Will F1 feel the love again?

28 July 2016 - 09:52 By Daniel Johnson

There was no German Grand Prix last year, with the Nuerburgring balking at paying the hosting fees and Hockenheim unwilling to shoulder the cost after only 52000 people turned up in 2014.But the race makes a comeback this weekend. Fortunately, there are more talking points than just the bickering Mercedes drivers to look forward to.Ferrari are in deep troubleThe famous old team is facing a crisis bigger than many had even feared. James Allison, their highly-respected English technical director, has left the team with immediate effect. His contract ran until the end of 2017.Perhaps he believes with the current structure, the hapless team principal Maurizio Arrivabene, and the overbearing company chairman, Sergio Marchionne, it is not possible for Ferrari to win.Sebastian Vettel, the four-time champion, is really the only person seemingly holding everything together. His leadership will be vital if the team are to get themselves out of this mess.Can Germany fall in love with F1 again?There is a lot riding on the first German Grand Prix in two years.Hockenheim struggles to get anywhere near making a profit out of Formula One, which is why it was cancelled last year.It is still worth recalling that in Michael Schumacher's heyday, Hockenheim was packed, with well over 100000 people on race day.Vettel's move to Ferrari has provoked some interest, but the four-time champion is a largely anonymous figure between races. As for Nico Rosberg, he is regarded as a half-German half-international citizen, having lived in Monaco for almost his whole life.Add this to the general malaise surrounding the sport in Germany, not helped by Bernie Ecclestone's trial for bribery two years ago in Munich, and enthusiasm can be in short supply.The "Halo" debateToday, the sport's Strategy Group will debate the "Halo" head protection device.In Hungary the drivers were given a full presentation on the safety benefits, which appears to have had some impact. Even Lewis Hamilton, one of the Halo's biggest opponents, seemed to have watered down his opposition."I don't think we can ignore it," he said. "It's a safety thing that we all have to accept."Yet some believe the Halo is a step too far in the pursuit of safety in Formula One. There is little questioning that aesthetically the Halo is both unattractive and very much unlike anything else in the sport. Arguably it would be better to wait until they can come up with a design which is more integrated in the chassis, but the problem for teams and the sport is that once something like this has been tested and found to work, it would be negligent to leave it off the cars.©The Daily Telegraph..

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.