02/03/2009
FEATURE BY MARK GALLAGHER
Considering the problems affecting the world of international motor sport at the moment one might be forgiven for thinking that an interview with A1GP boss Tony Teixeira in The Times newspaper in South Africa would hardly make headline news.
Once again, however, the reaction to some to his comments has cast light on the degree to which the very mention of A1GP in relation to F1 can send certain international motor sport's media rushing to their keyboards for fear that The World Cup of Motorsport™ might gain some grudging credibility. These media in particular seem unduly offended by a series which, now in its fourth season, does not fit in with their view of the world motor sporting hierarchy. I worked in F1 for 20 years, and have run a purpose built team in A1GP - not a GP2 team on a winter break - for four years. Yet I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of F1 journalists who have ever called me up for a chat. In fact I can count them on the fingers of one finger because it was Maurice Hamilton of The Guardian; he came to the A1GP race in Durban two years ago. And he had a really good time.
I don't really pretend to understand what some media, who naturally major on F1, have against A1GP. Maybe it's the fact that it is called The World Cup of Motorsport™ and was feared to be some kind of opposition or competitor to Formula One. As if. Everyone knows that the FIA Formula One World Championship represents the very pinnacle of the motor racing tree. It determines the World Championship for Drivers and Teams. But that hardly means no one else has the right to exist.
The very term 'World Cup of Motorsport' seems to be enough for some media to have a problem, so they disparagingly refer to it as the 'self styled' World Cup of Motorsport. Self-styled. As in someone in A1GP made it up. Does this mean that Apple produces the 'self styled' iPod, that FIFA runs the 'self styled' football World Cup or indeed that Formula One was not itself 'styled' by a group of 'self styling' people? It's all rather bizarre, but gives some indication of the derogatory approach some apply to observation of A1GP. Saying something is self-styled means it's all a little bit fabricated, something not quite genuine. It's like when teenagers say 'whatever' when in fact they mean 'I hear what you are saying but I wish you'd get lost'.
One of the bug bears that appears to annoy these self-styled media is the fact that A1GP involves nation competing against nation, and that a nation can have a national driver. Apparently nationalism is something alien to motor racing, a distant memory of a time when French cars were blue, German cars silver and British cars racing green. Evidently this argument means that the huge growth in the popularity of Formula One in Germany (Schumacher), Spain (Alonso), Poland (Kubica) and so on had nothing to do with national fervour.
Walking through a hotel lobby in Monza 18 months ago I met highly respected Formula One journalist Mike Doodson who, upon remembering that I ran a team in A1GP, launched into a long, often amusing tirade about how A1GP was a complete nonsense and that a series based on national drivers rather than the best drivers was against the natural order of things. I was quite surprised because I know Mike is an enormous motor racing fan, something of a 'key opinion former' in the sport and thus someone who has influence.
The thought that there might be a series for nations where the best drivers in the representative nations could compete, at any time, seemed to be overlooked. Another self-styled journalist wrote this week that the problem with A1GP was that its drivers had not quite made it to F1 or were on their way down from F1. Well given that it would be difficult for A1GP to have drivers that were currently racing in F1 I am not sure what's wrong with the before-or-after bit…
Criticism is always the easy part. If you forecast the end of the world for long enough, one day you'll be right. But it doesn't make you clever and in the meantime everyone will come to hate you. I remember being told that the first A1GP in Brands Hatch in 2005 would never happen. Then that the second race would never happen. Then that the season would finish at Christmas, that season two would be cancelled, and that the Ferrari deal would never be allowed to progress for this year. Four years of being told what would not happen, during which A1GP happened.
Launching a team was no easy feat, let me tell you, but as for launching an entire series, a World Cup no less, with races across five continents? A1GP has been a minor miracle. Finance has been tight, mainly due to the series taking time to become established with the media, sponsors and public. But it has had its successes - witness Kyalami's superb event last weekend and the fact that A1GP has taken over the Surfers Paradise race in Australia later this year.
While the naysayers have banged on for four years, we have watched as other motor sports series have had their own problems, particularly now in this time of vicious economic recession. World Rally has lost two manufacturers, F1 has lost Honda and a raft of sponsors. IRL and GP2 teams struggle for funding. A1GP has not lost much, mainly because we did not have many sponsors to lose, but as a value for money world series (I can't say championship) it is astonishing. ING's recently cancelled Renault F1 deal would fund all the teams in A1GP for a season. Think about it. Who will benefit as the world comes out of its shell and companies look for value for money promotion? I would not bet against A1GP landing its first, seminal deal.
