Is F1 the fastest motorsport...?

englishpremier · 24 Aug 2011 at 08:24

The series wouldn't need to be certifies by the FIA they are only a governing body for those that agree to be governed by them.

Glaucus · 24 Aug 2011 at 09:12

But they do hold the rights to Some circuits and tv. Making it much harder for a rival series.

englishpremier · 24 Aug 2011 at 09:40

I'm not aware of any circuit that the FIFA has exclusive rights too, nor any TV channels. I could possibly be wrong and often am.

I work with governing bodies of various sports, really any one in any sport could set up their own system and go it alone if they have the money.

A governing body is nothing other than a group who have got together and decided to call themselves a governing body. The trick is getting teams, individuals to sign up and then locking them in through benefits etc..

If i had billions, I could set up a racing series. Now the FIFA could try and lean on the circuits I want to go to, but there are so many circuits in the world, I can't see a problem with that. That really it's only the F1 circuits that might give in to pressure.

[TW]Taggart · 24 Aug 2011 at 10:19

people playing football on a track when people are racing.... now that I would pay to see on sky

englishpremier · 24 Aug 2011 at 10:41

lol. You could add cycling to that, i believe sky have the rights ;-)

Housey · 24 Aug 2011 at 11:15

FIFA and FIA, 2 completely different bodies and I assure creating a championship quicker than F1 is not a work of simply throwing money at the problem and to suggest otherwise suggests a lack of knowledge on the history of the sport...

Housey · 24 Aug 2011 at 11:30

MissChief said:
If there was any chance of another series becoming faster than F1 I'm not sure the teams and bernie would allow it. They'd change the regulations or the FIA wouldn't certify the series or something. F1 will always be the fastest cars.

A story that often does the rounds, though I am not sure if it's factual, is the reason Group C was changed was the fact that Bernie heard about Senna being overtaken on the Monza straight by a Group C car during a tyre testing session, which to me doesn't stack up but makes for a nice story none the less.

Skeeter · 24 Aug 2011 at 11:59

FIA are the regulator and governing body of F1, and many other global motorsports.

There are alternatives. For example, the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest (sp?)) that governs Le Mans and the Le Mans Series accross the globe. IndyCar, which governs the IndyCar series', etc.

The FIA are the biggest and (I think) the only one able to regulate a 'World Championship' series.

The broadcasting and circuit agreeemtns AH2 is thinking of are things controlled by the FOM group of companies, who run the 'business' of F1.

The FIA couldn't stop anyone setting up a faster series (IndyCars are quicker in a straight line than F1 cars). But its all a bit apples and pears.

If you stuck an F1 car on an Oval against an IndyCar, or a drag strip against a Drag Racer, it would loose. But likewise the IndyCar and the Drag Racer would lose around an F1 circuit.

For the category of motorsport F1 is in (i.e. closed circuit racing) it is, as a whole, the fastest. In a like for like comparison of all aspects, I think the only areas they may get beaten is by DTM when it comes to pit stops. Other than that, they are just quicker.

pcoltrane · 24 Aug 2011 at 12:14

Skeeter said:
FIAThe FIA couldn't stop anyone setting up a faster series (IndyCars are quicker in a straight line than F1 cars). But its all a bit apples and pears.

If you stuck an F1 car on an Oval against an IndyCar, or a drag strip against a Drag Racer, it would loose.

Current Indycars aren't faster in a straight line than a F1 car, unless you were to limit the F1 car with a high downforce (and therefore drag) setup.

A F1 car is also likely to be quicker around an oval. It has significantly more power (800ish vs 650), is lighter, and has far more sophisticated aerodynamics (ie more downforce for less drag).

With a low downforce package and a setup to suit the oval, I'd be willing to bet that the F1 would be quicker on most if not all ovals

Modern indycars are very low tech and low budget compared to F1 (deliberately so) Around a road course, I'd expect a GP2 car to be faster.

englishpremier · 24 Aug 2011 at 13:30

Lol I meant FIA obviously.

My point stands though, that if they so wished, someone could setup a rival series and choose not to be governed by the FIA and there is little the FIA can legitimately do about it.

Housey · 24 Aug 2011 at 15:36

englishpremier said:
Lol I meant FIA obviously.

My point stands though, that if they so wished, someone could setup a rival series and choose not to be governed by the FIA and there is little the FIA can legitimately do about it.

Without the top drivers and manufacturers though the people and TV wouldn't come and the series would die on it's backside. There have been a few attempts over the years and all are a pale imitation of the big boys. There has to be an appetite for such a thing for it to succeed and this is why it's never and is very unlikely to ever happen.

It's so much more than a pile of money and who can do what about it...

englishpremier · 24 Aug 2011 at 16:31

That's wasn't the original argument. The argument was

If there was any chance of another series becoming faster than F1 I'm not sure the teams and bernie would allow it

My argument is that the FIA, Bernie etc.. don't have the power to stop or allow it, only to compete against it. That's it nothing more. Anyway this is off topic really.

apeZ · 24 Aug 2011 at 16:54

Out of interest, does anyone know what safety precautions and the like that they take with the Red Bull Air Race? Have there been any incidents? It looks really quite dangerous when you see how close they fly to the water as well as the confined space within cities.