What model is that?
Ferrari stolen from F1 driver Gerhard Berger recovered 28 years later
Met police seize vehicle, stolen in Italy in 1995 and worth £350,000, in London as it was about to be sold to a US buyer
Ferrari stolen from F1 driver Gerhard Berger recovered 28 years later
Met police seize vehicle, stolen in Italy in 1995 and worth £350,000, in London as it was about to be sold to a US buyerwww.theguardian.com
In the article linked, second line...
Horner has only been married once.
Personally, I have practically zero respect for what is in my opinion nothing more than a token gesture. If he really cared, he would forego his millions and go and race in lesser series that don't have the same ethical and moral turpitude. He's very happy to take the money though isn't he, so in my book he has no more ethical or moral superiority over any of the other drivers.
Sorry, I'm still going to call those little more than token gestures. They pale in to insignificance against his willingness to be involved in and get paid millions by a sport that directly financially supports regimes that have next to zero respect for human lives. All things that he knew full well was the case before he ever drove in F1. F1 should just not be involved with SA etc. Through his participation he is directly enabling the payment of millions of $ of revenue to regimes that execute people and oppress the rights of minorities. As is every other F1 driver. They literally have no moral ground to stand on IMO no matter what other "good deads" they do, none of it will counter the harm they do just by being a driver.
Actually, while I confess that this did occur to me, it wasn't! The whole point is to be a winner - people sponsor F1 because they want their brands to be identified with winners, so that this image is subconsciously transferred from the team to the product, resulting (hopefully) in more sales. The thought of being routinely thrashed by an energy drink must gall the life out of the Board at Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. It's the reason why teams routinely at the back of the grid have such difficulty in attracting sponsors. To be an enthusiast for the sport is very nice, but to be identified routinely with a back-marker is not, so there's a limit.
And how exactly would that help F1 to become more inclusive and to address issues of inequality in the countries it visits? Yes Hamilton is a wealthy man and in a sport that is in some ways is politically corrupt, but using his profile and fame to bring these issues to the attention of the spectators and viewers has surely got to be better than saying 'I am better than this' and disappearing into obscurity. Whenever anyone famous tries to stand up against injustices in the world there is always the subtext from many about how easy it is to preach from a privileged position. A great example of this is the derision aimed at Bono when he talks about stopping famine in Africa... yes he's rich and privileged, but he has also given more to charities and organisations to address these issues than most of us ever will... yet people still call him out as he is a millionaire... so what... at least he is doing something. That's how I feel about Hamilton and Vettel... yes they've made millions driving in F1, but at least they are doing something and I wonder just how many of those criticising have actually done something themselves? Not many I suspect.
I'm absolutely sure Hamilton has done a lot of good through his donations etc. I've no doubt of that. I also have no doubt that (in his own mind at least) his intentions aren't anything other than honorable or that he doesn't have strong convictions on the topics he talks about. My problem is, nothing that he's done (and same goes for Vettel et al) has done anything to alter the fact that F1 is morally corrupt because of it's involvement with some of the worst regimes on the planet. They are at best "sidelines" to that fact. I know it's a naive position, but yes if everyone were to say "im better than this" and go elsewhere there would be no F1, or at the very least F1's financial security would be put at risk and that's probably the only thing that's likely to ever make them stop and think about who they're involved with. If Hamilton truly wanted to do something, he'd refuse to race in SA (for example), yes that would put his career in jeapardy, but that would then make it meaningful and would also bring proper media attention to the issue. With the best will in the world, when you're a millionaire, it's easy to "just gift your way in to the moral good books", I'm sure many people would give away tens of thousands or more to good causes if they could afford it.
It's not naive, it's idealistic and the same as saying if everyone who could gave a pound a week we could end world poverty... true but not going to happen. At the end of the day I think Hamilton has made a difference... yes it may only be small, but people are talking and moves are afoot... things like this do not happen overnight.
Could be worse, the brand could be called "Vodka Red Bull" or "Jager Bomb"Actually, while I confess that this did occur to me, it wasn't! The whole point is to be a winner - people sponsor F1 because they want their brands to be identified with winners, so that this image is subconsciously transferred from the team to the product, resulting (hopefully) in more sales. The thought of being routinely thrashed by an energy drink must gall the life out of the Board at Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. It's the reason why teams routinely at the back of the grid have such difficulty in attracting sponsors. To be an enthusiast for the sport is very nice, but to be identified routinely with a back-marker is not, so there's a limit.
F1 is ultimately as much a series of commercial moving billboards as it is a sport. Gone are the days of Enzo Ferrari, whose sole passion in life was racing - the only reason he started to make road cars was to get the money to go racing. His place has been taken by hard-headed business calculation. I'd imagine that Oracle, Mobil and Claro must be feeling rather pleased with themselves:
Sorry Bob, I'll post my correction.
