Comments on: Getting The Points, But Not The Point http://www.bbtmn.co.uk/2010/07/getting-the-points-but-not-the-point/ Simon's Blog Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:31:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dickie http://www.bbtmn.co.uk/2010/07/getting-the-points-but-not-the-point/comment-page-1/#comment-694 Dickie Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:37:14 +0000 http://www.bbtmn.co.uk/?p=559#comment-694 It's a unique and weird sport, and the conflict between the interests of the teams and the drivers is key part of it. Hundreds of people all work to develop these cars and the teams spend hundreds of millions of quid in the process, but on a Sunday afternoon it all comes down to the nut holding the wheel, who really is only in it for themselves. So it's a team sport, but reliant in individual performance, if that makes sense? Team orders are banned because, well, it's a sport. If Fernando Alonso wanted to win the race last Sunday, then he should've gone and passed Felipe Massa! It's a hollow victory if you only win because you get your team to ask the person ahead of you to slow down. It's complicated though. If it were the last race of the season, and Alonso needed the extra points to win the championship and Massa couldn't win it, no-one would've batted an eyelid. At that point, Alonso would have "beaten" Massa properly over the course of the season, so it's more acceptable. In that sense, team orders are only partly banned (for things like last Sunday), and we've seen lots of teams enact them even since the ban was put in place. I like the "idiot's guide to motorsport" idea. Although it possibly wouldn't be "quick", might go on for a few posts. Once I start writing about this sort of stuff, I can carry on for a while! It’s a unique and weird sport, and the conflict between the interests of the teams and the drivers is key part of it. Hundreds of people all work to develop these cars and the teams spend hundreds of millions of quid in the process, but on a Sunday afternoon it all comes down to the nut holding the wheel, who really is only in it for themselves. So it’s a team sport, but reliant in individual performance, if that makes sense?

Team orders are banned because, well, it’s a sport. If Fernando Alonso wanted to win the race last Sunday, then he should’ve gone and passed Felipe Massa! It’s a hollow victory if you only win because you get your team to ask the person ahead of you to slow down.

It’s complicated though. If it were the last race of the season, and Alonso needed the extra points to win the championship and Massa couldn’t win it, no-one would’ve batted an eyelid. At that point, Alonso would have “beaten” Massa properly over the course of the season, so it’s more acceptable. In that sense, team orders are only partly banned (for things like last Sunday), and we’ve seen lots of teams enact them even since the ban was put in place.

I like the “idiot’s guide to motorsport” idea. Although it possibly wouldn’t be “quick”, might go on for a few posts. Once I start writing about this sort of stuff, I can carry on for a while!

]]> By: Jenny http://www.bbtmn.co.uk/2010/07/getting-the-points-but-not-the-point/comment-page-1/#comment-693 Jenny Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:09:45 +0000 http://www.bbtmn.co.uk/?p=559#comment-693 I found this post very interesting - I don't know very much about motorsport but I find it interesting that it's a team sport in which the team have a certain amount of obstacles to effective communication. In football, netball, etc, you can gesture with your hands and your face, you can even call out if needs be, you can deliberately place yoruself in the eyeline of another player in order to get or avoid a pass or whatever. In motorsport obviously you can only communicate via radio to the engineers; you can't, seemingly, talk to other drivers on your team; obviously, being in a car, you can't gesture either. So as team sports go it's fairly odd. And I don't really understand why, if it's a team game, team orders are banned anyway - in some ways I question how you're a team if you're actually not allowed to co-operate on the track? Also, Dickie, I for one would be very interested if you wrote a quick Idiot's Guide To Motorsport, outlining the rules on different kinds of races, who the big players are, what the big races in the season are, and so on. I'd find it very interesting and it would also be helpful in terms of understanding your other motorsport-based entries! xxx I found this post very interesting – I don’t know very much about motorsport but I find it interesting that it’s a team sport in which the team have a certain amount of obstacles to effective communication. In football, netball, etc, you can gesture with your hands and your face, you can even call out if needs be, you can deliberately place yoruself in the eyeline of another player in order to get or avoid a pass or whatever. In motorsport obviously you can only communicate via radio to the engineers; you can’t, seemingly, talk to other drivers on your team; obviously, being in a car, you can’t gesture either. So as team sports go it’s fairly odd. And I don’t really understand why, if it’s a team game, team orders are banned anyway – in some ways I question how you’re a team if you’re actually not allowed to co-operate on the track?

Also, Dickie, I for one would be very interested if you wrote a quick Idiot’s Guide To Motorsport, outlining the rules on different kinds of races, who the big players are, what the big races in the season are, and so on. I’d find it very interesting and it would also be helpful in terms of understanding your other motorsport-based entries!

xxx

]]> By: Flix http://www.bbtmn.co.uk/2010/07/getting-the-points-but-not-the-point/comment-page-1/#comment-691 Flix Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:38:00 +0000 http://www.bbtmn.co.uk/?p=559#comment-691 I usually skip past Big Names and Motorsport Events and I don't really get the team thang or the rules or such, but I found that part about the team orders quite interesting. I usually skip past Big Names and Motorsport Events and I don’t really get the team thang or the rules or such, but I found that part about the team orders quite interesting.

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