Another F1 reality TV show ! (merged)

[Super Tourer]

http://www.ananova.com/entertainment...sm_822509.html

Hang onto you hats!

'A new reality television show will give one winner the chance to become a top racing car driver.'

'Formula One team Jordan has reportedly agreed to take part in the fly-on-the-wall series, which is expected to launch next year.The winner will earn a three-year driving contract which could see them enter a Grand Prix in the 2007 season.'

It's reported that ex march F1 boss Robin Herd is one of the people behind the project.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Super Tourer
The winner will earn a three-year driving contract which could see them enter a Grand Prix in the 2007 season.'

'should'

[Knowlesy]

That'll never work!

[DriverT]

2007, hmmmmmm that's very optimistic. Still, they've got to look somewhere ;-)

[ElScOrChO]

I hope that Jordan can stay in F1 until 2007...

[Hungary 89]

Originally posted by knowlesy
That'll never work!

There is no reason why it couldn't work if it was handled in the right way.

However for the television company to get any benefit from it they will try to do it on the cheap using the quickest and most convienient methods to get rid of the applicants, Invariably talent will not be the guiding factor but people who have basically the right elements in place who should be easy to manipulate.

In the Channel 5 version they used a fitness test as the first method of cutting the numbers down, Well it strikes me that you can make a talented driver fit but you can't give someone talent they have either got it or not.

So although I wouldn't say it could never work

Your right Knowlesy It wont

[Suzy]

So, why should a random member-of-the-public get the chance to be a Formula One driver when there are thousands of talented young drivers out there who would walk over hot coals for that opportunity?

[Hungary 89]

I think they are just trying to answer the question:-

Is there a better driver than Micheal Schumacher out there driving a Milk Float or something who doesn't know they are better than Micheal Schumacher because they have never had the opportunity to find out?

Problem is with the comercial interests involved in making a TV Program they will never find him

[Whizz]

It would be interesting to see if there is a driver out there who is exceptionally talented but doesn't know it, but surely there should be more time and money spent on people who really have their heart and soul in motor racing (a bit poetic sounding I know)

[The Moon Monkey]

The Jordan formula one team is behind a reality television show that will give a novice driver the chance to compete in a grand prix - and provide the company with sufficient exposure to compensate for the demise of cigarette sponsorship.
An amateur driving enthusiast will be trained up and placed in the cockpit of a Jordan formula one car as part of an ambitious Pop Idol-style project which the team hopes will help reignite interest in the sport.

A Jordan spokeswoman, speaking from Indianapolis, where the team is preparing for the American grand prix, said the proposal was still in its early stages but had been approved and had the full blessing of formula one boss Bernie Ecclestone.

"Eddie Jordan [owner of the Jordan formula one team] has been quite involved with Bernie Ecclestone in looking at ways of promoting formula one.

"We've been in discussions for quite some time and hope to make it happen next year," she said.

The project involves the team giving one of its two driver positions to an untested individual chosen through a televised talent search. It is not clear yet whether insurance will be available in the event of a crash or injury to any of the contestants.

All formula one team owners are searching for ways to broaden the sport's appeal and replace revenue that will be lost when tobacco promotion - such as that from Jordan's main sponsor, Benson & Hedges - is banned from next year.

Judges will whittle down contenders to a shortlist before viewers vote for their favourite driver and follow their progress via a TV show, website and mobile updates.

British broadcast rights are not yet finalised, but a Jordan spokeswoman said there would be no rights issues if a broadcaster other than ITV, which screens the races, were to transmit the show.

The winning driver will be trained for three years, with the cameras following them every step of the way, before becoming a formula one contestant in time for the beginning of the 2007 season.

The concept has been devised by Jordan and SlaterHerd, a sports marketing company formed by the former magazine publisher, Victoria Herd, and previous formula one team owner Robin Herd, and is expected to appear on television screens in the UK next year.

Mr Ecclestone's plan to attract formula one fans with a premium subscription television service was not a success, with the British version of the interactive pay-per-view service on BSkyB attracting only 25,000 viewers and forcing him to scrap the service last November.

[Glen]

What's unbelieveable about that? Sounds good to me.

[Bononi]

Something like "Fame"...

Uhnnn.... maybe a new champion can rise there.

[Suzy]

Unbelieveable maybe, but it's also being discussed here: http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=44182

[kdr]

or a new "hearsay"...

[Adam43]

merged

[Bononi]

Thanks

[Miss Hardt]

YUCK!!!! What a stupid idea. That's not sport.

[Redblurr]

I like the bit about '...whether insurance will be available in the event of a crash or injury to any of the contestants...' Are things that bad at Jordan?

[Revracing]

It may be a daft idea, but it could be worth a shot for all us novice drivers...

[Glen]

I think is exactly sport. It's not a rare lucky few middle class males with money behind them - it is presumably open to everyone, including people who would otherwise have no chance to get into motorsport at all. I'd love to see a regular working class guy in F1. Or girl.

In fact, the more I think about it the better it sounds. Presumably the public will vote according to how well they perform, so what's the problem?

All those who think this stinks - please could you explain why?

[Suzy]

Formula One is supposed to be the top-level of motor racing in the world. Won't it demean it further if somebody who's been dragged off the street can get a contract?

For your information, this competition will be only open to amateur drivers - e.g. not the young up and coming drivers who are racing in the lower formulaes at the moment. What about all the young karters, drivers etc. who would love to work their way up to F1 one day but are having to wrestle with impossible budgets, limited funding etc. but have the talent?

Can Jordan et al guarantee that everybody will get a fair crack? If it's left to the general public to "vote" then how many will vote for the most talented driver, who will vote for the best looking driver, how many will vote for the random freak that all these reality shows have in order to make it more "entertaining"?

Can they guarantee a drive in F1 in 2007?

Some of us can remember the days when you couldn't get a superlicence without having finished in the top three of a major FIA championship. Now, to quote our friends on Aussie V8 Brutes: "you can get a licence off the back of a cornflake packet".

[Glen]

It is indeed the top level of motorsport in the world - top level of all those people priviledged enough to get a chance to work their way through the formulae. Not everyone has got a rich daddy, or a daddy with a go-kart park. It won't demean the current drivers, it'll simply expose what a small sample is currently being used. The current best drivers are only the best of a narrow class.