Getting home from Korea is not the work of a moment as the circuit is 250 miles from the country’s major international airport and the flights go out at around midnight, which means that most people stayed on in Mokpo on Sunday night and spent Monday on trains, buses, cars and internal flights to get up to Incheon for the flights on Monday night, which meant that the circus was not arriving back home in Europe until Tuesday midday. At this time of year every day at home is a bonus as there are a string of Asian races and time is short. The major preoccupation is sorting out the remaining visa questions because the Indian authorities do not seem to have made it easy for the F1 circus. That is a choice. If they do not embrace F1 they stand to lose a lot of potentially good publicity which could help them change the global image of the country. Similarly if there is too much bureaucracy and/or dodgy behaviour, such as bribes, this will highlight the wrong things. We all hope that the Indian GP will be a success and that we will find the country agreeable, so the behaviour of the locals will really be what decides the attitude that F1 adopts.
Over in America the investigations have now begun into what happened at Las Vegas and we are beginning to understand what caused the death of Dan Wheldon. The Clark County Coroner has ruled that Wheldon died of head injuries at 1.54pm at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he was flown by medical helicopter after the crash at the track about 12 miles away. An autopsy ruled that his death was caused by blunt trauma to the head due to motor vehicle collision and the coroner said that his office would be working with IndyCar officials and medical staff to improve safety for the drivers.
Pippa Mann had surgery on a burned right little finger but was released from hospital on Monday. JR Hildebrand suffered a bruised sternum, while Will Power was examined after complaining of back pains but no major problems were found. The questions will now begin as to whether it is wise to hold IndyCar races at ovals where the cars are running at 100 percent throttle as this tends to mean that the cars run in a pack and those following have little opportunity to react if there is an accident ahead of them. As was seen on Sunday, three experienced drivers: Wheldon, Power and Townsend Bell were all caught out and ran over the back of cars ahead of them. While there will no doubt be question about the walls and the safety of the cars, there must also be questions about whether IndyCars should run at tracks with such conditions.
Joe, the bit that I am struggling with (beyond the absolute tragedy of Dan’s passing) is the fact that ‘everyone’ is now saying the mix was potentially lethal; ‘they’ had all been hyping this event for months on end and not once did I read of any major concerns for safety. Now Franchitti, his high-profile wife, Tagliani and anyone else that has been asked for an opinion has said ‘crazy to be there’.
Frustrating really.
… and inexperienced part timers should not be allowed to race, especially on ovals.
We all hope that the Indian GP will be a success and that we will find the country agreeable, so the behaviour of the locals will really be what decides the attitude that F1 adopts.
Doesn’t that sound too condescending? It is not as if F1 is doing a big favor to India by going there. India needs F1 as much as F1 needs the Indian money. It is a partnership between equals and there is no “attitude” F1 has the luxury to “adopt”. F1 has to show up and do its thing so that people who have paid for it can get good returns for their investment.
sumedh,
No. It is not condescending at all. The experience that the F1 folk have will help to shape the views that people have of India. If the impression is good then there will be good reports and that may mean that tourists will want to visit. If the impression is bad there will be bad reports. It is very simple. It has got nothing to do with money nor who needs whom. F1 does not need India and India does not need F1. An Indian company has decided to host the race and good for them. The government has not helped at all, as far as I can see. Getting visas and so on has been a difficult business whereas in some countries the authorities have understood that F1 has an impact on the way a country is viewed around the world and have made an effort to help.
This is the right question, Joe and I agree.
it is the same question since 10 years and the Zanardi and Moore (fatal) accidents, but, the IRL bosses still haven’t decided… Maybe they are facing the fact that running lower speeds at Indianapolis could hurt the serie even more at a time us fans are mostly interested by Nascar?
A system similar to F1s DRS only in the opposite fashion would be a feasible way to brake the cars more effectively at those speeds and help to keep them on the track surface and more under control. While not a 100% solution it would give the drivers some input as to what the cars did in a braking situation. Keep up the great work Joe
“Now Franchitti, his high-profile wife, Tagliani and anyone else that has been asked for an opinion has said ‘crazy to be there’.”
@ Patrick
Franchitti has been highly critical of 1.5 mile high banked circuit for a few years — and was lambasted by fans and the media for being so outspoken.
