Bratches: Alonso right to call F1 predictable
- Published on 21 Aug 2018 12:38
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- By: Fergal Walsh
Formula 1's commercial director Sean Bratches believes that Fernando Alonso is right to label the sport "predictable". Last week, the Spaniard announced that he would be leaving the series following the 2018 season, stating that the predictable on-track action prompted his decision.
"The action on track is not the one I dreamed of when I joined F1, or when I was in different series, or the action on track that I experienced in other years," Alonso said. "I stopped because the action on track, in my opinion, is very poor. In fact, what we talk about more in F1 is off track."
Alonso has been tipped for full-time IndyCar seat in 2019 and will run a number of IndyCar tests throughout the remainder of 2018. Speaking about Alonso's decision to walk away, Bratches says that the Spaniard is right to criticise the sport.
“I think he’s right and we have a plan to fix it,” he said. “I wish he was around for another 10 years to be part of that. He’s been such a phenomenal ambassador for the sport, such a hero, a legend. I hope that his brand stays around for many years to come.
"There is an opportunity for Formula 1 to be less predictable,” Bratches continued. “I think it’s important that we get there. Since the 2015 Grand Prix season only three teams have won a Grand Prix. Only three teams. So it is pretty predictable.”
Bratches dew a comparison to Premier League football: "Since the 14/15 season the bottom three teams have either beaten or tied the top six 29% of the time,” he stated.
Bratches admits that he is sad to see Alonso go, but hopes he will continue to do great things for F1: “I was disappointed from a business standpoint. He’s been around for a long time, he’s climbed the highest peaks. I respect his decision to move on. I hope we can engage him to be an ambassador of this great sport for us going forward.”
Fergal Walsh
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Replies (2)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I find the notion that F1 is currently predictable to be incorrect. Yes, we are pretty sure its Merc vs Ferrari, Hammy vs Vettel, and we expect RB to end up 3rd, but thats about it. The rest of it is very uncertain, and the racing is for us fans really good at the moment.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
I get your point Calle, but if the first 6 spots are pretty much spoken for before the beginning of the race that's already a bad start. I agree that the midfield is the most exciting I've seen it in a really long time. Perhaps my favourite ever. However, the midfield this time is almost 2 seconds behind the front runners, and that's the biggest part of the problem I reckon. In the past, outstanding performances could put a midfield car on the podium on merit because margins were smaller. These days it takes about 5 DNFs from fronts runners to get a midfield car on the podium.
Still, I think we're going in the right direction. Liberty is doing solid work. I believe the show will continue to improve and that Ecclestone will be physically sick when he realizes how much money he could have been making if he weren't such an a---hole.