The Formula1 season starts this weekend in Australia. Most American sports fans aren't familiar with F1, so ECB is providing a guide to F1 based on something familiar to almost every sports fan: The Simpsons.
| Bernie Ecclestone | Montgomery Burns |
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The most obvious comparison, Ecclestone is the CEO of Formula1 Management. Like Mr. Burns, he's a weird old man with way too much money and power.
| Kimi Raikkonen | Bumblebee Man |
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Raikkonen is last year's F1 Champion. Like Bumblebee man, he's a bit difficult to understand when he talks and is fond of dressing up in costumes. Raikkonen has a famously dry sense of humor, but I think he's hilarious. He doesn't say much in press conferences, but he has a reputation for being a wild partier.
| Lewis Hamilton | Rod Flanders |
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Lewis Hamilton was the runner up in the drivers' championship last year, his rookie season. He seems to be a bit of a boring, clean cut guy whose dad hangs around him just a bit too much (a little like Rod Flanders).
| Ralf Schumacher | Poochie |
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Ralf (Michael's brother) is out of F1 this year. Just like Poochie, he's a short-lived, poor imitation of the real thing who will be forgotten quickly.
| Flavio Briatore | Duffman |
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Flavio Briatore is the managing director of the Renault team. He's loud, over-the-top, and a fan favorite, just like Duffman.
| Jarno Trulli | Waylon Smithers |
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Trulli is a driver for Toyota. He's Italian and very - ummm - flamboyant. Kinda like Smithers, if you catch my drift.
| Jaques Villeneuve | Dr. Marvin Monroe |
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Apparently each of these guys was something of a big deal a long time ago. They both have been gone for a few years now, but no one seems to miss them.
| David Coulthard | Hans Moleman |
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Both strike me as a little old to still be doing what they're doing. Coulthard is too old to be racing F1 anymore, and Moleman is too old to still be alive.
| David Hobbs | Jebediah Springfield |
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Hobbs is the color announcer for Speed's coverage of F1 in the US. "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" sounds like something he'd say.
| Jenson Button | Gil Gunderson |
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Both these guys just can't seem to catch a break. They seem to be born losers.
OK, so maybe this preview didn't make you any smarter about F1, but hopefully if you watch the race this weekend you'll have a little bit of a frame of reference. If you have any other comparisons, I'd love to hear them in the comments.
4 Responses:
Ron Dennis = Mayor Quimby?
Fernando Alonso = Moe Szylak after the plastic surgery. Devastatingly handsome, but still d’baggy enough to blackmail his own team once it was clear they were going to give Hamilton a fair chance to win.
Rubens Barrichello = Dr. Nick Riviera. The "B" in Barrichello stands for bargain, he'll race any F1 car for $19.99, and he enters every race debrief with "Hi, Everybody!"
Max Mosely = krusty the clown...
Alonso & Hamilton = Itchy and scratchy
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