Inside Line: Inspired by Fernando to ask questions no one dares
F1 NewsFriday, 29 January 2021 at 12:03
First, let's get one thing straight! Racing is in our Blood and anyone that has the same red stuff flowing through their veins is family.
Ideally, families are harmonious and packed with love, but typically they are not. Families bicker, they rip each other off, they slag one another, most families could pen a Netflix epic. Cue Shameless and Trailer Park Boys.
So, when we write here it's for the family. Maybe we are tiny black sheep of the F1 landscape, but that won't stop us from bleating loudly to be heard. And if the way we bleat annoys some in the family, then move away to where you can't hear us. No one forces you to listen.
To the headline. Fernando's back! And I for one am impressed with the rejuvenated and more mature Spaniard who we treasure as one of the greats of this era. Sure we have had a go at him when his career was in the bog with McLaren.
Everything we wrote about him that might have been perceived as negative, actually was pretty much on the nail and he has revealed this through a slew of interviews since his comeback with the Alpine F1 Team.
Fortunately for the second coming of the Samurai from Oviedo, he is not shy to do some tongue slinging. His interview with RAI which we cut into two parts because it was so packed with goodies.
Merc and Lewis will win in 2021; George has a new fan because he doesn't go to Tibet(!); etcetera.
Reading this triggered this thought: why no one dares to ask the real questions we want to hear.
Don't get me wrong, Beyond the Grid is a lovely listen with some amazing insights into the subjects being interviewed. The Mattia Binotto one a gem, however where were the questions we really wanted answering? Example:
- Will you resign as Ferrari F1 team principal if the team endures another season like 2020?
- How do you live with the fact that under your leadership the team has sunk to its lowest form?
As an exercise, let's do a Martin Brundle style grid walk. Ah, there's Toto, let's get him. Hi, Mr Wolff some questions about Mercedes please.
- Do you think that Valtteri can ever beat Lewis?
- Why did you not send Valtteri packing at the end of the last season when George lit up F1?
Next. there's Christian and Dr Helmut. Gentlemen some questions...
- The pair of you are like oil and water yet you get on. How?
- Who is actually the team boss and has Mr Mateschitz's ear?
There's Lawrence...
- How much have you spent on Lance's F1 career in total?
- Will you ever drop or even axe Lance if he does not deliver?
Zak Brown in the house...
- Was the Fernando-Zak bromance bad for McLaren?
- Were did Gil de Ferran disappear to?
To Alpine F1 Team decision-maker Leo...
- What actually happened to Cyril and why the sudden disappearing act?
- Have you a Plan-B for, if and when Fernando starts moaning about F2 engines?
And now to Mr Frederic Vasseur...
- What happened between you and Cyril that made you depart Renault?
- If Antonio was not a pay driver would you hire him above other youngsters knocking on F1's door?
Over to Gene Haas...
- Why are you in F1 with such a powder-puff effort?
- An American team with no homegrown drivers, no young driver programmes for your country brimming with racing driver talent. Why?
One can go on and on with the uncomfortable questions for our extended and more famous family members.
This site occasionally is accused of clickbait-reports, during the off-season, by a few of our readers who miss the point of this site. We are not reporting about world hunger, deadly viruses, gruesome wars and politics.
Our subject is the triviality of a sport in which top teams spend half a billion dollars per season to make two spoilt guys to race two cars fast in the top flight.
The sport is an exercise in obscene Caligula-style excesses and thus offers us all the fodder we need to inform our readers, on a daily basis, of the news from our extended family.
Sometimes, we may not get it 100% correct, but we are always trying to provide the most interesting and exciting content for you all to enjoy. Our reader engagement is a source of huge pride that no money can buy.
We appreciate the feedback and take it on board because we really do consider - YOU - our readers family.
Inside Line is an opinion piece by Paul Velasco, GrandPrix247 editor-in-chief
Latest News
Loading
