article in The Guardian 31.7.03

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by zengiman
Seems to me Bernie agrees with the Guardian. That's why he tries to get races in Arab countries, China, Russia and if the infrastructure would be right, South Africa. He knows F1 isn't global and he would like it to be. Races in Western Europe are on the way out, and rightly so.
Bernie has vision, some others have not

Oh that is such bull.

Bernie wants to move races because the backwater coutries will allow tobacco advertising, and it's a whole new source of money Bernie can tap into. Plus it further decimates the grassroots level, which makes the sport even more dependant on him. He's _not_ looking to bring in manufacturers, drivers, or teams from any of those places.

[zengiman]

Of course Bernie is only interested in money. That's why he agrees with the Guardian that F1 should be a worldwide sport with roll models from every race (not motorrace). It means MORE MONEY. Bernie is no racist, he is no anti racist, he is moneyist. That's why he hates the all white pit road. He wants all the colors in the world. What Bernie wants is a Yoong who can outdrive a Schumacher.. That would bring in the cash...

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by Son of Jor-El
Martin Jacques should really be questioning why there hasn't been a ginger WDC or a WDC who is as bald as a coot!!

Because by the time I lost my ginger hair I was too bleedin' old!

[ralf fan]

he is moneyist.

Moneyist!!!

[Adam43]

What he favours one type of money over another. He thinks one type of money is inferior to another?

[Phoenix1]

Motorsport is about racing not racism. I'd like to see him explain to Ferrari that they should get rid of MS because the 'quota' of whites is filled for the year. Some people go over board, he may of forgotten Lewis Hamilton as Meloka said. The guy seems to forget F1 also started in Europe and even though it is is world championship is still very much Europe based. It's a shame about the article some people blow of steam without knowing what they our saying, I wonder if he thinks I am a rasist for supporting British, epsecially english drivers. I he never employees anyone as people should be chossen on skill not colour which is what he seems to desire. I'm off to help silverstone paint there new straight to accomadate the new politically correct grid with a slot for each country and extra wide cars to fit in one driver of each colour. While this a serious subject in everyway some people try to stir a tea cup that was never filled. Shame on him and I'm happy I've not read the guardian in a while.

[JGM]

Perhaps Martin Jacques would like to turn his ire next on athletics and boxing. When did you last see a white, first world sprinter contesting an Olympic final? When did you last see a white, first world boxer contesting the World Heavyweight Championship? Are these sports representative of the world? I think we should be told! Get rid of all this meritocracy stuff in sport and let's have equal opportunities for first world whites to have seven bells knocked out of them in the ring at world class level. And if first world whites can't run fast enough well, we should have 50 lanes in the final of the sprint so everyone can qualify and people who insist on running unsportingly fast should have to carry ballast. That'll teach them.

[Phoenix1]

The article reference is http://sport.guardian.co.uk/formulao...009500,00.html and you can email the guardian editor/sports desk by getting the email address(es) from this page http://www.guardian.co.uk/gu_contact...180767,00.html

[A. C. E. motors]

people who insist on running unsportingly fast should have to carry ballast. That'll teach them.

Some idiot tried to put that into F1 already. Ballast the winner, what tosh.

And on the same note, why are there no women team owners, or women mechanics, I want to see birds, sorry women, doing things in pit stops. lol

[beau]

How can they compare F1 with Football or Athletics.
If they would of looked at f1 in the last couple of years and not just this year then they would of seen that f1 did have quite a lot of coloured drivers.
all they are trying to do is make f1 no longer an yearly sport

[avsfan733]

Originally posted by Peter Mallett
*Yawn*

well said

[f1manoz]

Although the article does raise some interesting points (from a socio-political view, not a sporting view) the author is no doubt pandering to the PC bunch who will whinge and complain about F1s perceived racism.

This writer should concentrate on matters that he truly understands.

[RWC]

As usual
Someone says something bad (and true,allthough there are worse aspects of f1) and most f1 fans have to denigrate it.
f1 as it currently stands is a steaming pile of dog sh*te.
It's ONLY redeeming feature are the great competitive instincts on some of the teams/drivers

[climb]

Olympics cannot actually be considered a sport, they're a great event including many, so they cannot be comparred to football or F1. I would rhater talk about athletics, who is really the most global discipline in sports.
Same way, F1 is not maybe that global but you have to consider the whole world of motorsport.
In this case does anyone know haw many championship are held in far East? or how many coloured people race in the US?
That's true that in Africa only South Africa is involved, but more than a matter of skin-color, that's aproblem of money and politics: most african countries are too poor, too politically unstable, and a good part of them is ruled by islamic governments who certainly aren't that friendly towards motorsport.
In any case motorsport and F1 have no guilt about that.

[PaulSands]

To suggest that F1 discriminates against , ah **** how do I put this without sounding patronise, non-whites (?!) is the biggest load of ****** I have ever heard. F1 in the early 21st century is all about £$£$£$£$£$ and market opportunities...the first F1 team to put a black guy (don't start) in a seat is going to make an absiolute killing on the pr , merchandise and sponsorship front. The truth of the matter is that nobody withe enough talent or money has yet come to their attention which is another matter altogether.

