Big Business, Celebrities, Speed and History: F1 Marco Antonio Soriano @Sorian8o - Wednesday, January 29, 2020 “I Feel the Need
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RACING THE RETURN OF RACING Big Business, Celebrities, Speed and History: F1 Marco Antonio Soriano @sorian8o - Wednesday, January 29, 2020 “I feel the need. The need for speed”. - Tom Cruise in Top Gun. e all have always (French for ‘grand prizes’ or ‘great FOCA. He offered Formula One to wondered about why is prizes’), which take place worldwide circuit owners as a package, which it that speed generates on purpose-built circuits and on public they could take or leave. In return for so much adrenaline and roads. the package, they were required to excitement. Formula Beginning in the 1970s, Bernie Ecclestone surrender trackside advertising. One or “F1” is the rearranged the management of The formation of the Fédération Whighest class of single-seater auto Formula One’s commercial rights; he Internationale du Sport Automobile racing sanctioned by the Fédération is widely credited with transforming (FISA) during 1979 set off the FISA– Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) the sport into the multibillion-dollar FOCA controversy, during which FISA and is owned by the Formula One business it is today. When Ecclestone and its president Jean-Marie Balestre Group. The FIA Formula One World bought the Brabham team in 1971, disputed repeatedly with FOCA over Championship has been one of the he gained a seat on the Formula television revenues and technical premier forms of racing around the One Constructors’ Association and regulations. The Guardian said of world since its inaugural season in during 1978 he became its president. FOCA that Ecclestone and Max Mosley 1950. The word “formula” in the name Previously, the circuit owners “used it to wage a guerrilla war with refers to the set of rules to which controlled the income of the teams and a very long-term aim in view”. FOCA all participants’ cars must conform. negotiated with each team individually; threatened to establish a rival series, A Formula One season consists of a however Ecclestone persuaded the boycotted a Grand Prix and FISA series of races, known as Grands Prix teams to “hunt as a pack” through withdrew its sanction from races. EPN SPOTLIGHT Fashion Issue 8 13 The result was the 1981 Concorde Renault had pioneered in 1977, were circuit racing cars ever. To reduce Agreement, which guaranteed technical producing over 700 bhp (520 kW) and engine power output and thus speeds, stability, as teams were to be given were essential to be competitive. By the FIA limited fuel tank capacity in reasonable notice of new regulations. 1986, a BMW turbocharged engine 1984, and boost pressures in 1988, Although FISA asserted its right before banning turbocharged engines to the TV revenues, it handed the pressure, estimated to be over 1,300 completely in 1989. administration of those rights to FOCA. bhpachieved (970 akW) flash in reading qualifying of 5.5 for barthe The development of electronic And, that is how we get to see it live on Italian Grand Prix. The next year, power driver aids began during the 1980s. television (and the internet) today. in race trim reached around 1,100 Lotus began to develop a system of FISA imposed a ban on ground-effect bhp (820 kW), with boost pressure aerodynamics during 1983. By then, limited to only 4.0 bar. These cars during 1982 on the Lotus 91. By 1987, however, turbocharged engines, which were the most powerful open-wheel thisactive system suspension, had been which perfected first appeared and 14 EPN SPOTLIGHT Fashion Issue 8 Since 1983, Formula One had been dominated by specialist race teams like Williams, McLaren, and Benetton, using engines supplied by large car manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Renault, and Ford. Starting in 2000, with Ford’s creation of the largely unsuccessful Jaguar team, new manufacturer-owned teams entered Formula One for the first time since the departure of Alfa Romeo and Renault at the end of 1985. By 2006, the manufacturer teams—Renault, BMW, Toyota, Honda, and Ferrari—dominated the championship, taking five of the first six places in the Constructors’ Championship. The sole was driven to victory by Ayrton exception was McLaren, Senna in the Monaco Grand Prix that (particularly the Williams FW16). which at the time was part- year. In the early 1990s other teams Many“twitchy” observers and difficult felt the to ban drive on followed suit and semi-automatic driver aids was in name only as they owned by Mercedes Benz. gearboxes and traction control were Through the Grand Prix a natural progression. The FIA, due The teams signed a second Concorde to complaints that technology was Agreement“proved difficultduring 1992 to and police a third effectively”. in 1997, which Manufacturers Association determining the outcome of races expired on the last day of 2007. (GPMA), they negotiated more than driver skill, banned many