Bernie is Vill/Irvine fan!!

[ralf fan]

http://f1.racing-live.com/en/headlin...03113903.shtml

Bernie says drivers should be outspoken like Irvine and Jacques!!

I agree with Bernie for once!! (some of their comments were classics!!)
What d'you guys think?

[DriverT]

But the problem is they get paid HUGE sums of money to tow the party line. So why should they speak out? At least like Irvine. I think he spends more time speaking out in newspapers than he did practising his driving

[avsfan733]

well it is different from the PR robots like kimi. They give the sport color and voice, like it used to have...a newspaper won't quote "the team did a god job and the car was set up well" but they will report "the [bloking / cheating /other buzzword] that went on by [insert driver name] was horrible, i am going to run him off the road if he tries it again".

its just like the news showing the murder that went on one night as opposed to the good samaritan changing a tire for someone else at the same time

[DriverT]

I'm not saying they should be robots, but they are employed by their team. I think you can speak about other drivers while giving inferences to their behaviour rather than just going direct to the press and blasting them as a "****ing ****" or something.

But the problem is that Bernie does not encourage outspokenness, especially against the FIA. So for him to say that is something very strange.

[Jordi]

DriverT, if you are employed by someone everything will always be perfect?

What Bernie said is very simple, characters are lacking, as younger and younger drivers are signed and being perfectly moulded by teams. If Jacques goes, the press will actually be left to report just what happened on track...

[ralf fan]

It'll be great if JV becomes an F1 reporter!!

[touringlegend]

True, and forums like this one will be empty cos we won't have anything to talk about..

Isn't having an outspoken driver like JV in your team as beneficial as say Kimi Raikkonen. I know I for one would read an article in say Autosport about JV over a KR one..

[twig]

I would probably read the KR one, as they are so damn rare. Mainly for the amazement that Kimi opened his mouth.

[Stampeder]

Agree with you ralf fan, being a JV fan i am a bit biast but i do think these guys need to get some personalities.

Look at the drivers in CART, guys like Tracy and Bruno talk the talk but they back it up on the track. Not giving an inch.

I think we have to many gentlemen in F1 and not enough racers.

[Gt_R]

Well, we always can rely on DC to plug the press gap off-season can't we? He's pretty outspoken(read "this is my year") pre-season only to be silenced after a few races

But seriously, yes, F1 needs characters as much as they need quality driver. Mclaren's driver line up is as good as they are stale.

[paddywic]

Berni is right, #

I think Eddie would be great with Martin on ITV. REminds me of the great Hunt. Love him or hate him, he could really bring the itv commentry allive, He really knows his stuff also, ferrari regarded him as their best developer. Eddie for ITV, I say.

[TeddyG]

Well well first Frank and now Bernie seeming to support Villeneuve in F1...I think JV is going to sign a contract sometime soon

[Miss Hardt]

Originally posted by ralf fan
It'll be great if JV becomes an F1 reporter!!

Ditto, but I'd like him to compete for a couple of more years before that.

[jetsetter]

While i'm a fan of drivers speaking their minds, i'm a believer that if you talk the talk then you must walk the walk & i think that there are times when both JV & Irvine would've been better advised to keep quiet.

[DriverT]

Yes exactly. You have to back up arrogance with hard results.

[paddywic]

JV world Champion 97, Fast Eddie, Close runner up 99,

I think JV and even Eddie are more than proven competitors,
simply they are strong minded and would be like that I'm sure in any field,

Remeber James Hunt, screaming out from our tv's ranting about some idiotic move and how the driver should be shot!