Should formula 1 be an olympic sport ?

[Bridget Stone]

watching the first day of events in Athens, the thought crossed my mind: Should formula-1 be an olympic sport ?

Personally i think it would be very interesting to add motorsports to the olympic calendar, but i dont think it would be very easy to organize, logistically (building a circuit just for the Olympic Games). Let alone the question what type of cars/motorcycles should race, cause you have so many race-classes.

Love, Bridget

[Knowlesy]

No, it wouldn't work. At all.

[jj2728]

i thought it already was. bob varsha, during SPEED channel's qualifying coverage this morning, made mention of button going to athens to compete in the "Team Jump"..

[Knowlesy]

[Bridget Stone]

Originally posted by knowlesy
No, it wouldn't work. At all.

on the other hand, why not ?! Okay, the old Greeks didn't have a 500cc Yamaha, (maybe only a Flintstone-like vehicle), but they didn't play basketball or hockey either. For motorcycles you already have fixed classes like 50 cc and so on, so that would be easy to organize,so why shouldn't the IOC come to an agreement about what kind of cars can particpate. Would be great to have qualifications, semi-finals and finals.

love, Bridget

[Knowlesy]

Possibly.

You'd have to have teams of people from the same countries and all that as well.......

The problem would be the cost of building a track up to standards for F1.........and is it an Olympic sport in the traditional sense? I have my doubts.

[Bridget Stone]

Yes,i agree, the costs of building a f-1 circuit would be the major problem to overcome, but most organizing countries already have a f-1 circuit : China 2008 (shanghai) and Germany/England (possible candidates for 2012) and so on...

love, bridget

[Knowlesy]

Well, we'll see what happens in the future!

[Rob29]

F1 in its current form a definite NO. Motor racing with identical cars in national colours- yes. Was looking at the cycling this morning and thought that would make an ideal circuit with added armco.

[Bridget Stone]

Originally posted by Rob29
F1 in its current form a definite NO. Motor racing with identical cars in national colours- yes. Was looking at the cycling this morning and thought that would make an ideal circuit with added armco.

I agree, if the cars are identical, why not ?! Maybe they can make it a rule that the organizing country should supply the cars, so in 2008 in Shanghai f.e. Kimmi would be racing in a Chinese car (dont know the brand). And if the games are in Germany, they would race in BMW's and so on (lets hope they are not held in Russia (Schumacher in a Lada,...although...


love , bridget

[nkh]

If it's possible to have sailing competitions it should be possible to have some sort of motorsports. Just a question of finding the right type of cars. They could rent the A1 cars, they arn't being used in the summer anyway and the equipment would be equal to all.

[Dani Filth]

F1 probably not . but motorsport should .. some kind of motorsport . i don't know . something like a FF1600 .. or FRenault . it can be something like a speacial Olympic Formula . they can find some chassis builders to make some cars . just like the Bikes . or boats . in cycling/rowing ..
it could be great .. i would like to see


speaking of cycling .. congrats to Italy for their gold .. and yeah . that would have beem a nice circuit

[BootsOntheSide]

Some sort of Olympic motorsport even could probably be organised. Identical cars, and a maximum of three drivers per country, with qualifying races to create a final of no more than 20 cars, similarly to the sprint race.

The problem is, would the top teams release their drivers, knowing the danger of any motor race? Athletes, cyclists, swimmers etc. spend years preparing for the events - would racing drivers give it the same respect?

Also, how can you organise any kind of event which is the same from year to year, and gives different types of drivers an equal chance? It'd be the most expensive Olympic event, and wouldn't neccessarily add enough to the prestige or popularity of the event as a whole.

[Silver Dream]

Probably the only plus for Olympic motorsport is that it would be one of the few disciplines that could be considered 'drug free' (or am I being naive here chaps?)

The cost though, of devising a completely new class of motorsport (and one that would only take place every four years)would be prohibitive.

What about an 'Olympic' Grand Prix staged at a track in or around the host city with 1 2 & 3 getting gold silver & bronze instead of some tacky trophy?

[Knowlesy]

Originally posted by Silver Dream
Probably the only plus for Olympic motorsport is that it would be one of the few disciplines that could be considered 'drug free' (or am I being naive here chaps?)

Tomas Enge may beg to differ.....

[ASCII Man]

Yep, marihuana really improves your driving ability/performance..............................

[chrisrb2002]

wasnt the 1992 spanish gp an olympic event.. they had medals instead of trophys I thought. juan samarach(sic) was involved in the podium process anyway.

[Silver Dream]

EPO, beta blockers, and maybe even a bit of the old SPEEEEEEED might do the trick. Or do the guys take Nescafe Gold Blend triple strength in the trailer before they squeeze into the monocoque?

[Adam43]

Originally posted by nkh
If it's possible to have sailing competitions it should be possible to have some sort of motorsports. Just a question of finding the right type of cars.

I think this is the key and it won't be F1 exactly.

Perhaps a more general forum. Trackside? Not exactly, but it gets eveyone in there

Moved

[JGM]

The whole idea behind the Olympics is that the world can come together and compete a sports arena. Consider F1 as it is. How many nations compete in it? How many nations could possibly compete in it? In both cases we're talking about a tiny handful of the richest countries in the world. If F1, or any serious motor sporting event, were included in the olympics 95%+ of the world would be excluded. Not exactly consistent with the Olympic ideal.

[Adam43]

Well it wouldn't be different cars anyway, I guess, so it won't be F1 anyway. More motorsport generally.

[f1atic]

Lots of problems come to mind:
A. Identical equipment (cars)
B. Identical tracks
C. Roughly 70% of countries couldn't afford the above and so couldn't practice
D. Most governments would not be able to afford the car

Those are the big ones. Several countries do not have many people who know how to drive a regular auto on regular streets, let alone a race car of ANY type.

Since the Olympics are about world sports (meaning that all can play), I don't think there would be much support. All countries can afford a soccer ball, a volley ball and net, tennis rackets - you get the idea.

[McKay]

The Olympics are about human power and strenght arent they? I dont think Motor racing comes under that.

[alvarofue]

I think the answer for motorspots in the olympics is not in the F1. It is in Karting!!!!

A karting course is much smaller and cheaper. The karts have a FIA homologation. The oficial karts are the same in every country in the world (under FIA regulations).

If archery, equestrian, sailing, shooting are olympic sports, Why not karting?
Driving a car at the very limit is a very demanding thing (mentally and for the body). With equally cars (karting) i think it is a good option.

[McKay]

It would be a good way for young drivers to make a name, as you wouldnt get the big stars. I dont think proffesionals are allowed in the olympics. Thats why you get the under 23s or whatever playing the football.