Should formula 1 be an olympic sport ?

[Silver Dream]

Well they've got windpower with the yachting and, if I am not mistaken, geriatric power with the bowling...

[DKGandBH]

Boats are far easier to establish an even "playing field"

There are international standards for boats, water is found in most places, there are limited mechanical parts, there are no engines...

Karts would be nice...but would be too hard.

DKGandBH

[alvarofue]

There are international standards for karts too, that's what I mean. The cars are not so complicated.
And you can make a kart track on a mall parking lot, for example.

I don't know the rules to be an olympic sport. Maybe it is imposible for motorsport to be in the olympics.

[Keith Wheeler]

There's already enough politics, etc, etc, in F1, without exposing it to Olympic-type levels of corruption, payoffs, backstabbing, etc,etc!!

[steve_r]

IMO The Olympics should be the pinnacle competition of any participating sport. That is the case for sailing, rowing, athletics etc.

It is not the most important international competition for Football, Cycling, Tennis (maybe others...).

IMO any motor sport in the Olympics would be a small competion in comparison with F1, Indy or Le Mans. I don't think it would be of any real significance, and should not be included.

Motor sport in the olympics - just doesn't seem right.

[KayBee]

Originally posted by McKay
The Olympics are about human power and strenght arent they? I dont think Motor racing comes under that.

What about horse power? Three Day Eventing and ShowJumping are Olympic sports, however, horse racing isn't.

[ss_collins]

How about something like FPA? one make cars centrally run in national coulours - also a rule stating that no professional drivers may compete (how you would define that is hard)

[McKay]

Not F1 Drivers, maybe F3000 or F3.

[Rob29]

Originally posted by ss_collins
How about something like FPA? one make cars centrally run in national coulours - also a rule stating that no professional drivers may compete (how you would define that is hard)

How do you define professional? I don't think any sport at the Olympics is truly amatear.Last to try was swimming,when Sharon Davies was suspended for accepting £50 for appearing on 'A Question of Sport'!!

[Fuzzyfelt]

I don't see why some form of Karting couldn't be included in the Olympics.
Although, the Annual Race of Champions is about as close as we'll ever get to seeing an international cross-over between motorsport disciplines event.

[steve_r]

Originally posted by Fuzzyfelt
I don't see why some form of Karting couldn't be included in the Olympics.

Karting shouln't be included because compared with many many other forms of motorsports, and compared with the majority of the Olympics it would look like some kind of joke (No offence to Karters intended!).

Olympics = Pinnacle of sport
Karting = Bottom rung of Motor Sport Ladder

[rdjones]

Originally posted by ss_collins
How about something like FPA? one make cars centrally run in national coulours - also a rule stating that no professional drivers may compete (how you would define that is hard)

I would agree with you there, if motor racing was let I would go for something along the same lines as FPA too, lets call it Formula Olympic.

I would how ever let the pro's in, TGP racing for Germany, Jenson racing for use etc, because it would be interesting to see how they all get on in cars of the same spec.

Now as for a format I would go for something along same lines as the FFord Festival with heats then semi's then the final.

[Peter Mallett]

Taking into consideration the level of boredom engendered by the Olympics and the recent Hungarian F1 example, I'd say the two events are a marriage made in heaven.

[Peter Mallett]

I do of course exclude the Brazilian ladies Beach Volleyball team from my assessment.

[Growling Ferret]

"Olympics = Pinnacle of sport"
There are plenty of questionable sports in the Olympics - rhythmic gymnastics, synchronised swimming. Soccer at the Olympics is for Under 23's (+ two older players).

Karting has more merit than most of them - max 2 entries from each country, drivers under the age of 23, running under FIA rules. A kart is no less affordable than a world class pushbike (30 or 40k for the top line track carbon fibre jobs), a small yacht, a row boat etc.

Its a chance for a kid from a smaller country to make a name for themselves without the need for millions of dollars in backing to run in Europe. I like the idea...


ps - In Aust, we are bombarded with about 20 hours coverage on two channels per day of the Olympics - what do other Countries get?

[steve_r]

GF: About the same level of coverage here in the UK.

An unkonown kid from a smaller country becoming Olympic Champion in a go-kart? That just cheapens the Olympics IMO. (mind you, I agree with you that a lot of the sports included in the olympic are a bit of a joke).

[Mackmot]

I always thought they should have Olympic Formula A karting, that can be amateur or professional so some people wouldnt be allowed to do it but those amateurs that do well may be able to get paid for championship Formula A. Also it could be made cheap if in the Olympics they were all given a 'spec' engine.

[Mathias]

On the subject of whether motor-sport CAN be included in the Summer Olympics, the Olympic Charter says, that to be included, an Olympic sport must conform to the following criteria:
- only sports widely practised by men in at least seventy-five countries and on four continents, and by women in at least forty countries and on three continents (:confused: anyone want to do the research???)
- only sports that adopt and implement the World Anti-Doping Code ( no problem - Tomas Enge excepted)
- sports are admitted to the programme of the Olympic
Games at least seven years before specific Olympic Games
in respect of which no change shall thereafter be permitted ( so no chance until 2012 - if we get going right now)

BUT!!!

Sports, disciplines or events in which performance depends essentially on mechanical propulsion are not acceptable.

That's just unfair. I did physics A-level, and, while I failed first year degree level physics, I'm am pretty sure that technically speaking, harnessing the potential, chemical or kinetic energy of, say, wind, is just as "mechanical" as harnessing that of an oil derivative.

Beggur.

Which is why I say, stuff the bleeming IOC. Get Max Moseley off his fat backside to organise an FIA Motorsport Olympiad, where we can make up our own rules.

[Rob29]

Aviation sports have their own 'World Air Games' every 4 years.Unfortunately a few 30min programmes on the Discovery Channel? is the most I have ever seen of these.

[Anuauto]

There was once a F1 "Olympic Grand Prix" - 1956?
There was also an "Olympic Rally" (in the year of the Munich Olympics?), which was Walter Rohrl's first major win (in a Capri!).

[Rob29]

That was actually the Australian GP at Albert Park,not officially part of the Olympics. Same applied to the Munich rally AFAIK.

[Stuart Hill]

Originally posted by Bridget Stone
watching the first day of events in Athens, the thought crossed my mind: Should formula-1 be an olympic sport ?

NO !!!! the IOC can screw things up quite well on their own, they don't need Bernie's or Max's help!!!!

[Anuauto]

Yes, I'm aware those events weren't in any way "official" olympic events but just tagged the name. Just as well too, as most people seem to be saying! (and the "olympic GP" I'm thinking of was definitely 1950s - Rome olympics??)

[Hazard]

The Olympics are more of a nations individuals sporting event, not a team thing like motorsport.

So a one make thing like the Cupra's could work, barring the getting a track problem.

Bit of planning ahead though and they could have timed the Greek rally right and squeezed that in

[Antrodemus]

You'd have to take the car out of the equation somehow, maybe 3 or 4 short rounds, with panel-swaps in between so each driver uses different cars each time.