[jetsetter]

It was probably just a slow news day & his editor probably wanted something submitted by deadline so the journo concerned just turned in this garbage & passed it of as a newsworthy article. While he's trying to be an investigative reporter maybe he can do a report on who the last drug free 100 metre champion at the Olympics was instead of coming up with this load of absolute drivel.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by f1manoz
This writer should concentrate on matters that he truly understands.

He probably wouldn't have much to write about.

[RWC]

You are likely right paul-but that's one of the points of thew article-only whites have a chance to show their talent.

[Matthopps]

Does this guy actually have any idea as to the concept of F1 - according to him F1 should be likethe World Cup and the Olympics thus make Motorsport an even that takes place only every four years. And just because there are (comparatively) no black people or women at the top of the sport. Good job I only read the start of the article.

Interesting to note however that at least half of the main people in athletics are coloured. Even people who represent Portugal, Denmark and other traditionally white countries.

[Number Juan]

i like the Guardian, this article is utter B/S though. as many people have incisevely pointed out, there is a rather loose incinuation of racism in F1. this too is utter B/S. F1 is meant to be the pinnacle of motorsport - where the best of the best race in the best cars...i still believe that if you're good enough, you'll make it. irrespective of colour, creed or economic background.

so then, they have also dodged the issue of who supplies F1 with it's drivers...F1 drivers don't grow on trees - and they certainly are not thrown straight into F1. maybe the Guardian should've asked if any other racing series' are racist? if it was such a probing and intellectual report/column, maybe it should've probed that area...maybe they should have also looked at government funding in the small economically deprived countries...maybe it's their government's fault that they aren't putting enough money into motorsport or mechanic training instead of squandering it on emergency foodstuffs...i bet the Guardian didn't want to probe that area either...

i still maintain that if you're good enough, you'll get into F1 irrespective of your race, colour or economic background. it just happens that the best at this point in time are from the economically developed countries.

one last point, if the Guardian is supposedly so P.C, why the hell are they still refering to the LEDW and MEDW as the 1st and 3rd worlds?! i was taught in A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY that this was derogatory and should NEVER be used...

very PC Guardian

[John Turner]

I rarely read any newspapers, but given the choice I would always go for the Guardian. If you think it's bad, the rest are totally dire. At the end of the day, whether B/S or not, the article has, on this forum, at any rate, engendered some lively and (generally!) healthy debate. Probably no more than the writer intended in the first place!

[Pitstop]

Bernie has ££££ signs in his eyes - a new, young, impressionable audiences, in 2/3rd world counties - and the revenu from ADVERTISING is, of course, a secondary consideration to anything else.

Oh - and that article is something I would not wipe my green welly, middle class boots on and, I would not lower myself to eat my fish'n chips out of it either.

[DNQ]

Interesting article that raises some good points, but it really is a story about nothing. There is no racism or anything of the sort in F1.

[Tom Fuller]

That is a really strange article. So what if there are no... black people driving the cars. How is that racist? You have to be rich or be able to fund racing (starting off in karting). People in those countries (ie Sudan, Ethiopia) haven't got enough money, let alone a race track! So there is no reason for that article at all.

[Dutton]

I am going to start by saying I believe The Guardian to be a good newspaper, which I read regularly. It is a good paper.

However, the particular article in question.... It is really not very impressive, to type the least... It does raise a couple of interesting issues, but overall seems to be an incoherent rant without really having a point.

It is rather contradictory, I found. If he came across something not fitting into his tirade, he would blithely overlook it (or briefly mention it, and attempt to somehow say it doesn't matter).

Yes, motorsport is expensive to get into... No argument there. However, that penalises those who cannot afford it (or are unwilling/unable to go that extra bit to provide the means). What can one do, in our modern world, to make it affordable? Short of government intervention to subsidise greath swaths of grass-roots motorsport (and that will never happen), nothing.

He is correct also that football, or athletics, say, is more avilable for anyone in the world to play. However, to be able to actually get into the top echolons of these sports is still rather difficult.

What about the fact that middle-distance running is dominated by black athletes (many of which from Africa, for example). Is t his not racist, or something?...

Perhaps the reason that those of the Third World cannot afford the means to get into motorsport is the product of the disgraceful manner us in First World abuse and neglect.

I mean:

"Of course, this is not to say that global inequalities are not reproduced in football or the Olympics. The world's elite of players is concentrated among a small group of European clubs, because that is where the money is."

Uh-huh. And the money for F1 and motorsport is where?.........

I would love it if F1 could be more multi-cultural, that would be great. However, it should happen because it can happen on its own merits. To try and artificially create it, like he seems to be insinuatiing, would be a world tyranny rather than his intriguing phrase "global democracy".

The article is short-sighted, ill-conceived and poorly argued.