JoeT, I know exactly how you feel/felt. The amazing bit that was told on Speed coverage was that this was the first full DNF from engine failure for Shumi since 2000 (April, I believe they said.) No matter how one feels about Ferrari, credit has to be given where credit is due.
Apparently, the move by Alonso was finalized well before Renault and Fernando started having success again. However, the information that has been released for public consumption, does not seem to indicate that there has been a great deal of effort to reverse the action. Personally, I feel that many of the team owners had come to the point where they were/are ready to do SOMETHING, even if it turns out to be wrong (in hindsight of course.) Michael's retirement announcement would have only served to harden their resolve to do something to shake things up in hopes that the resultant configuration would be advantageous to them. As is almost always the case, the advantage would only come to a few of those rolling the dice, but in these situations, it is very difficult to predict who the lucky ones will be. My guess is that most feel like they have nothing to loose and a lot to gain, which is probably quite true.
While this is, no doubt, very stressful for the principals in the game, as well as the super dogmatic fans of any given effort, overall it is my under informed opinion that it means great things for F1 fans in general. While some gross generalizations may be accurately made about the future, for the first time in a long time, things are really up for grabs. Those teams with: dogged determination; the will to push themselves technically and organizationally; and probably most importantly, with the most luck, have a real chance of ascending the food chain of F1!
What about the US F1 GP? I read some very interesting comments recently in one of the more prestigious automotive magazines (I am waxing superfluous while trying to remember which one, but alas I can't.) The question was posed, "Will F1 continue in the US?" The answer was not only yes, but HELL YES. One of the several reasons sited for the resounding yes was that the USGP pulled more spectators and cash than nearly all other F1 races, COMBINED! I was totally amazed and would have never guessed that this was the case.
Taken all together, I interpret this as being very good for F1. There is real hope that Formula 1 will not be the stale, predictable, exposition it has been for quite sometime prior to the 2006 season. (All they would have to have done was impose a no contact rule and it would have been vintage racing for current cars. No offense to vintage racing as I, for one, love it, but it is not to be confused with competition, nor should it be.)
Regards,
Lynn