Joe, I agree that India is a bureaucratic nightmare and with your suggestion that they’re shooting themselves in the foot by making visas and taxation issues so hard for journalists and other members of the F1 circus, but its a bit much to think that India stands to gain significantly in terms of tourism based on ‘positive’ reports from the F1 fraternity and media.
India already enjoys huge numbers of inbound tourists and it won’t really matter to the economy is the race is a failure or if you guys have bad experiences.
I love motorsport and appreciate that F1 is the absolute pinnacle, but it isn’t the be-all and end-all of sporting events or businesses. Its absolute motive is not to drive tourists into whatever godforsaken country it visits but to put on a show for the fans who attend.
Positive press is just a by-product as we are far removed from the days of F1 first going behind the Iron Curtain and visiting Hungary and opening up the world to what treasures lay within.
Hope you don’t take umbrage at this post – I genuinely mean only to discuss the topic at hand and not belittle your original article.
KLM,
I think the reason for this race is to make money for the JayPee Group, not for India. The government has not done much to help as far as I can tell.
While I don’t see the appeal of a big oval race myself, surely it can be made safer for indycar? Maybe a chicane or a KERs style system with a significant boost usable once every 5 laps would break up the pack.
I’m sure there are many people working on these solutions as we speak. I hope indycar can find some way to make sure the chances of this happening again are significantly reduced.
Indian bureaucracy is (in my xperience) unbelievably slow and cumbersome and I suspect also that India itself will be a major shock to the F1 system. I don’t think experience in places like Brazil or China will prepare F1 people for the culture shock and the fact that despite their nation’s wealth and fast-growing economy, the poverty of the poor (and the number of people who are poor) in India almost literally slaps you in the face. Even in 5 star hotels and chaffeured cars, I don’t think it is easy to insulate yourself from this. I agree that whatever the consensus of F1 is – positive or negative – will influence the opinions people have of India. But at the same time I don’t see why F1 should be treated any differently from any other visitors.
The track looks good and the Indians are the most hospitable and welcoming people I’ve ever met so I’m sure the event, the race itself, will be judged a success. Having said all that, I can’t say I’d be super-enthusiastic about visiting it every year…
Enjoy the trip Joe!
It may be the last time you have to travel back from
Korea Joe, whilst it is a great track driver-wise, it seems that the local government is not at all happy at the vast cost of F1 which has taken away government resources from many other industries. The huge loss on the event is very hard to justify. (the person who agreed it with Bernie has since been replaced) Now I know you think that F1 brings great wealth to those in whose country it is held, but again I say that most of it is pre channelled to those who make their living in, and off of, F1, mainly in hotel transport and catering. Anyway it is clear that this Korea GP may well be the last.
I mention this because a similar situation will probably arise in India, where the money will go into new businesses already set up to take advantage of F1 and not to the local business population. There is still a dispute by the farmers who owned the land on which the track has been built and who threaten to demonstrate a the GP. The response of the new circuit owner was most dismissive and in the vein of “it’s nothing, they are nothing we will just get some more guards if necessary to ensure they are not seen”. Still at least they are not being put in prison.
No I’m not having a go at you Joe but it seems to me that the gross inequality in some countries is emphasised by having F1 on their doorstep. Bernie has led us to countries of greater social and financial inequality and we start to wonder what the population really get out of it, you have always been very positive and put me in my place before, but please have a look around the corner in India go a mile away into the fields and see what exists there and how they will benefit. I hope you will prove my concern unfounded.
rpaco,
see my next post
On the oval safety issue, Paul Tracy’s comments about the catch fencing made sense to me — if there’s going to be racing on ovals which have literally not an inch of run-off, it makes no sense to install SAFER barriers at great expense, but then have fencing above that acts like a cheese grater on a car hitting it obliquely at 200 km/h.
Pierre
> This is the right question, Joe and I agree.
> it is the same question since 10 years and the Zanardi and Moore (fatal)
> accidents, but, the IRL bosses still haven’t decided… Maybe they are
> facing the fact that running lower speeds at Indianapolis could hurt the
> serie even more at a time us fans are mostly interested by Nascar?
But speed at Indy is not the problem. Many years ago, they determined that running at large speedways as fast as 250 mph is just too much, and they took steps to prevent that.
