Should formula 1 be an olympic sport ?

[josvandeperre]

Apparently Eddie Cheever's daughter agrees :

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns13401.html

[Mathias]

Good arguments from the Cheevster there. But F1 is so not the way to go, because it's so expensive and would rely on nations being able to build F1 teams. I mean, yes, Great Britain could have lots of entries (but Jordan could represent Eire (or Jordan?) and BAR could represent the USA), Italy would obviously be represented by the great Italian team: Minardi. Oh, no, they'd be Australia, so Italy would have to put up with Ferrari. Japan and Germany could argue over Toyota. Or Germany could have McLaren...

See? Stupid idea.

I reckon you have a handful of disciplines represented through easily replicable cars (like the sailing really): Slicks'n'wings done by FRenault, Basic open-wheelers done by FFord, one of those Super Karts things, a cheap tin-top series (Seats?), and some prototype sports cars - all racing on GP-type circuits; then you'd need a variety of bikes (also on the GP circuit), some standard cheap rally cars for some off-road action, trials bikes...?

Then you get them all manufactured with some spares etc and standard fuels etc, and each set of kit is then allocated randomly to each national team in time for preparation, testing and practice - that way everyone has the same kit that is protected from sabotage etc, and it's a level playing field to test the best drivers (and mechanics etc) in their disciplines.

Would it work?

[PaulSands]

They shouldnt even allow the professional basketball & tennis players in so I say a resounding no
The olympics is supposed to be about amateurs making committment and sacrifice not about multi-millionaires having a bit of a jolly which is what it would effectively be

[Mathias]

Paul, you're behind the times. The Olympics haven't been about amateurs for decades. It's sponsored by Macdonalds for crying out loud. The Olympics is all about the best sportspeople in the world competing against each other for glory and their country, and not being paid for it at the Olympics. The whole amateur nonsense is relatively recent anyway. Since ancient times athletes have been paid for activities outside the Games themselves.

[D_Marshall]

What about the boxing at the Olympics, only amateurs in that. This then generally creates a platform for the best boxers to turn professional (look at Audley Harrison).

If motor-racing was to become an Olympic sport it should be exaclty that. Not the Olympic GP for F1 cars but Olympic motor-racing with only amateur drivers. Granted it is hard to define where the amateur/professional border is but it certainly shouldn't be for F1 drivers! Maybe something like the Race of Champions should be looked at where identicle cars are driven. It wouldn't be hard to get the cars as i'm sure plenty of manufacturers wouldn't pass up the opportunity to advertise on such a global scale.

[Draven]

Yes there should be some form of motorsport in the olympics.
But circuit racing and rallying create lots of problems as has been discussed.
Simple solution really.
And Autotest is it.
When you think about it it's allot like the horse riding events they have right now.
Every country can produce at leaset one good driver and cars can be governed by current auto test rules.
There would be no problem with people haveing different models of car , like the horses it's about rider controling their steed, not about technology.
Anyone think I'm crazy?

[Amar7605]

We are all talking about what cars should be used... how about something more simple? Have the drivers race go karts. And I mean the 100 mph, shifter-style go karts too, like the ones that many drivers train on.

Plus, building a karting circut is cheaper than a road course, and what can happen is have a karting track (most likely an arena) that has a banked oval as well as a road circut.

Basically this takes out any assemblance of technology, and puts the drivers on an equal footing using their raw talent ansd skill.

[Chucky]

FIA Karts or Formula 3 are the only ones that could fit the criteria and plausbily work. Just about every country in the world runs either or both.

[Draven]

Syncronised Drifting anyone.