People often wonder why they should subscribe to the JSBM newsletter. Here is a good reason why, if you want to be ahead of the news curve in the sport. I’ve lifted this from this week’s JSBM, published on Monday morning…
For more information, click here…
joeblogsf1 
Has anyone told Craig Pollock or the FIA that the Saudi government has zero interest in promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion? Or do you think they already know that and this is just a stunningly cynical ploy to get some cash in exchange for sportwashing Mr Bone Saw’s horrendous record of human rights violations?
Prince “Mr. Bone Saw” is the correct terminology, if I’m not mistaken. You hit the nail on the head with this observation…
As I understand it, the concept of sportswashing involves doing something big, shiny and attention grabbing in order to divert eyes and minds from all the nasty things that are going on.
Is this really the case though? I’d say since the Saudi’s have been investing big in F1, Newcastle Utd football club etc, the attention on the human rights issues has increased and reached a wider audience than before.
With more eyes on Saudi, there is a lot more chance for change than if the world ignores them. Being outraged, refusing their money and not letting them play at the F1 party isn’t going to change a thing.
I have to admit that Joe, always the one for a pithy comment or sense of irony made zero comment on Formula Equal potentially being funded by a very uninclusive country! One suspect’s Lewis might not be as generous aboth this. Oh, wait the FIA won’t let him speak out unless they approve removal of his gag! I would hope the FIA review will shuffle this application to the round filing cabinet and welcome Macro (and Mario) with open arms! Equal = Ignore! Thanks Joe for getting the word out there. A little oxygen to this story might lead to bad publicity that defuses this ridiculous political time bomb!
Interesting. I had wondered who else might be wanting to create a new team when I saw the statement about other organizations beyond Andretti.
Joe,
I subscribe to both GP+ and JSBM; to be entirely fair, didn’t Dieter Rencken report this news on March 23? That was the first I heard of it.
I don’t read his stuff
He has had some good scoops and provocative analyses recently; the only standout, must-read F1 journos IMO are Mark Hughes, Dieter Rencken, and you.
Mr Rencken is wrong so many more times than he is right
No comment
By “provocative analyses”, do you mean clickbait?
After all, there was one of his articles where Dieter admitted that he was basically pushing a conspiracy theory in it, which I would say does raise questions about the integrity of his articles.
When you’re claiming to create something of value, but your end plan shouldn’t be to sell it to the Kingdom of Saud.
The interview on today’s CNN website alludes to a “Formula Equal” which Pollock is positioning as a team equal male to female, regardless of position in the organization. An interesting twist which may garner column inches before disappearing like the breath of the bison on a cold prairie morning.
I am sure the information is useful to many in the business. But I am not sure about the casual fans.
It depends if you want to go down to the pub and tell you friends what is REALLY happening.
‘Formula Equal’
‘equality, diversity, and inclusion’
Absolutely hilarious even before one reaches as far as ‘discussing funding with … Saudi Arabia’. Good one Joe. But you do know you posted this up four days too early, right?
I checked it was not 1st April when I read that, as Joe generally slides a daft story in on that date.
But nope, its for real.
That makes sense. And one can imagine a deal with Honda being in the making with Pollock’s history in mind (Suzuka deal, BAR Honda)
I don’t think the team will involve Honda
Wasn’t Pollock fired from BAR?
He was pushed out
He didn’t read JSBM.
Pushed out? Like James Bond by Jaws in Moonraker?
What is the difference? A bit like Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister officially, but he was fired by his MP’s in reality as they feared being fired or voted out by the electorate.
Genius. Virtually impossible to decline.
Although one must question the chances of significant F1 success for any team that’s recruitment goal isn’t simply to hire the best people available irrespective of biology.
Speaking of DIE nonsense, it is astonishing that a Brazilian judge just ordered Nelson Piquet to pay Hamilton a million dollars for the sin of uttering an uncomplimentary word. I thought you generally needed some kind of standing before you could bring a lawsuit …
Here’s hoping Hamilton turns right around and stuffs the check back into Piquet’s pocket.
You’d do well to spend the time you wasted on this comment reading and trying to understand the judgement you’re ostensibly trying to criticize.
Alternatively, you can make stuff up and be outraged about that figment of your own imagination.
It’s a choice. Your choice.
So a high calibre potential Porsche entry ends up being a no go (all their fault apparently!) but this sort of effort is a welcome possibility?!
I’m all for an increase in privateer entrants but not gimicks!
I had thought Racing Point was the same team as Jordan (and its various intermediate incarnations), renamed and under new ownership.
Is that not the case? Your wording (& I know you are careful about such things) seems to suggest that Stroll set up a new organisation and acquired the assets of a defunct team. Did he apply for an entry to F1 as an outsider?
Or am I just reading too much in to a random choice of words?
It was all very dodgy
Thank you, that’s fascinating.
Racing Point is an entirely separate legal entity from the one that once started in Formula 1 under the name Jordan Grand Prix. (the latter no longer exists)
The group behind Racing Point purchased the racing assets from that original company and was – somehow – granted a magical new entry to Formula 1 just in time to participate in the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix.