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F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: Ian on March 02, 2011, 10:11:33 AM

Title: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Ian on March 02, 2011, 10:11:33 AM
I was gonna put this in the joke section, but Bernies serious.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/motorsport/3440001/Bernie-Ecclestone-Lets-make-it-rain.html (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/motorsport/3440001/Bernie-Ecclestone-Lets-make-it-rain.html)
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: John S on March 02, 2011, 10:45:37 AM

Now you've started something Ian, :swoon:   all I get is a picture in my mind of...

....Bernie doing a rain dance on the grid.  :crazy:  :sick:  :stop:   

 :nono:  :nono: Some mental images just should not be conjured up.  :D :DD :DD

 
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: cosworth151 on March 02, 2011, 12:51:16 PM
Has Bernie been hanging out with Charlie Sheen?  :crazy:
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Scott on March 02, 2011, 03:05:24 PM
Hey, let's put jumps in the tracks (with the FIA holding the button for the angle)...for all that added excitement of seeing the cars fly through the air! 

Why just water?  Get some oil sprayers on those extra fun hairpin corners - that ought-a be fun!

A little gravel, and the odd carefully placed shard of carbon fibre or glass would spice things up!

 :fool: :fool: :fool:

Hey Bernie, for some of us, racing is entertaining enough - fire Tilke, get some racers to help design the tracks, put them where there are people, and let's get on with it!  Give back a few billion to F1 so the teams can develop fantastic racing machines to race with, and then you go retire somewhere in the sand with your sandbox buddies.
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Jericoke on March 02, 2011, 03:13:45 PM
The idea of flooding an F1 track to 'mix things up' isn't really a new one.

What Bernie proposes is certainly gimmicky, but much less so than a moveable rear wing that can only be used in the flapper usability corridor.
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Canada Darrell™ on March 02, 2011, 07:48:07 PM
So he approves these boring-ass tracks then proposes ways to spice things up because things are boring?

 :confused: :confused: :confused:

If it weren't for that extremely young strumpet he likes I'd swear he was losing it...for real....

 :tease:
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Alianora La Canta on March 02, 2011, 11:23:45 PM
I think random sprinklings could be a good idea, but even I draw the line at Bernie's suggestion of a two-minute warning. Bernie's not really the best advocate of ideas, is he?
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on March 03, 2011, 04:35:09 AM
Joe Saward has an interesting piece in which he points out that pro wrestling was once a sport. Then Vince M came along and made it a " Show". Millions of people now watch on a regular basis, and Vince has made Billions, but it bears no resemblence to actual wrestling. What Bernie proposes is not racing, it's pro-wrestling.

Lonny
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: cosworth151 on March 03, 2011, 12:48:05 PM
Here's a surprise: Pirelli thinks it's a good idea.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89706 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89706)
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Cam on March 03, 2011, 01:15:52 PM
You couldnt buy the eyeballs this story has received, and people think Bernie is  :crazy:.  He's trying to fill the publicity gap created by Bahrains cancellation (postponement?).

However anythings possible I guess, but if this did happen its not F1 anymore I wont be watching thats for sure.

Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Scott on March 03, 2011, 03:23:29 PM
Here's a surprise: Pirelli thinks it's a good idea.

Anything to stop their tires from falling apart after 10 laps  ;)
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Wats-on on March 03, 2011, 03:41:44 PM
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...  :crazy: :crazy:
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: cosworth151 on March 03, 2011, 03:46:25 PM
Good idea, Wats-on. They might get Kimi to come back.  ;)
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Jericoke on March 03, 2011, 05:02:43 PM
I think random sprinklings could be a good idea, but even I draw the line at Bernie's suggestion of a two-minute warning. Bernie's not really the best advocate of ideas, is he?

The thing that makes the rain 'interesting' is it's unpredictable nature.

I believe that Bernie's idea has merit... rain is part of F1, he's not advocating anything the teams aren't already prepared for.

It would also make it easier to predict a 'wet' race in the grid game...  :good:
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Jericoke on March 03, 2011, 05:05:20 PM
Joe Saward has an interesting piece in which he points out that pro wrestling was once a sport. Then Vince M came along and made it a " Show". Millions of people now watch on a regular basis, and Vince has made Billions, but it bears no resemblence to actual wrestling. What Bernie proposes is not racing, it's pro-wrestling.

Lonny

If you believe that 'pro wrestling' was once a legitimate sport, I've got some swamp land in Florida that's about to go condo.  I can get you in on the action for a really good price...
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Canada Darrell™ on March 03, 2011, 05:40:43 PM
Hey, he says so right here:

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/ (http://joesaward.wordpress.com/)

The only people that ever believed it to be a true sport were the promoters and really weird fans! I seem to recall way back then that the fact it was pure entertainment and made up in the ring was a topic of much debate. Hell, John Stossel of ABC's 20/20 show made the mistake of asking David Schultz the wrong type of question well before the wrestlers would come to accept that the fans were "in on it"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrX9Ca7LSyQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrX9Ca7LSyQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player)

Now, just because Joe Saward throws out that statement without backing it up makes it as true as me saying Bernie is the best thing that could have happened to F1.

 :tease: :P
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on March 04, 2011, 12:29:57 AM
You're far too young to remember, but in the '50s wrestling was on a par with boxing. Both were largely local affairs. The first slip toward what wrestling has become was a gentleman named Gorgeous George.

Lonny
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: cosworth151 on March 04, 2011, 12:34:55 PM
I remember those days, Lonny. My grandmother used to take me down to the local armory to watch. My favorite was Dr. Big Bill Miller. I was quite young, but I thought it was real. I know that by the mid to late 60's, it was phoney as a $3 bill.

Thanks for the clip, Darrell. I think everyone who's ever heard John Stossel has wanted to smack him up 'side the head.  :yahoo: Knowing Stossel reputation, the whole thing was probably as phoney and pre-planned as the wrestling.
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Willy on March 05, 2011, 06:47:37 PM
Bernie is spot on with this idea!
I said this exact thing a while ago and there was a deafening silence in response.

Having worked in the Special Effects Dept of the film industry for many years I know for a fact this is not a difficult situation to acheive.

Rain heads can easily be put in place that would give the tracks anything from a shower to a deluge depending upon water supply and race situation.  And water recovery can be put in place as well.

This would be very interesting to see how it shakes up the positions on track.

The current F1 regs have brought us to watch boring races more times then not.

I applaud Bernie for bringing this idea to international attention.
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Wats-on on March 05, 2011, 10:10:41 PM
You are spot on with your comment about the regulations. So, in stead of installing sprinklers and make the race even more clinical and artificial, lets shake up this regulations. Less is more.
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Jericoke on March 06, 2011, 12:08:18 AM
Bernie is spot on with this idea!
I said this exact thing a while ago and there was a deafening silence in response.

Having worked in the Special Effects Dept of the film industry for many years I know for a fact this is not a difficult situation to acheive.

Rain heads can easily be put in place that would give the tracks anything from a shower to a deluge depending upon water supply and race situation.  And water recovery can be put in place as well.

This would be very interesting to see how it shakes up the positions on track.

The current F1 regs have brought us to watch boring races more times then not.

I applaud Bernie for bringing this idea to international attention.

+1

 :good:
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on March 06, 2011, 12:45:35 AM
You are spot on with your comment about the regulations. So, in stead of installing sprinklers and make the race even more clinical and artificial, lets shake up this regulations. Less is more.

Right!. Lets let the designers go for it, not the FX guys.

Lonny
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Willy on March 06, 2011, 07:59:27 PM
I would welcome less regulations that allow teams and drivers more chance to stretch the limits and race each other ontrack and in the design faze as well.

The artificial rain idea is not intended to just add water to a race situation but to add an intangable situation that the teams/drivers have to deal with.

As I have said before...anything that adds more action - passing - excitement to the races is okay with me.

And as Lonny mentioned...let the track designers make tracks that are more exciting for the drivers as well as the fans.
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Wats-on on March 07, 2011, 04:32:51 AM
And then again: Who descides when it is going to be a wet track? Bernie? Chralie? Something like 'O crap, Vettel is leading, let it rain may be Hamilton will win'. I mean, if that happens, people are gonna think things like this.
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Cam on March 07, 2011, 11:31:58 AM
And then again: Who descides when it is going to be a wet track? Bernie? Chralie? Something like 'O crap, Vettel is leading, let it rain may be Hamilton will win'. I mean, if that happens, people are gonna think things like this.

Exactly, as with "natural" rain there will be big winners and big losers each time this happens.  The conspiracy theory industry will go off its dial.  But then again maybe thats the idea, after all controversy has been a key marketing tool for F1 for many years now.

F1 has been slowly eating itself for some time now.  However if this happens it will be a true "jump the shark" moment.
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Jericoke on March 07, 2011, 03:22:05 PM
And then again: Who descides when it is going to be a wet track? Bernie? Chralie? Something like 'O crap, Vettel is leading, let it rain may be Hamilton will win'. I mean, if that happens, people are gonna think things like this.

Exactly, as with "natural" rain there will be big winners and big losers each time this happens.  The conspiracy theory industry will go off its dial.  But then again maybe thats the idea, after all controversy has been a key marketing tool for F1 for many years now.

F1 has been slowly eating itself for some time now.  However if this happens it will be a true "jump the shark" moment.

Shhhh!

Don't give Bernie any more ideas... although the thought of sharks swimming down the pitlane...   :crazy:
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: cosworth151 on March 07, 2011, 03:54:20 PM
Bernie would want sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Scott on March 07, 2011, 03:54:49 PM
Don't give Bernie any more ideas... although the thought of sharks swimming down the pitlane...   :crazy:

They're already there, but they don't swim, they strut.   ;)
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Wats-on on March 07, 2011, 04:03:55 PM
The shark is al long time ago... 1998, 1999, what was it? As far as I know, the only animals in the pitlane are four red bulls (two of them are Italian...)  ::)
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Jericoke on March 07, 2011, 04:51:18 PM
The shark is al long time ago... 1998, 1999, what was it? As far as I know, the only animals in the pitlane are four red bulls (two of them are Italian...)  ::)

Don't forget the two prancing horses!
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Wats-on on March 08, 2011, 03:33:26 AM
The shark is al long time ago... 1998, 1999, what was it? As far as I know, the only animals in the pitlane are four red bulls (two of them are Italian...)  ::)

Don't forget the two prancing horses!
Oops... That was close to go-home-time at work...  :-[ :-[
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: cosworth151 on March 09, 2011, 12:59:24 PM
Austin promoter Tavo Hellmund proved once again that he is the Renfield to Benie's Dracula. From Racer.com:

"Bernie Ecclestone's idea for artificial rain during races is brilliant on several fronts," Hellmund declared. "I'll have to talk with Bernie soon about this to see if it is something that makes sense. We're obviously in a perfect position [to include such a feature], being at the front end of the construction process. We'd love to be one of the tracks to make this possible."

Fake rain on the fake circuit. How fitting.  :sick:
Title: Re: Barmy Bernie
Post by: Scott on March 11, 2011, 08:19:13 PM
Finally, after all the boring, flat Tilke Dromes, Austin looks like a circuit with a bit of grade to it (some hills and dips).  That'll be enough to make things interesting...let's leave the rain in Spain (or, more likely Sepang).
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