Team GBR

[Kiwi3]

I would also find it very very hard to believe that Sky TV are very important either, they are one TV deal out of many, and it does not make sense that they would have paid very much in the beginning. Seems a very UK centric view of things...

[Mak]

GBR driver anounced, so I think I may change my plans for that weekend and head to Silverstone for F3 or maybe even lash out and go to Spa for World Series.

[strider]

Originally Posted by Mak

GBR driver announced, so I think I may change my plans for that weekend and head to Silverstone for F3 or maybe even lash out and go to Spa for World Series.

Off topic, but if you do decide to go to Silverstone, both F3 races are on the Sunday with the FIA GTs in-between.

It seems that even USA isn't too bothered about Brands - story.

[Kebab]

I've stopped watching the racing even on TV now - what is the point. The GBR 'management' (more like mismanagement) isn't interested in winning even at its home race.

[kerrmanningjarv]

Originally Posted by Kebab

I've stopped watching the racing even on TV now - what is the point. The GBR 'management' (more like mismanagement) isn't interested in winning even at its home race.

Well you can't be much of a fan of the series then... as soon as your team stops doing well, you stop watching (regardless of the fact that the last 2 weekends were the most exciting we have seen for a long time in my opinion).

GBR aren't as good this year as last, but am I stopping my support of the series? Of course not! There are still many cars and drivers out there that I will cheer on and that I want to do well - for me the series isn't a jingoistic "I support GBR and no-one else" exercise, it is an exciting young series that is trying to make a name for itself that we should support.

[Sid The Manager]

And, Autosport finalist and Brands specialist Aaron Steele is being run in the Rookie session.
He could be quicker than Dan first time out..............

Worth watching!

[bella]

Originally Posted by kerrmanningjarv

Well you can't be much of a fan of the series then... as soon as your team stops doing well, you stop watching.

but that's exactly the problem a1 and team gbr have created for themselves. by using the nationalistic thing as a main way of getting people interested they leave themselves open to people losing interest when their countries start failing. it's a lot easier to market to people when their country is winning.

i don't know how they market their races in their own countries, tbh.

[kerrmanningjarv]

Yes but I don't see why some people choose to support one country only... it's not like football or something where you have only 2 teams on the pitch and you support one or the other. There's 20+ cars out there so you can support several (I, for example, cheer for GBR, Ireland, Portugal, Mexico and a few others because I like the drivers or countries).

Obviously I support GBR most because of my nationality but I don't support them exclusively - I am happy for other teams when they win, and happy when new teams join, as I recognize that for the series to grow they need as manu successful teams as they can have.

Maybe that's just me though.

[bella]

because it's based and marketed extensively on supporting *your* country! sure, i follow the series but from a uk perspective. i don't obsess over it, but if a british car has a chance of winning i'll go because the atmosphere is that much better and for me, that's important. i can watch the cars go round on telly - i can't get a feel for the event that way.

also the less competitive the drivers the less incentive there is to watch it. i don't want to watch a bunch of uncompetitive muppets tooling around, i like to watch competitive muppets racing each other. the more decent drivers that are replaced with the less competitive ones, the less interesting it becomes.

[strider]

Originally Posted by kerrmanningjarv

Yes but I don't see why some people choose to support one country only... it's not like football or something where you have only 2 teams on the pitch and you support one or the other. There's 20+ cars out there so you can support several (I, for example, cheer for GBR, Ireland, Portugal, Mexico and a few others because I like the drivers or countries).

Obviously I support GBR most because of my nationality but I don't support them exclusively - I am happy for other teams when they win, and happy when new teams join, as I recognize that for the series to grow they need as many successful teams as they can have.

Maybe that's just me though.

I think bella is absolutely right, but yours is a commendable attitude. To some extent I share it, because when I'm watching the racing on TV I do support several other drivers (not nations). Whether that's enough to drag me to Brands is altogether a different matter, though. The atmosphere is going to be nothing like as good as in previous years.

Then again, perhaps we should all go and enjoy the last A1GP race ever. I don't see it surviving beyond the end of this season and the flu epidemic in Mexico must convert that race from being possible into very unlikely.

[Kiwi3]

Personally I am looking forward to seeing A1GP at Surfers Paradise in October! There has obviously been a lot of cost cutting and stretching of cashflow, but I think the continuation of the series will depend on whether Tony Texeira wants to continue or not, and I have not seen any statements to the effect that he hasn't.

I tend to agree with KMJ, the racing at Portimao was awesome and it made little difference to me that NZL didn't get any results. And Jani, Albuqueque, Liuzzi, Carroll and Doornbos are absolutely at a good enough standard to provide an excellent spectacle. I am very interested to see how all the countries get on.

I can understand why some people might not want to attend a race if a very good driver has been replaced with a very average one for the home team, but not even bothering to watch on TV anymore just sounds like being a 'fair weather friend'.

[Kebab]

Just for the record I stopped watching after the first round ... it is not a recent event, the bad news about drivers being screwed out of their money and GBR finding people to pay for race time (but not paying their creditors) just ensures I don't switch on again or go to a race.

No matter how good the racing may be, I think it is wrong to support a series or team that conducts itself like this.

[Mak]

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

Personally I am looking forward to seeing A1GP at Surfers Paradise in October! There has obviously been a lot of cost cutting and stretching of cashflow, but I think the continuation of the series will depend on whether Tony Texeira wants to continue or not, and I have not seen any statements to the effect that he hasn't.

I tend to agree with KMJ, the racing at Portimao was awesome and it made little difference to me that NZL didn't get any results. And Jani, Albuqueque, Liuzzi, Carroll and Doornbos are absolutely at a good enough standard to provide an excellent spectacle. I am very interested to see how all the countries get on.

I can understand why some people might not want to attend a race if a very good driver has been replaced with a very average one for the home team, but not even bothering to watch on TV anymore just sounds like being a 'fair weather friend'.

I was to, but think that Brands may be the last race for A1 in its current form!

[Kiwi3]

Originally Posted by Kebab

Just for the record I stopped watching after the first round ... it is not a recent event, the bad news about drivers being screwed out of their money and GBR finding people to pay for race time (but not paying their creditors) just ensures I don't switch on again or go to a race.

No matter how good the racing may be, I think it is wrong to support a series or team that conducts itself like this.

Based on the same reasons do you also refuse to watch F1 then?

[Kebab]

Does that have anything to do with this thread? *If* other racing formulae are just as bad it doesn't make what A1 are doing remotely correct.

If A1 doesn't make it to next year, various companies and people will be very badly burned. I really don't want that to happen, but I simply can't support drivers/suppliers being used and then unpaid if they're deemed 'non-essential'.

In my book its immoral, simple as that.