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Unless you’re willing to fly to Italy and visit the Museo della Merda, you’ll find the general consensus is that no matter how slick your PR team is, it’s virtually impossible to polish a turd.
It’s equally toilsome attempting to peddle a product that has been a target for disgruntled pygmies with pee-shooters from the get-go.
I am of course referring to Australian Formula 4. While it’s fair to say the category only saw the light of day in this country after some gentle coercion from FIA President Jean Todt, the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) have thrown in all their chips (and numerous member pennies along the way) to ensure the series is a success.
Nevertheless, peanuts are still being thrown from the cheap seats, with a notable Facebook keyboard warrior making its opinion very clear when producing yet another tirade after last weekend’s third championship round at Motorsport Park:
“Well done to the kids, teams and families for getting involved in an open wheel formula but we must remember millions of members funds are making this happen. Stay tuned for more in what has been a dramatic, political, intriguing period for Australian Open Wheel history.”
Don’t worry mate, I’ve been tuned in and I’ll admit there have been some hurdles.
Initially, teams and drivers hoping to sell a sponsorship package were left with little tools to do so with no engine manufacturer attached to the series. Eventually Ford did come on board (in line with the series British counterpart), but not before talks with a major Chinese manufacturer (which could have seen a contract signed for an unprecedented 10 years) stalled.
Despite the snags, Australian Formula 4 has jumped out of the blocks with flying colours.
They not only look good on television, but sound quite brutal. When you’re up against V8 Supercars for TV dollars, this is a very, very important ingredient.
Likewise the display of talent in last weekend’s wet conditions put many top-line drivers in this country to shame. In particular the dice between Jordan Lloyd and Thomas Randle provided the kind of battle that Formula One aficionados still rave about from the 1970s.
I’m not sure whether Lloyd and Randle had been told it was wet – such was the mastery in the way they flung their cars around. That they were separated by less than a second given the variety of lines used was something to behold for even the most jaded motorsport junkie.
If Australia hopes to produce another Daniel Ricciardo (without losing them to Asia first), then the wings and slicks provided by Formula 4 is the only legitimate schooling on offer.
Yes, in the process Formula Ford has become a casualty, but then those controlling the category have only themselves to blame.
While critics have pointed to the inordinate cost of competing in the series, they should remember that numerous front-running Formula Ford teams were charging young drivers the same price as an internationally recognised series in Asia.
To understand the politics of Australian motorsport, you need to look no further than the wider political landscape; populated by would-be powerbrokers scrambling to keep a foothold in an industry that left them behind long ago.
I’m a CAMS member, have been for over 10 years and I have no problem seeing my member funds syphoned into the future – if it is managed carefully. Admittedly I was very nervous at the beginning, but I’m pleased to see I’ve been proven wrong.
Well done CAMS. Please stay on course.
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