If you pay attention to what Joe said, he said the problem is running at full throttle the entire time in a way that creates pack racing. No lift off, no braking, no way for cars to separate themselves. Thus, one glitch and there is risk of the whole lot being involved with no chance to respond, and then suddenly cars are flying through the air. This risk is found with IndyCars on 1.5 mile banked ovals. (NASCAR cars don’t have pack racing problems there. They face pack-racing problems a different environment.) IndyCars don’t have this problem at Indy or other large speedways where the cars can and do separate themselves from each other. This happens as a natural consequence of drivers using their feet to do more than just press down on the go pedal.
David Coutlhard had it best, presenting the basic mass equations, as to why speed kills.
I don’t know of any braking system that can react in a bunch at 350kmph. Nor any human. Current limo class cruisers have systems to auto brake. Not going to test one at that rate of knots, if you don’t mind. But, thought?
Thank you Joe for updating on the other guys. Weighed heavily wondering who else was messed up.
India will be significant, not only in the penumbra of this event. Narain was a really good addition to the BBC commentary, absolute class, but i’d prefer he gets a drive. Hear me, TF?
The (once) Manchester Guardian did a piece on the winners and loosers local to the Buddh circuit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/14/india-formula-one-fast-living
Some will say that paper is biased, to which i say discount as you please. They did, at least, send someone there to ask about, and it’s a flip side.
The fun thing with F1 in India is i could trot out a lengthy spiel how it can’t work economically, blah blah bloody blah. But i can’t think of one concrete reason why they won’t actually like it. It’s an enthusiastic place, you just have to try – anything – and you get a crowd there. Since the titles are done, i expect, hope, want, the boys to go for it. Maybe we could drop some of the usual F1 circumspect too, and that would transmit very well. – j
Patrick Bateman,
although 20:20 hindsight is the worst of feelings, i feel better that people who are in or connected to the sport are vocalizing concerns. That is not negative. I’m glad to hear people are speaking out. Because we’re all upset, that will come many different ways, but still a good thing, going forward. Thanks for your report. – j
Dear Joe,
Allow me to give you an Indian F1 fan’s perspective on your comments about India.
I do agree that Visa processes are terribly bureaucratic, but I must remind you that Indians face a similar situation when they have to apply for Visas. An Indian applying to a simple tourist Schengen visa faces a similar experience. But you don’t hear Indians shouting about it.There are rules and regulations that are the same for everybody and F1 personnel don’t have any special status in the legal framework. F1 will have to prove itself and work for it.
So far F1′s attitude has really been that it is India that needs F1. But if you know anything about India, you would realize how different it really is. The reality is that Cricket, Bollywood and telly soaps rule the roost; F1 is way below in the pecking order.
However, F1 in the first 3-5 years will mostly appeal to the ‘initial adopters’ in the country, and with its 1.3 billion + population I can assure you that this number is far more than the BIC can accommodate. As far as the global image of the country is concerned, F1 related publicity is but a drop in the ocean, and given the hype generated by the local media, I am convinced that the event will be a media success.
Having said that I do hope you get your visa in time.
Cheers
Amol
Amol,
I am curious that you feel qualified to comment on F1′s attitude about India, and that you are also an expert on the international impact of F1 races.
I have my visa as soon as I get to the consulate to pick it up.
Why should F1 have special treatment from India? It’s bit like ‘We are from F1 so change the rules as they don’t fit with us’
I wouldn’t like it if people turned up on our borders and asked for a change to our rules to suit them.
Maybe Bernie with infinite knowlege and wisdom should have cleared up these issues and arrangements before accepting his gross fee?
I hope that Joe and other reporters do get there to report on whats likely to an exciting first race at a new venue.
Dave Townrow,
Is there any subject that one can write about that you do not wish to argue about?
when i used to follow cart, i recall they cancelled the race at texas because the banking was so high, the drivers didn’t have to lift at all. this caused drivers to get light headed due to the constant high g forces. they ended up calling the race and that was the right call.
agree with joe that cars shouldn’t race at tracks where drivers can run 100% throttle for the entire lap. that is too dangerous and the racing won’t be as enjoyable.
Joe,
I can’t see any arguement with you in what I have posted. I express what comes to my mind when I read what is posted by you or others. Im sorry my posts are seen in bad light. I will stop posting as clearly my posts are not seen to help any kind of debate.
