Will Switzerland ever allow racing again?

Question

Isn't it about time they just got over it and let people race again?

Answer 1

It's very unlikely.

1. Switzerland is only second to Japan in cost of living. An autoracing facility that costs US$100 million elsewhere might cost $150m-200m or more to build in Switzerland. Just think of how much land is needed to build one; Switzerland has little flatland, and what they have is devoted to farming.

2. If the facility wasn't of the highest quality, a huge autodrome, there would be no chance of attracting an F1 race or even MotoGP. The best you could hope to get with a mid-level facility would be the DTM (German Touring Cars) or lower level formula (BMW, F3, F3000, GP2, and maybe Le Mans cars). And if they didn't build a place to attract F1, it would be impossible to recoup the cost of building the place.

3. The nearest major racing circuit (both in distance and geography) is/was the Osterreichring (A-1 circuit) in Austria which is no longer in F1. Every winter the track is covered in snow and ice, degrading the surface and making it abrasive to tires and almost undrivable with the grit that accumulates. Switzerland's winters are harsher than Austria's due to their elevation, so any track built would need resurfacing every two to three years, and that's an expensive proposition. Asphalt is made from petroleum, and at US$60 or more per barrel, that's damned expensive.

4. The only affordable "tracks" to use in Switzerland would be public roads, but finding a location would be difficult, never mind the costs of shutting down public roads for even three days. Swiss cities are older, so they tend to have narrow streets and be built in on themselves. Also, building walls for a street circuit is horrendously expensive; it's only cheap for Monaco and Long Beach CA because their set ups are permanent. And even if they could find enough streets, it's doubtful that it would be "racy" enough; few past or present street circuits have ever been truly great, only Long Beach and F1's current Melbourne and Montreal tracks come to mind. Monaco, Macau, Detroit, Beijing, and most street circuits are all terrible tracks.

5. Road races like they have in Ireland, England and on the Isle of Man (the Manx TT) are grotesquely unsafe; the Manx TT kills an average of four people per year, and half of those killed are spectators or track workers. Switzerland is as much a "nanny state" as any in Europe and would never allow such a dangerous event, so motorcycles are out of the question.

About the only event which might be feasible to place in Switzerland is the World Rally Championship. The countryside and mountain roads might be suitable for rally racing, in summer or in winter. But beyond that, for now the only high speed road races in Switzerland will be cycling races.


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Answer 2

Match races have not been banned. Frequently, there are enough races at significant enough purses that top horses will find a way to meet without being subjected to the inequities of a match race. In the past, match race were popular because it was unlikely that 2 horses would be able to meet in a regularly-scheduled race. A race track would put up a large purse to attract the two horses to compete. Particularly since the creation of the Breeders Cup, horses meet to decide which one is best. Some of the problems with match races come from different horses running styles, particularly when the match pits a front-runner against a come-from-behind type. The closer must run faster earlier and will be at a disadvantage, as it's contrary to his normal running style. The reason Big Brown vs. Curlin is being hyped, is that Curlin's owners have suggested that they do not intend to run him in the Breeders Cup Classic, which he won last year. Big Brown is likely to run in the Classic this year. A match race would determine which horse should be voted Horse of the Year.

Answer 3

All Swiss are racists. No worries.

Answer 4

yes, they'll come to there senses.

Answer 5

Dunno only time will tell right?