Luca Badoer has criticised the F1 press, claiming negative coverage of his appearances for Ferrari led to him losing his drive.
And there was me thinking performances like this and this were the real reason.
Badoer blames media after losing Ferrari F1 drive
Luca Badoer: "Those who write don't understand how much harm they can cause. The media played a fundamental role in the decision to replace me,"
Ecclestone hoping to lower ticket prices
"The cost of running teams today is just crazy but now we are getting the teams to come to their senses and reduce expenditure dramatically. When that happens we won't have to produce so much money for them and, therefore, we can ask for less money for the promoter and the ticket prices will come down – we want that to happen as soon as possible." It needs to happen sooner rather than later. Ticket sales this year have been very poor at too many races.
McLaren MP4-12C: F1’s best bits in a road car
"The new model will be sold as the MP4-12C, a name that echoes the company’s history in Formula One racing, according to Dennis. It is one of the most keenly awaited cars of the decade and will follow in the tyre tracks of the McLaren F1 supercar, launched in 1991."
These are links I’ve bookmarked using Delicious. You can see my Delicious profile here.
Michel S.
7th September 2009, 2:24
Oh, the chutzpah of Bernie! I’m rendered almost speechless.
craig
7th September 2009, 3:29
Bernie is so out of touch with the average F1 fan, he has no idea. Why would he ever think F1 would work in a place like Turkey. Meanwhile other worthy locations go without a date. A beautiful new track in Portugal is available that is very close to many F1 fans but instead he lets it be used as a test track. Go back to where the sport has traditional roots, maybe even South Africa or Argentina. He is more worried that the empty seats in Turkey make his ideas look poorly planned.
craig
7th September 2009, 3:32
Poor Badoer, all this time I thought him driving a second slower than everyone else was the reason he was replaced, and little did I know it was the media that did him in.
Patrickl
7th September 2009, 6:51
It was actually more like 2 seconds a lap slower. He was 101 seconds down on Raikkonen over 44 laps. In qualy he was 1.4s slower in Q1, but Raikkonen went 6 tenths faster still in Q2 so he was probably holding back a bit in Q1.
On the other hand, Badoer assumed he would be on the pace in Monza …
It’s bizar how people can be so devoid of any sense of reality. It’s like with Piquet that they start blaming everything, apart form thinking that it’s their lack of performance that is putting them in the situation.
ajokay
7th September 2009, 9:21
Funny how he said that Valencia was a test session, and he’d be much more on the pace at Spa.
Then after an equally slow (apart from through the speed trap) Spa, he was saying how he’d be much more on the pace at Monza.
There is clearly a reason why he has been nothing more than a test driver for the past 10 years, and never got to race anything faster than a Minardi up until now, and it ain’t ’cause the media were giving him a bad rap.
I think Martin Brundle was justified in saying that Badoer ‘Couldn’t drive a nail into a piece of wood.’
Patrickl
7th September 2009, 6:55
Ecclestone at his best. Raking in the money for ruining the sport. Now blame the teams for the high ticket prices. Suuuuuuure.
Tim
7th September 2009, 10:04
If Badoer is surprised that the media pay very careful attention to the performance of a new driver in F1’s highest profile team, then he hasn’t just been out of F1 for awhile, he’s been out of touch with reality.
PJA
7th September 2009, 10:08
I don’t like the name MP4-12C as a name for the new McLaren road car, as that name would be given to a development of the 1997 F1 car under their usual naming conditions. I would be surprised if Ron Dennis did give it this name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_MP4/12
LewisC
7th September 2009, 12:28
I thought that. Very strange. Nothing wrong with “P11” in my view.
And as for Badoer… has he been breathing fumes from leaking Kers batteries? When the whole field is covered by a second a lap and you’re two seconds behind, you just haven’t got what it takes. Would have been interesting to see him race Bourdais though. :D
KNF
8th September 2009, 4:19
Does it mean that the -12C has two brake pedals too?
The picture in the Times website shows it in a very nice McLaren Orange…
Michael.Brownbridge
7th September 2009, 11:07
The evil gnome saying he wants to bring ticket prices down reminds me of an old joke (if you will forgive the repition)-
“It is Friday, the end of a succesful week.
All targets have been reached,
All dealines have been met,
All pigs are fed and ready to fly.”