David
Dave Townrow,
I guess that my feeling was that your wording seems argumentative. Maybe I am wrong. You are welcome to post.
Joe,
Several interesting topics in this fine posting “Back In Europe”.
Let me add some comments on the discussion of Indy Car racing following the Las Vegas debacle. First, additional reporting is needed on what happened in the drivers meeting just after the wreck. Did several major drivers join together to boycott any resumption of racing on this dangerous track? There are certainly indications that this did happen. If so, it is confirmation that Indy Car management has lost control of the series. This would not be surprising, given some of the terrible management decisions of the past season. (Examples-restarting the New Hampshire race in the rain, or using a random draw to determine starting positions for the second segment of the Iowa race.) Stopping the Las Vegas race was clearly the proper decision, but it is also clear that new management is required.
Several long-time Indy Car participants have openly discussed retirement as a direct result of Las Vegas. Sam Schmidt, owner of numerous cars, has joined long-time drivers Paul Tracy and Davy Hamilton in saying on national TV that retirement from the sport is being seriously considered. Those who have been through the retirement process in other careers might comment that once anyone merely discusses retirement the process of retiring is already well under way.
Indy Car racing in North America has been in a fragile condition for years. While it may weather the retirement of older drivers, the loss of another major car owner in addition to Schmidt could destroy the series. If either Roger Penske (still youthful although well into his 70s) or Chip Ganassi were to depart Indy Car it is hard to see how the series could survive.
This would be sad for those of us who grew up when Indianapolis style cars were worth following. When it is done right, this kind of racing can be very enjoyable. (Example:Sonoma/Infineon this year, one of the finest days at a race track in my decades as a race fan!) It would be a shame to lose this great tradition, but Indy Car racing does indeed appear to be in serious trouble, even without the Las Vegas disaster!
Thanks for providing the forum to “vent” a bit, and best wishes for a safe and productive trip to India. As always, this long-term race fan is looking forward to your reporting!
Joe,
I feel sad that you seek to put me in my place. I am an ordinary fan, and I look forward to your posts because you are a veteran in these matters. I am simply stating my opinion.
As for why I feel this way, about F1′s attitude towards India?
I simply look to your sentence
“If they do not embrace F1 they stand to lose a lot of potentially good publicity which could help them change the global image of the country.”
This is not a particularly positive sentiment about the Indian GP, and I interpret this as a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude adopted by a senior journalist such as yourself.
It may not be the case, but then again perceptions matter.
BTW, I never mentioned anything about the international impact of F1 races.
Amol,
I think that you need to look at the way you expressed yourself to understand the reaction. Stating an opinion is fine, but the choice of words is important. I am very aware that sometimes I make comments that might be better but I do not have much time as I also need to earn a living. My view is that it is better for me to have some interface with people, rather than not allowing comments. F1′s attitude to India is the same as with everywhere else, except that places have reputations, whether they are fair or not. The view of India has been tainted by the Commonwealth Games, but beyond that the people who do go to India will judge it on their experiences not on the reputation. Is there a take it or leave it attitude? Yes, probably. But then that is true of lots of places and not simply a reflection on India. So don’t be too sensitive about that, nor about my immediate reaction to your comments.
Thanks for the post Joe.
And Rshack is right on the button about oval racing IMO!
Vegas was on the calendar for the hype. Private doubts are silenced for sponsors. Especially for a series struggling for attention. The devotion to ovals seems like a vestige of the IRL- CART split. Except, the cars only suited for speedways, not bullrings. That is why Pocono and Phoenix disappeared from the calendar.
Amol
> As for why I feel this way, about F1′s attitude towards India?
> I simply look to your sentence
>
> “If they do not embrace F1 they stand to lose a lot of potentially good publicity > which could help them change the global image of the country.”
You are not alone in your perception of F1′s attitude (or should I say F1 management’s attitude?)
There are very, very many F1 fans in the U.S., and we have a long history of being mystified by how F1 treats its American fans. In addition to seeing them repeatedly pull the rug out from under us, it also seems that they simultaneously feel (a) that they should be entitled to our support regardless of how they treat us, and (b) our commitment to F1 should greatly exceed their commitment to us.
More than anything else, this reminds me of the old notion of the Divine Right of Kings. I believe our British friends generally abandoned that idea long ago… except for Bernie and Friends who seem to have adopted the remnants of it
RShack,
You are being simplistic. F1′s attitude is not that.
