F1 is a monster and it is out of control

Many people don't believe in monsters, but they should, because roughly every two weeks for most of the year one rears its ugly head in front of millions of people around the world.

This monster is out of control in many ways. It is bloated, introspective, muddled, frustrated. And you should see its teeth! It's a frightening thing to behold at times, and there's no doubt it has scared many people away, possibly for good.

Rather like Frankenstein's monster, this one could thrive in ordinary society if treated well, but is sorely misunderstood by large sections of the general public, who shun it rather than seek to understand.

In the meantime, many of the familiar vices of humanity - greed, self-interest, vanity and ego - have prevented those who created the monster from properly safeguarding its welfare.

There are those who truly love this creature, remembering a gentler period when its nature was wilder at times, but generally more genteel. It, and those caring for it, were driven more by passion, camaraderie and valour.

But now the monster has grown ugly and vicious, and those charged with its care are struggling to contain it. Blinded, perhaps, by their vices.

Some blame the zookeeper, who has ultimate responsibility for everyone's safety and wellbeing, but long ago sold rights to ownership of the animal, so perhaps feels less inclined to act. In any case they are often distracted by other projects.

Others blame the ringmaster, who saw the potential of this monster to become a global entertainment attraction, and negotiated a deal with the zookeeper to take the monster out on an expanded travelling circus, but in the process created a runaway train of financial greed that simply will not stop.

As the monster grew bigger, so the ringmaster had to spend larger sums of money on trainers and handlers, who wished to showcase their skills and compete to be the main act in this monster's worldwide show.

As competition between their acts became more intense, they employed ever-greater numbers of smart thinkers to come up with ever-more outlandish tricks to keep the show fresh and innovative - but also keep themselves firmly in the spotlight.

To stay one step ahead of the opposition, the handlers and trainers had to source and spend ludicrous sums of their own, and hire vast numbers of people. Those acts that couldn't keep up occasionally got chewed up and spat out by the monster. Well, it is a monster after all, so you must handle it with care...

The zookeeper realised things were getting dangerously out of hand, so built new cages to contain the monster, but the intelligent people employed by the trainers and handlers ignored these concerns, and instead focused on coming up with clever ways to open the cages back up.

Eventually, the public began to grow weary of the circus act and stopped watching. They felt it became too predictable, and more about the handlers and trainers (and their clever tricksters) than the monster and circus act itself.

The zookeeper and ringmaster met with the trainers and handlers to discuss what to do, but the handlers and trainers decided it would be best if their inventors simply conjured smarter tricks to make the act more entertaining.

But some people eventually saw through this and grew wearier. Others found more interesting things to do with their time and money, so they stopped watching.

Now the zookeeper, ringmaster, trainers and handlers are in a panic. They all agree something needs to change, and all think they know what needs to be done to attract the fleeing spectators back to the circus, but cannot agree on how best to implement those changes.

Some think the zookeeper should do away with the cage altogether and let the monster roam free again, like it used to in more innocent times, but the zookeeper is concerned about public safety and the cost of maintaining the monster's health.

Others think the ringmaster should redistribute the massive income the monster still brings in, to allow the lesser acts to spend money on becoming more entertaining, and add greater variety to the circus. But the ringmaster answers to shareholders, who aren't so keen.

Some of the acts are so unhappy with this injustice that they have asked the government to investigate. They've lost many limbs to the monster over the years and want equal recompense to the other performers.

One of the main acts has repeatedly threatened to quit altogether, because it believes some of the other powerful trainers and handlers are unfairly hogging the limelight, and turning it into a bit-part performer in the circus.

But people are generally unsympathetic, because they feel this is exactly how that act used to behave in the past...

The monster is now trapped within this vicious cycle of competing self-interest, growing angrier by the day.

Many on the outside can see some very simple ways of placating it again, but those with the power to affect change are stubborn, place too much faith in their clever tricksters, and are unwilling to sacrifice for the sake of the greater good.

There are two particular ways of treating the monster that made it more spectacular for a while, but have arguably combined to ruin it. One is a special suit that allows the monster to perform with greater dexterity and speed, but renders the act predictable, while the other is a more recent and expensive form of feed, which allows the monster to perform more efficiently but has arguably dulled a significant part of its raw, animalistic appeal.

Entire industries have grown up around these innovations, so no one wants to risk the massive job losses that would occur by disrupting the status quo.

Meanwhile, the monster grows more furious. Confused, angry, afraid, mistreated. Be warned, if things go on as they are, more people will get eaten.

Eventually, the monster will run out of sustenance altogether. It will slowly wilt and die, or it will be shot and killed by poachers, and those still in charge of its care will be left to feast on nothing but a corpse.