Andrea, every time a tragedy hits the
world of Motorsports, many people ask
the same question. Is it worth it?
«This is a key question in Motorsports,
and for this reason it's also a recurring
one in our talks. To provide an answer,
we need to try and identify ourselves with
the main characters in this
representation. Is it worth it for the
driver? Most of the times, yes, because a
young and talented driver, an healthy
individual who is sure of his capabilities,
accepts the risk in exchange for a promise
of glory. Is it worth it for the fans? Yes,
definitely. The speed, the roar and the
blood have a major role in creating the
emotions and the entertainment that the
people is looking for. Because they pay a
ticket, a satellite subscription and so on.
And this kind of payment gives them the
right to attend a dangerous show. Is it
worth it for the technical personnel? Most
of the times yes, because the engineers
have thrilling and exciting jobs. For the
commercial personnel? Yes, because motor
racing has an high media exposure which
can also reward thoe who needs the
attention generated by the interviews and
by the proximity to famous people. I
would say that it's worth it for most of
the people, because it's in the human
nature to be looking for those emotions
that canmake our life richer, and can
divert us from our deepest needs and
from our commitments towards others».
What is the the technological outcome
of motor racing on the production? In
other words: racing still helps us to
build better roadcars?
«Honda usually assigns the best rookie
engineers to their racing department.
They have the freshness, the enthusiasm,
the availability, the excitement and the
need to match the urgency of
motorsports, the driving motivation to
approach difficult tasks, the creative
disorganization and the new technology.
Only young people have these abilities
and hopes. After three or four years in
the racing department, the engineers
move to the commercial vehicles division,
and in that field they spread and bolden
the positive aspects of the racing culture.
This is the most positive aspect of racing
and I think that the "young spirit" is the
deepest and the most important value
that motorsports can generate. Given this
bottom line, I think that the first reason
why Honda came back to Formula 1 was
to recruit people with an excellent
attitude. If I look back to my 25 years in
auto racing, I can't say that motorsports
have generated a deep and visible
outcome on production cars. It is
different. I witnessed the opposite, the
use of technologies coming from other
fields in racing, including the defence,
food, electronic, consumer automotive
industries. I think that racing has been,
and still is, a great "customer" rather
than a "provider" for the human progress.
In racing there is no time to develop
something new that can be used for other
reasons. Usually the ideas, the materials
and the products used inmotor racing are
too specific to apply them to other
businesses».
Let's put it this way: inwhich fields,
like engine building, aerodynamics,
safety, electronic and so on, racing can
be a testbed for production?
«The cars we see on everyday's roads have
become bigger, heavier, more complex and
rich of technology throughout time mainly
because most of the people want to be
more comfortable and have less struggle.
The automotive products have become real
consumer products and the proper
commercial and technical practices have
been applied to them. It's about
investments, production, distribution,
finance, marketing research and so on. As
it produces consumer goods, only one of
the classic price theories can be applied to
the automotive industry. The "market
price" as a value perceived by the buyer
throughout the concepts of marketing,
brand and price premium. On another
hand, the "racing" product is not a
consumer good so it doesn't follow the
"market price" theory. The other rule
applies, the "just price" theory developed
by Aristotle and Saint Thomas D'Aquin.
We'll be back on this on the next
instalments!».
Let's change the perspective: after
years of racing in the desert, the
temporary street courses are back. But
do tracks like Monte Carlo still make
any sense? How Formula 1 can build
an economic leverage effect for a city,
a region, amacro area ora a Country?
«It's every day more difficult to move
people, as they are more and more slaves
of their playstations. If people don't go to
the races, the races have to reach out for
the people. That's why the IndyCar Series
in the USA is focusing on street venues
like Toronto, Baltimora, St.Petersburg,
Detroit, Long Beach, San Paolo,
TheHeart of Racing
WANNABEATEAMPRINC
STUDYASASURGEON!
This is the third part of our tripwith Dallara's Engineer
Andrea Toso in the fascinating world of motorsport.
This time we talk about themeaning of car racing to
understand the advantages, complications, economic
consequences, costs and the future perspectives of the
sport. We got the numbers, how high is the price tag of a
top-level season and some suggestions for people aiming
to become the next Todt or Ecclestone.
24
Stefano Semeraro and Andrea Toso