Bernie has always wanted to make it in America, but he refuses to undersell the sport to meet US norms. If you know the background the story is not one of F1 pulling out, it is of the race promoters pulling out. Yes, F1 is expensive but if used correctly it is worth it. I honestly believe that Bernie goes into every deal hoping that it will work out. When it does not his view is: “Take it or leave it! It is your money.”
Fair enough
worth remember Mike Conway suffered a very nasty accident with serious consequences and it happened in Indianapolis, where banking is not so high.
the main problem seems to be really the constant very high speed, therefore problem is in racing on ovals.
fernando,
Only certain kinds of ovals
I always enjoy and respect David Coulthard’s commentary on F1, where he typically presents a well considered and informed view. However, I think he was ill advised when he characterised IndyCar safety as being somehow “10 years behind F1″. The fact is that HANS devices, crash recorders, in-ear accelerometers (to measure the loads experienced in an accident and therefore the probability of head injury) and in-car yellow light warnings were all pioneered in American open wheel racing – not Formula 1. Perhaps it’s not fashionable to highlight that a domestic series might, actually, have led F1 in some way. Similarly, the construction and design of the car is subject to similar crash testing criteria as F1 cars, though I would say that there is of course always more that can be done, and the side intrusion aspect of F1 testing is something IndyCar would do well to emulate.
And for all of us in Europe looking down our noses at the appalling events in Las Vegas should consider ourselves fortunate indeed that McNish’s Audi didn’t get over the barrier in to those photographers at Le Mans….
Nigel B,
Absolutely agree with you. The flow of flow of safety expertise has been been backwards and forwards across the Atlantic. As I have said before, trying to compare the two kinds of car is like comparing apples and oranges. They are designed to do different things and so they have different attributes. As far as I am concerned Wheldon died because the nature of the track bunched the cars and because he was unlucky. The others who flew were fortunate. In my opinion the question that arises from the crash is not about the cars, but rather whether IndyCar wants to race on such tracks.
(And about McNish)
I was kind of intrigued that several of the experienced drivers, Franchitti and Patrick amongst them, stated they could see potential for mayhem once the race commenced, so chose to ‘hang back’.
I believe Danica did just that, however the others were just as hell bent on getting to the front as the driver in the car next to them. It was a race, after all.
Bit surprising to hear; wonder if there was any expression of this ‘wisdom’ at the drivers pre-briefing.
@bloomsm- Pocono is not a bullring. It is 2.5 miles long and has three very distinct corners. The reason IndyCars do not race there is because the surface has become much too bumpy over the years. They are in the process of re-paving it and if IndyCar survives, and finds a promoter, you may see them race once again at Pocono. The reason Phoenix is not on the schedule is that it is owned by Speedway Corp., and would only give Thursday Night as a date, supporting a NASCAR weekend. Some of the best IndyCar racing occurs on bullrings, such as Richmond. The problem is they are not promoted enough and attendance is low.
Rshack,
I do not think I have said anything different from what you or Joe are saying, maybe as I’m french my english is not as goog as yours and you did not understood what I wanted to say.
I’m just saying that if IRL decides to limit speed (power limit, rev limit, bigger rear wings or whatever it is), then maximum speed will decrease for all the tracks of the season, so all the ovals… so Indianapolis track. So I’m pointing the fact that I’m not sure the fans would still come to see the race if cars would run 210 mph (for example) when they know they could run 230 mph. As the IRL serie is facing a huge competition against Nascar, who is struggling for attention, would they decide to go that way? Would they decide to limit speed in the most famous speed temple of the world? Not sure of it.
> But speed at Indy is not the problem.
I think you’re wrong. Speed is still a problem, it’s always a problem. Because it’s DNA of motor racing. Such an accident could happen at Indy (start or restart for example).
- Mike Conway had a terrific accident at Indy 2010 (touched another car, went airborne and crashed into the fence). He’s been lucky to escape any serious injuries, same for fans in the grandstands. But it could have been very bad.
- Bill Vukovich died at Indy in 1955 after a big pile up (maybe less than 15 cars, I don’t know).
I’m sure big accidents happened many times at Indy. Speed is racing. Speed is risk.
