Masters of the Universe

I'm not sure about this GP Masters thing. I was quite excited when I saw the news on pitpass that the dates for 2006 had been announced. But then I looked closely and saw that there are only five races currently planned, and that they do not appear to form a championship.

Now obviously the drivers involved are busy chaps and have other interests, but there aren't many races of any import that take place as single entities; Le Mans being a clear exception, as is the Indy 500 even though it's part of the IRL. Otherwise a race is a bit like a football friendly. Quite good fun, but if you lose, so what? And as the cars are all the same, there's no real interest there. So am I going to bother looking at the results for the race in Qatar, even if I intend to go to Monza? Again, it's like friendly matches. I'll have a passing interest but I don't think I'll care who's quickest in qualifying.

On the other hand, the Thoroughbred Grand Prix series (TGP) is run as a championship. There, we have the old cars, but driven mainly by people we've never heard of. Businessmen that have made enough cash to be able to buy and run an old F1 car. So with TGP, you get to see the cars, but not the stars.

I can't help but think we're missing a trick here. Famous drivers in famous cars is the way to go. But then, that's the Goodwood revival meeting, albeit only for pre-1965 cars. Given the choice between driving to Monza or flying to Goodwood, I think the Sussex countryside will win hands down.