F-1 Racer takes a dive

[Richard Hudgins]

Hey Everyone,

I agree that the results were fixed. They were fixed in a obvious way that really did not sit well with the fans etc.

However, this sort of thing is normal. F1 is a business. Not a sport. We all need to remember that.

All big league racing is a business.

As the team manager, you are required by sponsor contracts to produce the best possible results, PERIOD!!!!!!!!! If you do not, you are replaced.

A world championship means really big exposure in the rest of the world. (The USA does not count in the F1 marketing world at this time)

This means big sales of Marlboro and Fiat cars everywhere but here.

Fiat is in deep Sh$t at this time market share wise ROW. The F1 championship is worth it's weight in gold to them. It sells cars!!!!!!

Marlboro has been kicked in the face in the US and needs to increase sales ROW to survive. They are after all a US company.

They dictate the way things work more than one would think. And they certainly demand results from a race win and championship standpoint. (I know these truths, I was in the business and have signed some of these contracts myself. You do not perform, you do not eat.)

What everyone must understand, is that this is business, it is not a pure sport on any level other than the engineering level. Everything after that is a business decision.

What we all experienced this past Sunday may well put a bad taste in our mouths, but it is the reality of corporate sponsorship and marketing.

You know, win on Sunday, sell on Monday.

This applies to any major race series and for that matter any major sport period.

It is just a matter of presentation. Ferrari just presented it badly.