and altering Sears Point)because of the fans' attention span?

If he adds drifting to the event, I'm in Seriously, if they want more entertainment, limit tire width and downforce and then we'd see cars sliding around like they did in the 1960's. Visually, those races are Much more fun to watch than today's.

Grandpa's hitting the sauce again!

kb58 is on the money, limit wing area (easiest way to limit downforce?) and tire width. It would be a hoot to see them on 8 inch wide tires. That would be exciting!

Jeff wrote: Grandpa's hitting the sauce again! kb58 is on the money, limit wing area (easiest way to limit downforce?) and tire width. It would be a hoot to see them on 8 inch wide tires. That would be exciting!

That sounds like Formula Vee. Which, honestly... with that driver line-up would still be fun to watch.

Are Bernie and Al Davis related? Or, are they in fact, the same person?

mel_horn wrote: "Shortcuts"? Isn't that in the same wacky category as NASCAR using the short course at The Glen (and altering Sears Point)because of the fans' attention span?

Was that for the fans or for the oval guys that have a limited tolerance for the number of right hand turns they have to make?

Besides smoking too much dope with Mosley, sounds like old man Bernie has been playing too much Gran Turismo and watching too many Fast and Furious repeats.

What a dumb idea.

Why don't we add parade laps where the crowd gets to choose the driver that goes up front too? Better yet, let's script the whole thing like wrestling....

/sarcasm

To be fair, they're only considering this because they couldn't figure out how to store the banana peels and turtle shells in the tight F1 cockpits.

Jeff wrote: Grandpa's hitting the sauce again! kb58 is on the money, limit wing area (easiest way to limit downforce?) and tire width. It would be a hoot to see them on 8 inch wide tires. That would be exciting!

I'd rather they do this, AND axe all engine restrictions, and add propellers.

amg_rx7 wrote: Besides smoking too much dope with Mosley, sounds like old man Bernie has been playing too much Gran Turismo and watching too many Fast and Furious repeats. What a dumb idea. Why don't we add parade laps where the crowd gets to choose the driver that goes up front too? Better yet, let's script the whole thing like wrestling.... /sarcasm

Gran Turismo doesn't have shortcuts. Sounds like he's been playing Mario Kart, Dirt 2, and Motor Storm way too much (all games I've played recently with shortcuts).

And watching way tooo much Speed Racer...that's what this is sounding like. Formula Juan will soon turn into Speed racer with this guy at hand.

I really thin NASCAR and Formula 1 should join, they really are the same exact things just different cars and road courses vs ovals. I know it sounds asinine but they are.

to add to Amg_Rx7's rant, they should introduce a Championship belt for who ever wins that gp, then has to turn it over to the next winner...

"Whats this? Rick Flair has tagged in Michael Schumacher!! Oh no!!"

Jamesc2123 wrote: Also, I think Bernie has been playing a little too much Mario Kart...

After reading the opening post, this is the first thing that came to my mind as well.

Perhaps disgruntled F1 fans should be allowed to throw banana peels onto the track, or that a blue flag should now signal pull over and allow a slower car to pass.

Bernie is getting a little and should allow some new talent to take his spot.

CagleRacing wrote:

Jamesc2123 wrote: Also, I think Bernie has been playing a little too much Mario Kart...

Bernie is getting a little

?

Shaun wrote:

CagleRacing wrote:

Jamesc2123 wrote: Also, I think Bernie has been playing a little too much Mario Kart...

Bernie is getting a little

?

Should now be the "crazy" smilie with tongue sticking out.

In reply to CagleRacing:

Sorry- I meant to intone that Bernie has been for a while now. I am not a fan of his owbership/managment/leagal approaches. The notion of "shortcuts" is asinine. It is something a Japanese game show producer might come up with hungover on a Monday.

The only way to add more passing, etc. is to add more disparity to the cars. But when you do that then you end up with one team dominate and then everyone complains about that.

I like it the way it is. Plenty of passing and since the last 3-4 years have come down to the last race to see the season winner it appears that they've got it pretty close to right.

carguy123 wrote: The only way to add more passing, etc. is to add more disparity to the cars. But when you do that then you end up with one team dominate and then everyone complains about that. I like it the way it is. Plenty of passing and since the last 3-4 years have come down to the last race to see the season winner it appears that they've got it pretty close to right.

I agree. The racing has been great these last couple years. I have disliked Bernie for a while. This really proves that he needs to get out of F1.

F1 - yawn. These are cars anymore they are rolling super computers. Get rid of the GPS, traction control, launch control, etc.... If they had sharks with frigging lazer beams on their heads I would start watching.

I'm not sure they need to do anything other than shoot Bernie. The last couple of years have been classics. The cars already have less downforce, there is more overtaking. 1/2 the fun is the tech. Shoot the old guard, bomb most of the new tracks into dust forcing the return to the classic Euro tracks and all will be well.

i think someone should buy him a Scalextric track, let him play with that....

GTwannaB wrote: F1 - yawn. These are cars anymore they are rolling super computers. Get rid of the GPS, traction control, launch control, etc.... If they had sharks with frigging lazer beams on their heads I would start watching.

F1 cars don't have launch/traction control or ABS.

It's the tracks people. It's the tracks. Look at the classic tracks, especially Monza. Tilke's tracks suck!

For passing.