For those who miss the good old Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone decided to create a racing series with “that very” race cars and drivers. It does sound strange, as if they had announced that dinosaurs would be walking in the streets.
No kidding! According to The Wall Street Journal, Formula One Licensing filed a European trademark application to protect the name «Historic Formula One». This trademark was registered in February. Looks like a good strategic move as not everyone is fond of the new Formula 1.
There is no information about the starring pilots and race cars yet. One should mention that the idea is not new. Masters Historic Series was registered in 2004 for the owners of classic F1 cars. The races were held on European tracks as part of the historic festivals. In 2005 there came the Gran Prix Masters which featured ex-F1 drivers over the age of 40. All of them competed against each other in modern race cars (fitted with 3.5-litre engines similar to Cosworth powerplants used in the IndyCar series). However, they have not become very popular.
So Bernie holds all the cards now as everyone would enjoy watching their favourite pilots who have already left Formula 1. Anyway, it’s not about sport anymore, it’s about the show.
