Quote:
Originally Posted by crmalcolm
It may come across as a bit snobbish, but there is a clue in the name. Formula 1. So by default, it has to be considered as the top level of International Formula Racing.
Below that, Formula 2 and Formula 3 as international championships.
That's not to diminish the talent and capability of those in the Indycar series - but from an FIA's perspective they have to recognise it as a national (or regional at best) championship with an American-based sanctioning body, not international status.
They [FIA] also have a responsibility to protect their own feeder formulae, and so Formula 2, 3 and 4 will have clearly defined routes for drivers to graduate up to the highest level of international formula racing. It is in FIA's interests to give the potential to move from IndyCar to F1, but not make it an obvious route for drivers to take.
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Back in the 50's the Indy 500 was a round of the F1 World Championship.
Bernie tried to protect the name Grand Prix and get some copyright but that was a nonsense given there had been motorized Grand Prix that weren't F1 for 50 years..... Plus tennis Grand Prix and equestrian Grand Prix and they had long history too.
Then in the 60's and 70's it was easy to move from ACCUS events to FIA events with little problem.
It has only become more difficult in the last twenty years and even more difficult in the last decade, especially after the FIA became very protective toward the names F2 and F3 and linked them directly to its F1 title events.
That happened after Bernie had established GP1 and GP2 as his own class structures and Europe had opened up to the Renault class ladder and others began with a plethora of competing junior series.
So its more organized and more defined but is it BETTER organized than it was in F2 and F3 in the late 60's and 70's.
My OPINION is no. Sports car racing isn't better organized than it was in the 60's and 70's either. Its MORE organized than it was 40-50 years ago but its not BETTER organized. But that is just an opinion.