Why hasn’t anyone come up with a simple way of relaunching racing?
The Mugello weekend is a great opportunity to see the sport at its purest and healthiest with Ferrari Challenge drivers from all over the world doing battle in their championships and in the World Finals that bring them all together. But we don’t want to talk about winners or losers here. That’s not what the Ferrari Magazine is all about. Rather we want to take a broader look at what motor sport is today. Let me draw one very banal but effective analogy and say that it’s like a gorgeous, sophisticated, elegant, desirable building that only starts from the third or fourth floor. Let me explain: the entry level costs for single-make championships of the likes of the Ferrari Challenge, the GT championships and single seater races are now so cripplingly high they discourage even people with a burning desire and passion to express their talents behind the wheel.
Getting your first race is tough: you don’t know how well you’ll perform against other drivers until you actually try it. And to even try once today, you need cars that are so specialised (roll-bars, a plethora of safety accessories that are race-specific and thus very expensive) they act as a deterrent in themselves to anyone thinking of a maiden race.
When you walk into a sophisticated restaurant, and motor racing doesn’t mess about in terms of sophistication, you’re often served an appetizer or an amuse bouche.
There should be a similar sort of appetizer in motor racing, an easy and accessible way for people to try their hand at the sport. It would help it grow and make it truly popular again.
PUBLISHED IN EDITOR'S CORNER BY Antonio Ghini ON 11.16.2011
Credit: Ferrari S.p.A. (www.ferrari.com)
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