A need for blah, blah, blah - Outspoken Formula 1 Drivers
'Felipe, baby, stay cool!' - is it just me or will Massa's Malaysian meltdown go down as one of the highlights of '09?! I had it all set as my quote of the season and nothing was coming close to beating it; then along came Rubens Barrichello...
In an effort to keep fans entertained during race weekends the FIA and FOTA have taken steps to give us viewers more access to the drivers than ever - from increasing broadcasts of radio transmissions to immediate post-race interviews. Whilst I'm sure many agree these little extras have certainly added some spice to proceedings they are no doubt causing headaches for the team's press reps.
Rubens is not the first to be unhappy with his team this season - Rosberg has had grumbles at Williams and Webber had felt Red Bull were pushing him aside (although nothing like a maiden victory to dispel those thoughts), so why was it so shocking to hear Ruben's tirade? Well for one it came on the back of a disappointing weekend for Brawn; the team, that seemed unbeatable for the first half of the season, has seen chinks appear in their armour, and I'm sure it's causing some frustration. Secondly Rubens is generally seen as one of the most affable souls in the paddock not someone prone to outbursts and, whilst other drivers have been unhappy, it takes a brave one to publicly bite the hand that feeds them.
Perhaps it was the pressure cooker effect. Rubens, like anyone else, is human and can only stand so much. As an F1 driver I'm sure he handle more pressure than most but having seen what looks like history repeating itself (both in terms of second fiddle driving for the season and messed up strategy for the race) something was bound to give.
Once made aware of the facts a statement was quickly released by Brawn GP, Barrichello 'understood the reasons' and the incident seemed smoothed over within the team, but is that really the case? And which do you prefer? Do you enjoy the new open, accessible F1 or do you think drivers should be given prep time to listen to the 'blah, blah, blah' before been exposed to 'lights, camera, action'?
By Samantha Wilcox for enterf1.com
- Share this page:
DiggIt
Del.icio.us
Stumble Upon
Worth Checking Out
 |
Thanks for visiting EnterF1.com! Have you got a suggestion? A potential improvement? Or just like to get in touch with us then please do so! We listen to all our website fans and love to hear from you, so please leave some feedback. |
Recent comments on this article:
#1 ian doroteo | 15/07/2009 20:42:30
thank you samantha!
i think knowing the true personality of F1 drivers is good for f1 on a fanīs perspective. how can we forget The 2002 Austrian Grand Prix when it received negative publicity after Ferrari instructed Rubens Barrichello to cede his victory to Michael Schumacher. At the podium steps rubens cannot hide his emotions. thatīs a type of driver he is..
with all this publicity abount his rant he has already learned (thank god!) what went wrong and heīs now moving on,but what i have noticed is that he is feeling the pressure. heīs getting old. although publicly heīs stating that he still has the motivation to win which he does. but what im speculating is that he wants a title and retire without branding him a driver playing second fiddle to other drivers.
- ian doroteo
Reply to this comment »
#2 MartyP | 18/07/2009 06:38:31
I LOVE the open comments and the unexpected rants, even if they're not exactly correct. I think it makes the sport seem more human, which is often lost in all the technology.
My one gripe with Lewis Hamilton is that his comments always seem so prepared and PR friendly. I like him best when he just opens up and says what he thinks, and the same goes for all of the other drivers as well. I love a bit of raw honesty!
I wonder how much this will tarnish Ruben's relationship with Brawn? It certainly can't have been good consdiering the team is becoming more focussed around Jenson.
Reply to this comment »
Please post a new comment: