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It’s becoming harder and harder to convince people that Formula 1 is still a sport. Despite what appears to be one of the most open seasons ever, F1’s powers that be, as only they can do, have ensured political bickering overshadows the start of the new season in Melbourne.
Only twelve days before the season’s start, the FIA, the sports governing body, dropped a bombshell, a new points system, most wins to determine the driver’s world championship and a future salary cap on expenditure.
To change the points structure so close to the season start, ignoring the public’s feedback that showed they didn’t support such a change (albeit in medal form), was ludicrous.
Thankfully the teams ensured common sense prevailed and the former points system looks set to be restored.
But in the meantime, F1 had, once again, aired its dirty political laundry out in public, confused them and further isolated its fans.
If that wasn’t enough, this weekend’s race could end in protests and the courts following a dispute over the legality of diffusers on the Brawn, Toyota and Williams cars.
Who cares about diffusers I hear you ask? Exactly.
It also just emerged that Renault and McLaren threatened to boycott the Australian Grand Prix in a row over, you guessed it, money.
The political battle between FOTA (the teams), the FIA, and the commercial ringmaster, Bernie Ecclestone, will dominate the year as they fight for control of the decision-making process and distribution of the sports revenue.
All this overshadows the actual sporting contest, which is what actually matters.
This season is wide open.
The new regulations have turned the formbook upside down and the totally different look of the cars (boy, are they ugly) reflect just how much has changed.
Incredibly, Brawn GP, a team that emerged from the Honda operation, appears favourite having shocked the F1 world with its pace in testing.
And therein lies another of F1’s great paradoxes: the performance of the car is everything.
The sporting contest is not, as many assume, just on a driver’s skill but also on the combined efforts of the teams, engineers and the like, who we never see.
Meanwhile, Australian Grand Prix organisers face their own battle to prove the event’s worthiness in the face of growing criticism of its exorbitant cost.
Obviously Formula 1’s political wrangling and the correct perception that the sport is aloof don’t help their plight.
In a country like Australia, in which F1 doesn’t have a substantial fan base, especially without a driver winning races, the sport has little hope to significantly grow this base, despite the promise this year of expanded and live coverage of the category on Ten’s ONE HD channel.
In the face of the global financial crisis, the Australian GP faces further financial strain.
Corporate support for the event is significantly down, grandstand capacity has been decreased, while grandstand ticket sales are down.
Speculation is mounting that the losses from this year’s race could exceed the $50 million dollar mark.
To put this figure into context, it exceeds the amount, $45.6 million, the federal government has given the FFA to fund its World Cup bid preparation.
So one Grand Prix costs us more than the groundwork for bringing the biggest sporting event to this country for the first time.
Doesn’t seem right does it? No matter how great the racing is on track this weekend, it will be clouded by the politics off it.
Welcome to Formula 1.
Despite the frustrations and flaws, I’m still hooked. I’m one of a dying breed, however.