Is F1 actually a sport?

Question

Hey, Im a huge fan of F1. Somehow, and without realizing it, I can probably name all the technical directors, top engineers, and technical innovations. Wicked. But I recently read that Alonso once said that he no longer sees F1 as a sport. I've started to think that he may be right, and that the whole things a sham. I dont mind commenators going off on one about mass dampers, traction control and tyre rulings but whats the point. For years we heard about tobacco sponsorship being crucial but now Honda doesn't even have sponsors. Top teams spent $200 mil a year on engines each last year but cosworth did a half-decent job with just $15 mil. Is this all a marketing ploy, is this apparent engineering redundancy necessary? Is this actually a sport if we have no indication as to how a good a driver actually is, or that certain drivers get a job because of their nationality/image?

Cheers for the responses. I think its difficult to conceptually phrase what makes me question F1. Its like fake wrestling - those guys are fit, and the competition is staged. But competition surely exists since some wrestlers have long careers and some just don't cut it-but its obviously not sport. Or business where competition very much exists, and being tall and fit may be of benefit. In tennis, racquet technology is important but it doesn't take over everything. Federer doesn't win purely by equipment - I'd love to have his racquet but its only going to slightly improve my game. F1 now has traction control, and there are plenty of drivers who can drive at the top level. I don't doubt that these guys are fit and dedicated, but so are their engineers. But calling the engineers sportsmen is surely erroneous. I feel there's a fine line between sport and business, and unfortunately F1 may misjudge this:My view is that customer engines/team orders/customer cars substantiate my argument.

Answer 1

The probpem is, everyone wants a hero with whom they can identify, and then cry foul if they cannot find one.

Motor-Sport is almost unique in being a team-sport like no other, which is not just about the ability of the man behind the wheel the car. It is not a team-sport like cricket, where ability has to be balanced aginst the interests of other team-members.

Instead, it is a sport which utterly depends on the combined talents of so many people; many of whom probably can't drive very well at all.

So when you watch a race, it is best to consider the whole package, which starts with design, but involves engineering, manufacture, development, testing, logistics and even includes accountants and publicity people, who create an image and then sell it to sponsors.

So in many ways, the competition which really matters is between the teams, rather than the drivers. After all, a driver who can even do a single competitive lap in a Formula One car is good, and any diference in abilitiy is possibly not much more than 2/10ths of a second per mile.

It's the same in top-class rallies, where the winner, after as much as 1,200 miles of competitive driving, wins by a margin of just a few minutes, or exceptionally, by just a few seconds.

So I'm afraid that the average punter, who wants to see Formula One as "the driver winning," is going to be badly disappointed, unless the second-fastest man on the grid happens to be in the same team.

On that basis, the scrap between Hamilton and Alonso is going to be especially interesting this year, because I think the young Brit is the better driver personally!

To my mind, any team in motor-sport whioch can produce a world-champion, means that everyone involved in that success is a hero.

All that stated, there is far too much money in the sport, and far too many entrepreneurs involved in the marketing, image and finance, but even with all that, it is still about people working as a team who can deliver the right package and put their drivers on the podium.

Answer 2

Yes it's still a sport but it's also much more than that. The technical innovations in F1 eventually filter through into the automotive industry producing the cars of the future which we will all drive. Like any industry, alliances and deals are made to secure patents and intellectual property. It's just a fact that big business runs sport nowadays but the drivers still have to put the pedal to the metal and show fearlessness going into corners etc. Don't let it spoil your enjoyment of F1.

Answer 3

Well as the cousin of an F1 driver I don't think it's a sport anymore. My cousin Alex used to drive for Benetton and eventually left the sport because his boss was an asshole. He went back to test-driving for williams, then mclaren for the last few years. During time trials Alex more often than not set the fastest lap records... yet never got a drive even though he was more consistant in driving than the other drivers. It's all such a joke now with everyone being on a commercial and it's about who brings in the most money for the company and not who's the better driver. Maybe i'm biased but finally this year my cousin's back driving on the circuit... first race is tonight which im going to go watch now!! It's classic thought isn't it? sports being corrupted by sponsorship and stuff? it's sad... yet still enjoyable to watch. GO ALEX!

Answer 4

To answer this question , I suggest you try driving Go-Karts during at least 10 minutes. You will notice that you will need to have enough strenght to maintain your hands on the wheel and to make the turns at the exact second you need to do it. It also requires your concentration during the race. No matter how are designed the cars or how the marketing is developed, in F1 the drivers need to have all of health conditions in good shape to even participate. So it is an sport.

Answer 5

I hear what you are saying but Formula 1 will always be a sport for several reasons.
>they will always have other teams to race against.
>they will always be supporters of different teams
>they will always have a fave driver that they will support
>they will always have sponsorships of some-sort
>their will always be strategy's and tactics
>their will always be a need for drivers that are physically fit because of the amount of G-Force that is used in a Formula 1 car.
>their will always be commentates and fans.
now how can we ever say that this is not a sport?
yes in the last few years it's gone down hill with some of the changes that was made I was and still am a fan of Ferrari and always will be.
Gilly

Answer 6

Alonso said that due to a penalty received last season (I think it was Monza). He was supposedly blocking Massa, the truth is he was not, so he was bumped to the end of the starting grid (same as Schumi)... then in a press conference he made that statement (I no longer consider F1 as a sport).

It is a sport alright the biggest motor sport competition. Just think about all you know.... tires, aerodynamics, chassis, engineers, traction control.

For me this sound more of a sport than....suspended for narcotic use, banned from the sport due to rape allegations, Schumi is the best of all times (but he didn't sold a billion gloves from his las race, Pete Rose sold bats, gloves,etc)

There are a lot of interest in F1 (tobacco for example), but from my perspective F1 is competition at it´s best.

Answer 7

yes, it's a sport, but I know what you're trying to get at. F1 gets all convoluted within politics, money, sponsorships, and operating budgets, making it totally sterile and impersonal. It isn't as "pure" as it used to be, but, in the end, there is no major sport today that is not influenced by corporate economics either. Every sport was more interesting to watch in the 60's and 70's.

Answer 8

Is the sky blue? Of course F1 is a sport. The best sport in the world I may add!

Answer 9

Nope not a sport anymore. It is far too technical and dependant on the cars than the drivers.

Look at Lewis Hamilton - was that beginners luck, or is he a very good driver. I doubt it, it is probably due to having a very good car.

Answer 10

I agree some of the bad things above, but it is still a sport. What the dictionary says. It is a sport coz it is a race and there is always a winner.