On the track, the McLaren and such aids for 1994. This resulted in Williams teams dominated the 1980s a larger share of Formula cars that were previously dependent and 1990s, with Brabham also being One’s commercial profit on electronic aids becoming very competitive during the early part and a greater say in the running of the sport. EPN SPOTLIGHT Fashion Issue 8 15 of the 1980s, winning two Drivers’ better spectacle. Schumacher set many new records, Championships with Nelson Piquet. Results were mixed as the lack of including those for Grand Prix wins Powered by Porsche, Honda, and mechanical grip resulted in the more (91), wins in a season (thirteen Mercedes-Benz, McLaren won sixteen ingenious designers clawing back the of eighteen), and most Drivers’ championships (seven constructors’ Championships (seven). Schumacher’s and nine drivers’) in that period, while more force onto the tyres through championship streak ended on 25 Williams used engines from Ford, wingsdeficit andwith aerodynamic aerodynamic devices, grip – pushing which September 2005, when Renault driver Honda, and Renault to also win sixteen in turn resulted in less overtaking Fernando Alonso became Formula titles (nine constructors’ and seven as these devices tended to make the One’s youngest champion at that time drivers’). The rivalry between racers wake behind the car ‘dirty’ (turbulent), (until Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost became preventing other cars from following followed by Sebastian Vettel in 2010). F1’s central focus during 1988, and closely due to their dependence on During 2006, Renault and Alonso continued until Prost retired at the end ‘clean’ air to make the car stick to the won both titles again. Schumacher of 1993. track. The grooved tires also had the retired at the end of 2006 after sixteen Senna died at the 1994 San Marino unfortunate side effect of initially being years in Formula One, but came out of Grand Prix after crashing into a wall of a harder compound to be able to retirement for the 2010 season, racing on the exit of the notorious curve hold the grooved tread blocks, which for the newly formed Mercedes works Tamburello, having taken over Prost’s resulted in spectacular accidents in team, following the rebrand of Brawn lead drive at Williams that year. The FIA times of aerodynamic grip failure as the GP. worked to improve the sport’s safety harder compound could not grip the During this period, the standards since that weekend, during track as well. championship rules were changed which Roland Ratzenberger also lost Drivers from McLaren, Williams, frequently by the FIA with the intention his life in an accident during Saturday Renault (formerly Benetton), and of improving the on-track action and qualifying. At that time, no driver had Ferrari, dubbed the “Big Four”, won cutting costs. Team orders, legal since died of injuries sustained on the track every World Championship from the championship started during 1950, at the wheel of a Formula One car for 1984 to 2008. The teams won every were banned during 2002, after several 20 years, until the 2014 Japanese Grand Constructors’ Championship from incidents, in which teams openly Prix where Jules Bianchi collided with 1979 to 2008 as well as placing manipulated race results, generating a recovery vehicle after aquaplaning themselves as the top four teams in the negative publicity, most famously by off the circuit. Since 1994, three track Constructors’ Championship in every Ferrari at the 2002 Austrian Grand marshals have lost their lives, one at season between 1989 and 1997, and Prix. Other changes included the the 2000 Italian Grand Prix, the second winning every race but one (the 1996 qualifying format, the points scoring at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix and Monaco Grand Prix) between 1988 system, the technical regulations, and the third at the 2013 Canadian Grand and 1997. Due to the technological rules specifying how long engines and Prix. advances of the 1990s, the cost of tires must last. A “tyre war” between Since the deaths of Senna and competing in Formula One increased suppliers Michelin and Bridgestone Ratzenberger, the FIA has used safety saw lap times fall, although at the as a reason to impose rule changes burden, combined with the dominance 2005 United States Grand Prix at that otherwise, under the Concorde ofdramatically. four teams This(largely increased funded financial by big Indianapolis, seven out of ten teams Agreement, would have had to be car manufacturers such as Mercedes- did not race when their Michelin tires agreed upon by all the teams – most Benz), caused the poorer independent were deemed unsafe for use, leading notably the changes introduced for teams to struggle not only to remain to Bridgestone becoming the sole tire 1998. This so-called ‘narrow track’ competitive, but to stay in business, supplier to Formula One for the 2007 era resulted in cars with smaller rear and forced several teams to withdraw.