Pierre,
A couple of points. Fans cannot tell the difference between 210 and 230.
Indianapolis is not a flat-out oval so the fields are more spread out.
I d not believe that one can compare Indianapolis with Las Vegas.
I heard an interesting statistic recently (can’t vouch for its veracity): Four out of every five Englishmen who went to India died there. My advice is never – under any circumstances be first into a restaurant, for he shall receiveth last night’s leftovers. Oh, and if you know any blondes, they might consider veiling up for the week, for they shall receiveth much unwanted attention.
I’ve been to India once, long time ago. The red tape is unbelievable. I won’t be going again, even though there would be a lot to see. There are many other great places to see in this world with a whole lot less hassle. And if I’m on a vacation, I don’t really care to deal with hassle.
It’s bit the same as when US implemented all the anti terror measures, making travel more difficult. Tourism did take a knock. India suffers from the same consequence IMO.
“sumedh
F1 has to show up and do its thing so that people who have paid for it can get good returns for their investment.”
Sumedh, help me to understand: if you are not given a visa, how do you “show up”?
@bloomsm
The cars do not have problems running at tracks like Phoenix. The problems occur primarily at highly-banked tracks that allow drivers to go flat-out the entire lap. Most ovals are not like that. It has nothing to do with why Pocono and Phoenix disappeared from the schedule.
Pocono had a poor racing surface and badly outdated safety features, so it was dropped by CART. Phoenix is owned by ISC, which is owned and run by NASCAR’s France family, and they have no interest in running or promoting races in series they do not control.
Joe,
I freely offer a mea culpa about the Divine Right snark. Guilty to any charges about that.
As for the rest, I am sincere. It’s one thing for Bernie to “hope it will work out”. It’s something else to demand terms that make that impossible for it to work out without large subsidies from taxpaying citizens (or Tony George) to Bernie’s profit ledger.
To me, the issue is less about Bernie “underselling the sport” and more about him being unwilling to sacrifice any opportunity for accruing greater wealth in the short term for himself and his cohorts. However, I have beat this horse to death in another post, so there’s no point on going on about it here (especially as I don’t want to wear out my welcome in your house).
In terms of the sport itself (as distinct from Bernie’s interests), I can’t help but think a sport that recently had huge annual investments from Ford/Jag, Honda, Toyota, and BMW would have been wiser to invest in a handful of American races than in Turkey, Bahrain, Korea, and whichever place might be next in line. No way to tell if those manufactures would still be involved in F1 if only F1 had addressed their explicit interest in their two largest continental markets instead of just one (Europe), but I do think it’s fair and reasonable to wonder about it.
joesaward
> Nigel B,
>
> Absolutely agree with you. The flow of flow of safety expertise has been
> backwards and forwards across the Atlantic. As I have said before, trying
> to compare the two kinds of car is like comparing apples and oranges.
> They are designed to do different things and so they have different attributes.
Both are designed for road courses. IndyCars must also handle banked speedway turns at over 200mph. Thus extra weight to keep them from snapping in half, and (I think) a longer wheelbase. So, they do the same things but IndyCars have a broader portfolio.
I wish we could compare them on the same course. Last time I’m aware of, the gap was far less than I would have expected. (Montreal 2006: F1 qualifying ~1:15 vs. CART’s ~1:20, so CART was 106.7%). This amazed me, given that a good CART team then had 10% the total budget. I’m sure F1 would have eaten them for breakfast on a street course, but I wonder what would have happened at Monza. Wouldn’t it be great to find out?
RShack,
The comparisons are not about performance and lap time. They are about things like carbon lay-up to maximise strength in one part of chassis and not in another. F1 cars do not have to go into concrete walls at the speeds and angles that IndyCars do. They are different beasts.
Given that they are different beasts, do we know why F1 cars aren’t faster? They have lesser structural requirements. Our last point of performance comparison was Montreal 2006. In that year, top F1 teams each had a budget of ~$400M vs. top CART teams at ~$20M. Yet with only 5% of the budget, CART managed 106.7% qualifying time on one of F1′s better circuits. Given their 20x budget advantage (!!!), shouldn’t F1 cars have been faster than they actually were?
F1 is my favorite… I do not prefer IndyCar… yet the results leave me confused.
RShack.
Speed is irrelevant. Cras are built to a set of rules which dictate the speeds possible.