AndrewT
7th September 2009, 11:38
okay, the media played a role, as they expected Schumacher, and get Badoer instead of him, not exactly the same class. but the lack of practice, the lack of time he could spend in F60 wasn’t casued by the media.
although i think he was improving constantly during the last two races, it could have take another 2-3 races when he would have been able to get into Q2, which is not ideal for a team that’s battling for 3rd in the constructors.
i have to say, that i still don’t think that Badoer isn’t up to the challenge, but this chance reached him on a wrong place and wrong time and maybe too late to prove. considering the hard work he put into that performance that finally wasn’t so spectacular, it’s a shame.
SamS
7th September 2009, 12:03
Luizzi has been confirmed as taking Fisi’s spot at Force India according to the BBC webasite!
sato113
7th September 2009, 17:46
kinda feel sorry for Badoer, dropped before monza with the whole world criticising him. I bet it was really tough for him to adapt so fast.
as for ticket prices, i believe that silverstone cheap ones were £100-£300 right? A truly reasonable price for a GP should be about £50. (don’t forget how much of a rip off food, drink and programmes are at UK circuits)
StrFerrari4Ever
7th September 2009, 21:46
Poor Luc At How Bad U R LOL well he can blame the media all he likes but at the end of the day it’s what the driver does that counts , he was way below par and Ferrari running him at Monza wouldn’t be justifiable due to the huge demands of the Tifosi.
Mansellian Mindwarp
7th September 2009, 21:49
Luca. Luca. Lûca. Kaboom. Smash barrier. Kaboom. Gravy face. It was always going to spin daddy that way throttle fiends.
The Limit
8th September 2009, 2:56
To be honest, I am surprised at just how badly Luca Badoer performed in his two grands prix with Ferrari. Alot of us have mocked Nelson Piquet Jnr’s lacklustre performances with Renault, but atleast he has the luxary of inexperience driving F1 cars.
The main consensus seems to be that experience in F1 is a key ingredient to success, but in Badoer’s case that proved the polar opposite.
Rarely have we seen such an experienced race car driver fall so flat on his face, to the point of almost unbearable embarrassement. Other drivers have entered F1 from other series and have failed to come to terms with the sport, most recently Sebastien Bourdais, but Badoer has been in F1 for years and years. He has done nothing but test Ferrari machines for the past decade, a period in the teams history that has seen them produce some of their most dominant cars.
Mussolini's Pet Cat
8th September 2009, 12:52
So, with Badoer in mind, it begs the question, is it harder for a driver to drive a great car or a crap car????
Bad Oh Errr!
9th September 2009, 23:03
My name is Luca Badoer, I do not come from Samoa. In the car I get ever slower, will I ever be a good goer?
Windywilows
14th September 2009, 14:36
Formula One is set on a course for destruction, and Mr Toad is at the wheel.
ShaznTrace
14th September 2009, 21:35
I fink e will win F1 cuz e is well fit innit ?
badoered
17th September 2009, 21:23
So this guy turns up and drives in to my car again and again and again.Like some fruity nerd in a red jump suit.I say “I’m parked” and he says “Ferme”. He was well fit innit.
Speedmonkey
24th September 2009, 8:25
There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. But there are no old bold cold mold sold hold Badoers.
Chesney Heist
26th September 2009, 9:36
Oh Luca. Babe magnet.We’re talking mags, we’re talking parties, we’re talking cameras, we’re talking Miller’s Antiques Guide (8th edition too!)
Cheerpiercing
30th September 2009, 5:55
There are too many unacceptable animal noises in Formula One.I have asked James Allen to make a note when Luca Badoer issues any unwanted sounds.I am sure you understand why this is necessary.
Soft Compounder
5th October 2009, 4:52
I have heard Badoer and some other drivers make those noises too, and it’s rather unpleasant.Rather like an industrial kitchen blender, but with a steering wheel mounted speed limiter.
Button Pusher
20th October 2009, 23:50
My gadzooks I flew like a fuel-rigged demon, yet all the time Luca behind me, wearing that crazy cream-filled speed hat.
Large Oil Drum
23rd October 2009, 19:19
Beats me how Luca wins so many races with thatannoying cream filled hat and variable density concrete underwear.
F1 Fanatic
23rd October 2009, 19:54
You’re all freaks aren’t you, and the same person.Saddo
Chic O'Cane
13th December 2009, 10:01
What a waste of money. I just bought a DVD called Luca Badoer’s 18 Holes, and it turns out to be a DVD about Formula One.
Monsieur Cupcake
7th September 2010, 10:23
Badoer slower than my mower, and Percy of Thrower.