Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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F1Sidecar
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Joined: 07 Feb 2015, 02:33

Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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F1 is in trouble at present. There are many reasons for this from the CVC blood suckers to Mr E's apparent habit of taking large amounts of LSD before making decisions. I'm not going to get into all that because it would take a million years. Instead I will focus specifically on "the show"

I have many interests apart from F1. One of them is road racing, true road racing. I cant help but notice the massive increase in popularity of road racing in recent years. The TT is so busy now even in practice week. The Ulster GP, the NW200 all have seen crowds grow massively in recent years not to mention the smaller races like Skerries, Cookstown etc. People want to stick two fingers up to the PC and safety brigade.

Why is this happening when F1 is loosing fans?

Its like this. F1 is not making new fans, that's the problem. Young lads are not interested because its boring. Forget about the lack of advertising and the failure to get into the whole social media thing. I am talking about the actual process of the cars going round the track. It is not spectacular in any way. Its been sanitised year on year until we end up with a sport that only we, the F1 geeks enjoy. The normal man in the street who isn't interested in motor sport would say its boring.

Have you ever been to a road race? You stand in the hedge or on the bank so close to the bikes that the stones will hit you in the face! you've to cover your eyes!! The lads that race are true, legitimate hero's. Its real. There are no second chances. It is so exciting that people who have no interest in motor sport at all go to see it and are left in awe at what they have seen. They then go and tell anyone who will listen about what they saw. Men and woman going down roads at 190mph inches from their face with lampposts and kerbs. Its completely and totally insane. Humans, aren't we great?

Now, I am not suggesting that F1 needs to put lampposts on the race track. What I am saying is that the whole thing needs to be turned into a spectacle like the road races. People that have no interest in motor sport have to look at it and say WOW!!!!! It has to excite them and get the endorphins and dopamine going!!!! Like this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYDfJ_Bo1XA

F1 has became so safe and bland that last year a 16 year old boy drove a F1 car at full speed on a racetrack. There is no greater advertisement for the problem. It has got far far to safe and easy.

Let me show you something extreme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0UoSBIunZw

That is the TT with the F2 sidecars going through a famous bit of track called baggarrow. This is at the bottom. As motor sport goes this is about the most extreme thing you can do. F1 is now at the other end of the excitement spectrum.

here is some other footage of the TT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o7yM81IlrE

F1 needs to change so that when a car goes past or through a fast bend, a person who has no interest in motor sport has the same look on their face as the people at the road races. It really is that simple. When the bikes go past at a road race you feel actual, real, proper fear. Its feels very dangerous just watching. At a road race that's because it is dangerous buts its the perception that is important. F1 needs to get back some of what it had in the 70's and 80's. It has to give the perception of extreme danger. So how would I do this?

Right the first thing is the tracks. They would bore a glass eye to sleep. Even the proper tracks like Spa have been adulterated by the blasted PC safety brigade. There needs to have grass at the exit of corners, and proper gravel traps so that if you make a mistake you get punished properly. Do away with every single run off they have and put a proper gravel trap in its place. If it rains they go regardless! Safety? If you don't want to go put the car in the garage. Spray? So what. I've raced in conditions so bad I couldn't see the front of the outfit. Motor sport is and should be dangerous. People will get hurt and unfortunately occasionally die. The first time I turned up to passenger a F1 sidecar I asked the team owner about the risks and wanted specific data, as such. How often do people get seriously injured and/or killed? He said this " If your not prepared to die do not get on that machine, every single time you go out your a candidate".

In road racing you can win a race even when the other guy has better equipment than you and is a better rider. This is because of a factor that is sadly missing from F1. Bravery. If your prepared to take risks that others are not you can win, you can also die but hey if I wanted to be safe I would play football. F1 used to have the bravery factor but its gone now and been replaced with Max Chilton, run off's and delayed starts when it rains. When was the last time they even needed full wets? Bring back the days were drivers like Gilles were adored because they were a bit mental. Now days if someone has a go and makes a balls of it they get berated and penalised. So what if he took you out! its motor sport. Go and give him a punch!

The cars need to be extreme. Obviously keep them as safe as they are now but make them a lot more crashable. Make them more powerful barely controllable monsters. Take away all the driver aids. Power steering, servo assist, semi auto gearboxes. I would even take away the radios and most of the telemetry. Make the drivers skill, strength and bravery important.

Look at this clip, its not F1 but its relevant. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1ECE3oT-Z8

Do you think some of the big girls in F1 at present would be able or prepared to man handle a car like that? I don't think half of them would have what it takers. Chilton? Ha!!!! he prefers to talk about his nutrition and simulator work. Can you imagine putting a 16 year old boy in that machine?

Rant over. So what do you think is wrong in respect of "the show" forget about all the other problems for now and just address the actual process of the cars going round the track. What would you change about car and track?

Moose
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Joined: 03 Oct 2014, 19:41

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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Oh spare us. We don't need yet another thread full of rants about how F1 was better when you were young. Get on and enjoy the sport, or don't, but don't come whining about how it's all better with rose tinted glasses.

F1Sidecar
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Joined: 07 Feb 2015, 02:33

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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i'm 28. If you don't have anything constructive to add perhaps you should spare us, kind Sir.

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SilverArrow10
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Joined: 10 Mar 2013, 20:46

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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I would say F1 isn't losing fans, its losing viewers, and that is mostly down to the move to pay for view TV, and even with the drop in viewers its still more profitable. F1's problems are more to do with internal finances and making sure the teams don't go bankrupt.
Last edited by SilverArrow10 on 14 Feb 2015, 22:49, edited 2 times in total.
"Leave it to Lewis Hamilton to ruin Redbull's day" - Martin Brundle

"Ok Lewis, Its Hammertime!!" - Peter Bonnington

"Fresh tires, 15 laps. What do you think Lewis Hamilton is going to do?" - Martin Brundle

F1Sidecar
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Joined: 07 Feb 2015, 02:33

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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Yes I agree to that but it is not making new fans the way it once did. Would I be interested in F1 if I was 5-10 now? I dont think so. With playstations and the internet there is more exciting things to do. That's the point I am making. It used to be more exciting than it is now.

flmkane
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Joined: 08 Oct 2012, 08:13

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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F1 is losing fans because:

a) it is expensive to be a fan. It costs a lot to pay for on TV and race tickets are insanely expensive.

b) F1 does not NEED fans to be profitable in the shortrun. Hence crap races like Abu Dhabi.

c) Rules are convulated to that point that cars are ugly and boring.

d) Bernie Ecclestone

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SilverArrow10
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Joined: 10 Mar 2013, 20:46

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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Id say f1 is more exciting than it ever has been. There's much more action than we have had in previous years , the racing is much closer despite Mercedes domination, and with the potential for four or five teams to fight for championships. We still have the hero's Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel, and others. Show an 8 year old 1989 Japan or 2014 Bahrain and I know which one they will think is better and more exciting. Did you know who was going to win in Hungary last year 10 laps before the end?, four people could have won it. The only current problem I see right now in terms of the sport and not the business is the loss of teams.

But what can I say I'm a fan and I may have my rose tinted glasses on :D
"Leave it to Lewis Hamilton to ruin Redbull's day" - Martin Brundle

"Ok Lewis, Its Hammertime!!" - Peter Bonnington

"Fresh tires, 15 laps. What do you think Lewis Hamilton is going to do?" - Martin Brundle

F1Sidecar
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Joined: 07 Feb 2015, 02:33

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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But those are only the odd race. Did you watch the links? Every single vehicle that passes at a road race will excite the average man in the street. F1 can be better at attracting new fans. How?

This is an exciting spectacle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5naKxnvffo

F1 needs to be more exciting.

ScottB
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Joined: 17 Mar 2012, 14:45

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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It's quite simple really, and Eccelstone is behind much of the problems:

1. It's increasingly hard / expensive to watch races - thank Mr E for selling out to pay TV. Casual viewers are lost.

2. Races in countries that have no passion for the sport / distasteful to the public / loss of classic events - again, Bernie chasing the money has left us with races in countries were there are no fans, or countries fans and sponsors don't want to be. Increasingly the well attended races in Europe are disappearing.

3. Terrible PR - again, Bernie. The new engines were a chance to sell the sport to the world anew, instead we had Bernie harping on about how terrible they were. I don't care if they actually were terrible, it's his job to sell the sport.

4. I'll thought out rule changes, and too often - yup, ugly noses.

5. Refusal to embrace new technologies, particularly social media.

6. A sport were the team's never come together, and most of the money leaves it to Bernie and his banker buddies is a bad set up. F1 teams could become profitable enterprises if this didn't happen.

7. Teams not appreciating it's a show, not just competition - witness Ron's statement about aesthetics not mattering for the Mclaren livery. It's a damn show, get people excited!

8. Let the drivers speak their mind - less PR speak.

9. Ditch the dull Tilkedromes - stop Bernie from endlessly hiring his mate basically.

wesley123
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Joined: 23 Feb 2008, 17:55

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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There are hardly any problems with F1. Just because you and I want things to be different does not make them problems. We all grow older and generations shift, and with that comes a different audience. Not only that, but the older generations remember the "good ol' days" oh-so well.

F1 has no problems whatsoever, just merely a shift in generations.

The only "problem"(and it's hardly a problem, more of a luxury) F1 has is bringing it's product to the audience. No one from the "new" generation wants to be trapped in front of the TV to watch a 2hr race. They'd rather catch up by watching a review of the race. And this is where the issue is; there isn't a proper way to bring it to the people. Sure, you can stream it, or place clips online. But what about the sponsors that want their airtime? It's something that simply can't be garuanteed with the internet.

The internet still can't bring monetized content in a proper, and more importantly, reliable fashion that works for big guys like Formula 1. The "new" generation wants to share these great things that happened in F1 on social media, they want to watch re-cap and have a interactive service. Something that simply can't be realized and monetized on a large enough scale.

That really is F1s only "issue", it can't properly adjust itself to the new generation.
"Bite my shiny metal ass" - Bender

F1Sidecar
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Joined: 07 Feb 2015, 02:33

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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your missing the point. It could be better than it is. What would you like to change to make the show better? Just the show, I know there is loads of other things. I'm just after your views on the cars and the track.

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Andres125sx
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Joined: 13 Aug 2013, 10:15
Location: Madrid, Spain

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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SilverArrow10 wrote: the racing is much closer despite Mercedes domination, and with the potential for four or five teams to fight for championships.
:shock:

Where have you been last 6 seasons?

Championships are decided way before last GP, WCC usually 3-4 GPs before the end of the championship.

I know a lot of people who watched F1 when we were young, and they stopped watching lately, and here in Spain it´s free (no pay per view), so the excuse of it´s expensive does not apply here.

F1 today is boring, that´s the most repeated reason you hear when asking why did you stopped watching. Nobody enjoy watching a competition with no competition, if you know who will win before hand, it´s boring, it is this simple. Battles for third position or between midfielders are for freaks like us, but freaks can´t hold a global sport like F1, it does need the mass, and with no competition the mass will never enjoy it

F1Sidecar
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Joined: 07 Feb 2015, 02:33

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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I agree, its the normal man in the street who is important. We will watch anyway but to get him to watch is the aim. So what do you change?

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Andres125sx
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Joined: 13 Aug 2013, 10:15
Location: Madrid, Spain

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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F1Sidecar wrote:your missing the point. It could be better than it is. What would you like to change to make the show better? Just the show, I know there is loads of other things. I'm just after your views on the cars and the track.
- Limit a lot more aerodynamics, with smaller wings and active, always, no DRS
- Free use of tires (no need to use two compounds) with better compounds to avoid current marbles outside the line
- Ground effect allowed
- Smaller engines to avoid too high top speeds due to the lower drag (active wings) with free development and only two restrictions, budget and fuel flow
- Limit GP lenght from 300km to 200

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SilverArrow10
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Joined: 10 Mar 2013, 20:46

Re: Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

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Andres125sx wrote:
SilverArrow10 wrote: the racing is much closer despite Mercedes domination, and with the potential for four or five teams to fight for championships.
:shock:

Where have you been last 6 seasons?

Championships are decided way before last GP, WCC usually 3-4 GPs before the end of the championship.

I know a lot of people who watched F1 when we were young, and they stopped watching lately, and here in Spain it´s free (no pay per view), so the excuse of it´s expensive does not apply here.

F1 today is boring, that´s the most repeated reason you hear when asking why did you stopped watching. Nobody enjoy watching a competition with no competition, if you know who will win before hand, it´s boring, it is this simple. Battles for third position or between midfielders are for freaks like us, but freaks can´t hold a global sport like F1, it does need the mass, and with no competition the mass will never enjoy it
2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014....... More championships in recent history have been decided at the last race than dominated. People seem to forget that 2010 and 2012 were brilliant seasons despite being in the middle of Red bull domination. Where have you been for the last 6 years :lol:
"Leave it to Lewis Hamilton to ruin Redbull's day" - Martin Brundle

"Ok Lewis, Its Hammertime!!" - Peter Bonnington

"Fresh tires, 15 laps. What do you think Lewis Hamilton is going to do?" - Martin Brundle

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