A1GP's loss-making performance is given much airtime by certain self-styled media, but set against the losses of lower ranking teams in F1, or the losses suffered in other forms of motorsport, it seems the series is in good company. Making money from motor sport is hard, but it does not mean it is not worth trying. Especially when the racing is as good as it is in A1GP.
Tony Teixiera's mild comments about F1 copying certain A1GP concepts have also raised the hackles of some self-styled observers and, my word, but it seems they are terribly put out by the mere suggestion that anything A1GP has to offer might be a 'good idea'. Take medals, for example. The gold, silver and bronze medals awarded at A1GP races since the series started in 2005. It's a good idea, it is not rocket science and it seems that none other than Bernie Ecclestone likes the idea. I do too. I have a lot of A1GP medals on the wall of my office and they're very nice to look at.
Standard, long-life engines, single tyre supplier, biofuel, fixed aerodynamics, limited driver aids, mandatory pit stops without refuelling; these are all good ideas in A1GP, and good ideas too in F1 if it makes the show better, the teams profitable and the series sustainable. There's no malice in A1GP adopting some of these items ahead of F1, simply because it made sense when the series was created.
The standardised technology in A1GP - the very basis on which it has created a level playing field for competitors - is another problem to our self-styled observers. Technology is key, they say, and that's what it should be about.
Personally I disagree, both in A1GP and indeed in F1. If there is one reason why F1 has the issues it faces today it is the unfettered technology race which has to led to the best technology finishing first, the second best second, the third best third and so on. So much for having the best drivers. The best drivers need the best technology to win in Formula One. Just ask Jenson. And the technology race has become an obscene, unaffordable space race which has led directly to today's financial crisis for all but the richest F1 teams. No one can tell me that has been a good thing.
When I am asked to describe A1GP I often use a football analogy. Formula One is the Champions League. A1GP is the World Cup. In the former the biggest, wealthiest teams (in Europe) battle it out for the most prestigious prize in annual world football, while in the latter nations compete against nations to try and win a World Cup for their country. At some point every top footballer wants to play in the Champions League, and also to represent their country in the World Cup. Even if it is not a major foot-balling nation. So too, every racing driver who aspires to Formula One can also, now, race for their nation in A1GP. Anthony Davidson might find Team GBR a lot of fun.
The big football teams employ the best footballers in the world. The world cup teams employ the best footballers - in their country. In Formula One we have the best drivers. In A1GP we have the best drivers - in their country, or at least the best available from their country while the elite are in F1 and afraid of a level playing field.
So it is that in Ireland we have Adam Carroll, our country's best driver, who also happens to be easily good enough to race in Formula One, while the same could be said of Neel Jani, from Switzerland. Nico Hulkenberg who won the A1GP series for Germany in 2006/07 is aiming for Formula one next season, no surprise there, while the French duo of Lapierre and Premat probably should have gone to F1 except the French F1 industry has managed to find a way to implode in the last 20 years.
Criticism that A1GP is unfair because a country like China or Pakistan cannot hope to compete against Britain or Germany does not wash. Actually it misses the point. F1 is exclusive, A1GP is inclusive. Being able to compete against big countries when you are a small country is actually the whole point. It's why Ireland has been able to lead this year's series until Team Malaysia forged a pact with Switzerland and punted us off in Kyalami. And when you see the guys from India, China, Pakistan and Lebanon, I'll be honest with you - I think it is fantastic. They try hard, they are very competitive and their day will come. Because of A1GP.
In these uncertain times none of us know quite what is around the corner. I don't know if my team will win the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport for Ireland or not. I don't know if Honda will be sold. I don't know if F1 will lose more teams or learn to cut its cloth according to its budget. But, as a self-styled team boss I do know that A1GP is a terrific series to be involved in and deserves to receive a lot more credit than some of the international media give it. I'll be interested to see if any of them turn up at Brands Hatch on May 3rd, the weekend before the Spanish Grand Prix, to see it for themselves and have a proper chat. But I won't hold my breath.
Mark Gallagher
mark@pitpass.com
 |
To check out previous features from Mark, click here