F1 at the Olympics?

[campbell]

Joe Saward is kicking off a thread to lift the boredom of the summer break...

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2012/07/ ... -olympics/

So. What do we reckon?

Not sure that I'm for it at all, really. Can't see the attraction, probably in the sense that F1 is not embraced on a nation-by-nation basis in the same way that just about any other Olympic sport appears to be.

And in any case, the poison dwarf would never go for it. Even he couldn't squeeze enough money out of it (or if he did, it would bleed the IOC dry and the host country in question...).

Oh, and remember this is probably not a serious question or prospect. It's a brain-teaser to pass the time until the next race, at Spa So don't go getting all het up...

[Dominic]

Hmmm interesting one!

My first thoughts are that, although the drivers are at their physical peak of fitness, the cars are too much involved in the performance. In the other sports, it is about physical performance / strength / stamina / skill. Although these are all required with formula one, I can't hep but think it's not a true measure of human performance,... which I take it as being the point of the Olympics.

Having said that, there are plenty of sports now included that don't necessarily require total performance / strength / stamina / skill, but that's another debate.

[campbell]

Good point, Dom. There are tech advances in things like crossbows, sailing boats, canoes, etc, but it certainly does seem that the spirit of the Games is about the athletic ability of competitors above all else.

[Andy G]

is the spirit of the games not a "bit" non professional? Seems to be a mess amongst sports, and Golf is going to be in the next one.........wtf

F1- just another GP really??

[campbell]

The line between "professional" and "amateur" sports people is rather blurry these days isn't it.

[gorrie]

IMO F1 is no less about human performance, than any of the equestrian events that are incuded in the Olympics. Surely the horse plays a massive part in the result.
Don't think F1 (or any other motorsport) has a place at the Olympics though... I'm thinking of A1GP when I think of countries competing in motorsport... and what happened to that?

[campbell]

Fair analogy with the horse. Well sort of

Are all the swimsuits made by the same manufacturer etc? (they may be actually...)

As for human performance, I was not meaning to belittle this within F1 of course. 2 drivers using an identical car can get radically different results, as we well know... F1 drivers are definitely serious athletes these days.

[gorrie]

Swimsuits?? for horses? You may be on to something.

[campbell]

Ha ha, scary how the associations play out isn't it!

[mac]

I worked along side the Aquatics center last year and used some of the access roads - they would make a stonking track providing there were enough good bits that could be joined together.



Mac (tangent faction)

[j2 lot]

Cant see F1 ever ending up as an Olympics sport.
The teams are massive, and multi national and a lot of them UK based, who is going to fund the national team from any of the countries that currently have no involvement?
The amount of work that goes into a F1 circuit and its future use would need to be considered.
The investment and logistics of an event every four years would be worthless if there was no 'follow up' inbetween.
So where does the F1 involvement go inbetween - there is already an F1 championship that is by all accounts is a heavy schedule for the teams, if you have to drop everything to go and work for 'your countries' F1 tean what happens to the current races?
- and as Gorrie says - the A1 Gp was the nearest to an Olympic style of event you are going to get and that died a death through lack of interest, great idea but never going to happen.
Mr Saward opening his mouth and letting his belly rumble

But you COULD have a motorsport event - Race of Champions Olympic style

[campbell]

I worked along side the Aquatics center last year and used some of the access roads - they would make a stonking track providing there were enough good bits that could be joined together.



Mac (tangent faction)

Not a complete tangent, Mac - some chatter about whether London could stage an F1 GP and some of the Olympic park was mooted. Saward blew the ideas away (pretty negative at present...perhaps the Lotus Hangover) but in any case I don't like watching street F1 to be honest.

[Ferg]

They tried Gliding as a demonstration sport at one point but canned it due to the expense of the equipment and the facilities required. Wouldn't expect any motorsport to get a look in.

[mac]

I drove round about 18 months ago now in the olympic park thinking they had really missed a trick. It's less Monaco more Albert Park, or could have been.

[Dominic]

But you COULD have a motorsport event - Race of Champions Olympic style

Now that could work.....