Mad Max is out of touch

[Jellybabe]

From this week's Autosport mag: "Do people really want to see a fantastic battle for 11th place? It's like you might have a fantastic battle for the lead of an F3000 Championship but it doesn't mean people watch it. We want a big battle for the lead of the championship."

My first thought on reading that was something along the lines of "What a drongo..." (I don't think the censors on the site will let me post what I actually thought!) How many people watched Digital TV coverage last year so they could watch something other than Michael Schumacher disappear into the distance, which is what the terrestrial channels would have shown anyway.

And it depends on who's fighting for 11th - if it's say Pizzonia and Heidfeld then I can't imagine there will be very many people who will want to watch it, but if, as is more likely, it's a big scrap between Villeneuve and Button, or a recovering big three driver trying desperately to get past Jos Verstappen, then lots of people will be interested. Max seems to be suggesting that there's no interest to F1 outside Ferrari and Williams, and occasionally McLaren.

Any thoughts?

[RaceCarFanatic]

It's always good to see any team battle for positions. It's even better when they battle for points. Max doesn't speak for all F1 fans. Only a select few. Remember when he said that most F1 fans don't care about if a engine can run 19000 RPMs. I watch F1 for the Technology, Speed, and the Passing.

[daviopolo]

He is a bit zany his judgement is totally uncreative I mean swapping cars ? If you listen to him talk he doesn't really know what he's on about he's like that guy down the pub who knows a bit about all sports but nothing specific or particular about any.

[Valve Bounce]

I think Max also said that it wasn't really necessary to have overtaking in F1. Why do you think we call him Mad Max? They are going to make a film of Mad Max starring Mal Gibson driving a Holden Torana.
Last year, I was most interested whenever Mark Webber tried to take on any of the other cars.

[Logrence]

I remember in Monaco '00 when DC was stuck behind Bernoldi - it was gripping stuff - not a front-running battle, no overtaking, nothing much happening, but it was fantastic to watch.

[neilap]

Maybe Max meant that no one wants the fighting to be concentrated at the back/middle of the grid. He could be saying people want the fight to be for the win. In other words, a series where anyone can win.

Dunno, just a thought!

[Lee Janotta]

If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes. It's great to having racing midpack, but I can't pay attention if there are just two damn Ferraris streaking off into the distance with no challenge from Mac or Williams, and _no_ hope that the two of them will race each other!

I wouldn't even be so bothered about the championship, if at least there was some uncertainty about who would win a particular race (and the team orders messes like Austria and Indy only make it worse).

I've been going through my old tapes, and it was rare even in Mansell's dominant '92 season to have a race where the outcome was certain (at least the FW14 could break sometimes!)

And at least back then the cars were pleasing to the eye... Slicks, low front wings, wide tracks with delicate suspension... Oversteer... *drool*

As for Max... This is the same boob who told us to think of a Grand Prix as a chess match, who told us grooved tires would increase overtaking... The man's grossly incompetent, and it's time for him to go.

Hans Stuck for FIA President!

[Jellybabe]

Originally posted by Valve Bounce
Why do you think we call him Mad Max? They are going to make a film of Mad Max starring Mal Gibson driving a Holden Torana.

I wasn't thinking of the film, it just seemed appropriate

[Valve Bounce]

Well, that's Mad Max for you - he is totally mad.

[kdr]

i'd quite like to see a scrap between heidfeld and pizzonia for 11th.

[RWC]

Micheal jackson could do a better job than max!

[Aysedasi]

I find it amusing to read all the comments about Max. Don't get me wrong, I agree with all of them. My thinking goes back to the times of M. Balestre. The two guys were completely different in their approaches, but neither of them had a real clue as about F1.

[Snrub]

As a true fan of racing, yes you should want to see a 11th place battle. I'd much rather watch 11th place than lap after lap of MS by himself. It should be about drivers racing, not about cars out engineering another car.