Before the Paris 2024 Olympic Gamesat some F1 press conference, at Austria and Hungarythe same question arises: Do the drivers on the F1 grid want to participate in some Olympic Games in motorsport racing? Pilots like it Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Oscar Piastri and Nico Hülkenberg They gave their opinion on the matter.
1
Fernando Alonso
“I think we represent our countries in some way every two weeks in F1. It’s not an Olympic sport yet, but it would be better to have it in the future so that athletes and racing drivers have the possibility, but I think it is somewhat ambiguous because we include mechanics.
“Even if you try to organize a kart race with exactly the same karts, they probably won’t be exactly the same. It’s a very unique sport”
2
Max Verstappen
“No, it doesn’t suit me, actually. We’re too involved with cars and we didn’t grow up in that kind of Olympic environment. I don’t feel that way. I don’t think we belong on the Olympic stage. And that’s okay, because we now have our own championship “I enjoy watching the Olympics on my television.”
3
Charles Leclerc
“It’s good to have motorsport in the Olympics. However, I think it’s a bit more difficult to organize than other sports because we all drive for different constructors with different cars in F1. And to everyone has the same car , you have to choose which route you want to follow, what is the downforce, what is the power and what is all in a short time.
4
Oscar Piastri
“I think that with the uniqueness of motorsport in terms of the car, the team and the team around you, it’s very difficult to match it 100%. I think it’s a good idea in theory, but I don’t know how do it. do it for real.
5
Pierre Gasly
“I only remember something like Bercy (1993, when F1 drivers competed in a karting race, but not in the Games – the Elf Masters, which ran from 1993 to 2001), was great. I remember when I was younger I really enjoyed watching and found it very inspiring to see Lewis… (Hamilton also participated in 2000) I remember all the big names at the time and found it cool that it wouldn’t work in some kind of Olympic format, but maybe in a one-off race not even every year, but once in a while it could be a fun event to organize Yeah, that’s it.
6
Alex Albon
“I wouldn’t mind. If it was in karting, I don’t think we would be in karts, because I think there are faster kids in karts and younger people will do it in our area. . Maybe in the case of Fernando Alonso may not be like that, because he drives a lot of karts, but I don’t think I should be the Thai kart driver of the Games I think there are others faster.
“But I love the concept. It doesn’t really lend itself to being an Olympic sport… but maybe a race in the Mazda MX-5 and everyone driving around… would be a lot of fun. Or in another car. It would be too much fun.”
7
Nico Hulkenberg
“I think it’s quite difficult to implement motorsport and racing in the Olympic system, because obviously it also needs a lot of space. Although with karting it will need less space. But if we talk about real cars, it’s complicated. I haven’t given it much thought, maybe not.”
Previous ones
Motorsports are present in some Olympic Games
Motorsports are present at some Summer Olympic Games, although always outside the sports program. Naa Paris Games in 1900 Two car and motorcycle races were held in exhibition form. In that edition the Paris-Toulouse-Paris for cars of various types in stages against the clock and there are other tests of regularity and reliability. In motorcycles, in 1900, a 70-lap race was held on the track of Lake Daumesnilwith 30 laps in the morning and 40 in the afternoon in which 13 Moors participated.
Furthermore, in The 1908 London Olympic Games included motor boat races and some car races.though of less importance than Paris.
For its part, at the same time the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games were heldit is disputedn rally outside the Olympic event, as a supplement to this event. In this sense, it is necessary to highlight the ‘Olimpia Rally’ held for the 1972 Munich Olympic Gamesbut that test was held before the start of the Olympic event, so it was conducted outside the program.
Massa led a petition for the Paris 2024 Games
Until 2007, the International Olympic Committee did not allow motorsports to be part of the Olympic Games because it relied on machines. “Sports, disciplines or events where performance depends on mechanical performance are not acceptable”, They said. But since then, motorsport has flirted with the idea of entering the biggest event in world sport.
In fact, Felipe Massa, after the removal of said clause, led the project to include electric karting in the sports program of the Palaro. to promote motor sport that respects the environment.
He was able to make an electric karting event at the Youth Olympic Games held in Buenos Aires in 2018., although only at the exhibition level. 300 students from local schools participated. That race was won by current F2 driver Franco Colapinto. But this discipline has not been included for Paris 2024.
The FIA Games: in Valencia
The FIA already has its own Games, the FIA Motorsport Games, which in 2024 will be held in Valencia, in its third edition. The 2022 Games set a new record for the number of countries participating in a single motorsports event: over four days of action spread across Circuit Paul Ricard, Autocross Veynois and the surrounding region, 463 athletes battled for glory in front of 45,000 spectatorsand the The Italian team finally won thanks to hauling three gold medals and one silver.
What categories compete in the FIA Motorsport Games? The original founding categories of the FIA Motorsport Games (GT, GT Sprint, Touring Car, Formula 4, Drift and Esports) continues to feature prominently, along with a new medal chance at Esports Rally. In Karting, in Valencia 2024, the Junior and Senior Sprint categories will return, while in Karting Endurance Female and male binomials will be contested from 14 years of age. There will also be Mini Karting, for drivers from 8 to 11 years old.
However, F1 drivers, considered the best on the planet, are not in these games.
Car or kart racing with F1 drivers: there have been some in the past, but not in the Games
Moreover, it recognizes the Race of Champions, where many pilots from different disciplines participate once a year. Although the best of them all did not attend and the participation of pilots was random.
Many of the F1 drivers have suggested doing a karting race. Can you imagine F1 drivers competing in a kart race? Well, that happened as remembered Elf Masters Karting of Paris Bercy, held from 1993 to 2001. In that first edition, you will see the battle between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. And in 1994, another between Michael Schumacher and Prost. And in 2000, a young Lewis Hamilton rose to fame in the support race.
Among the F1 drivers, Albon and Hülkenberg talked about the possibility of racing in street cars. That has also happened before with F1 drivers.
Not to be forgotten was the race held at the Nürburgring Circuit in 1984 to reopen the track after some repairs. is Ayrton Senna’s big announcementwhere other things are equal, all driving the same car, a Mercedes 190E, Senna beat current and former F1 drivers.
The Brazilian just completed his F1 debut four races ago with a careful Toleman and in a street car he did all the wonders and made it clear that a star has arrived in F1: he won the race against Niki Lauda,Alain Prost, Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, Denny Hulme, Jody Sheckter, Alan Jones, John Surtees, Carlos Reutemann, John Watson or Elio De Angelis.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
