Heath Ledger’s Joker has the one question Formula One needs to ask of itself. Why… so… serious? In light of the FIA’s controversial decision to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix to this year’s Formula One calendar, the question needs to be asked, is the sport still a sport?
In an age where money and political clout speak louder than all else, Formula One is fast becoming nothing more than a pawn, a mere bargaining chip in ringleader Bernie Ecclestone’s scheme of things.
Call me crazy, but I’m of the mind that The Joker’s wisdom has inextricable links to Bernie.
The Joker’s quote, “I took Gotham’s white knight, and brought him down to our level”, for instance.
In Formula One terms, this can be translated almost instantly, to Bernie’s tampering with Formula One, which has resulted in leaving the sport in mortal danger of sitting on the same shelf as the dreaded NASCAR.
This notion can be traced back to 1999, when Bernie introduced what is now a fully fledged epidemic, spreading its wings across the F1 calendar on an annual basis.
This is known as the ‘Tilke Effect’, where Bernie has employed one German architect to mastermind tracks.
Tilke’s philosophy of paying homage to his previous works with 99.95 percent replication, coupled with Ecclestone’s lust for the crisp pound note, means the pair are ruining the sport.
Consider that last season, the Korean Grand Prix was introduced. The year before that, Abu Dhabi. This year, the Indian Grand Prix.
Next year, the US Grand Prix. In 2014, a Russian Grand Prix is scheduled.
Only after a reasonably large sum, possibly a billion pounds, has entered the account of Formula One Management Limited (FOM) though.
Why else on earth would we consider races in Korea or Russia?
US and India are understandable, as they are two inherently key markets which Formula One has either previously failed, or yet to tap into, but Korea and Russia?
Put it this way, we certainly won’t be so unfortunate as to lose Mr Tilke’s services anytime soon!
This is nothing though, next to Bernie’s latest ‘ace’.
Joker reference #2 – you know when he’s in the hospital ward, on the brink of driving Harvey Dent insane?
“Do I really look like a guy with a plan?… I’m a dog chasing cars,” he says. This almost perfectly epitomises Bernie Ecclestone’s ethos.
When The Joker says “You were a schemer”, he is in fact referring directly to Ecclestone, only it is in the present tense, given his recent decision.
That decision being to give the cancelled, postponed – call it what you wish – Bahrain Grand Prix, the go ahead to stage a race this season.
At the expense of the slot of the Indian Grand Prix, which has huge marketing potential!
The race is still on (it should be anyway), but now in the middle of December, when the title will in all likelihood have already been decided.
In Formula One, the opportunity to win over an audience is limited at best. You only have to look at the US for that, their venture to Texas next year would be about the sixth time F1 has tried to crack America.
To be tampering with the Indian Grand Prix like it’s some omnipresent commodity, in combination with re-installing a race where only weeks ago atrocities were being committed, clearly something is out of place.
That’s why Formula One (Bernie Ecclestone) has to ask itself the very serious question of whether it is a sport anymore.
Sport doesn’t venture into a city where innocent individuals have lost their lives, yet Formula One does.
Something has got to give.
Two into one doesn’t go, though it has been headed down this path for many years, in light of the outrageous decision to go to Bahrain this season, Formula One can no longer be defined as a sport.
It is purely a business investment in every sense of the word.
At least as long as Bernie’s in charge!
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