Problems with F1 and why it is loosing fans

[dren]

The way F1 is structured has driven the sport in the wrong direction, but it has also kept the sport afloat. The very structure needs to change.

Hire Red Bull to promote the sport, bring back old venues. Lower ticket prices. Make it easier and cheaper to view races. Embrace social media.

The thing is, F1 is not for the fans because the fans are not providing the driving factor, the money. It mainly is government and or rich leader money pouring into the sport along with the few major manufacturers.

[F1Sidecar]

That wont excite the man in the street. Just keeps us F1 fans happy. So you wouldn't change the tracks or cars?

[SectorOne]

Well made post F1Sidecar, hit the nail on the head and even incorporated some humor like the Max Chilton bit which literally had me laughing the computer

But i think some of your wishes have been answered, or will be answered with the arrival of 1000 horsepower and more downforce.
We shall see. At least it´s a step in the right direction.

[F1Sidecar]

Thank you, it just annoys me. I race F1 sidecars and superkarts. My mates race on the roads and are absolute legitimate hero's. Michale Dunlop is the bravest most courageous man I've ever met, known or ever heard off. in 2008 his Father was killed in practice for the 250cc race at the NW200. Michael refused to withdraw from the race on the Saturday and went on to win the race. I think he was only 17 or 18 at the time. Go onto you tube and watch the film road. Its what its all about for me. True heart and soul. That is what a racing driver should be. Paddocks up and down the country are full of them but yet its Chilton that gets to F1. If the cars were "proper" his daddies money would be of no use. I know one thing. All the money in the world would not help him in the chair of a F1 sidecar with me at Thruxton........nature would take its course. Survival of the fittest.

[F1Sidecar]

here is one of my previous victims. I am the Blue white and blue outfit who throws his passenger out over the kerbs......woops. Not one of my finer moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wayQISW5tyw

[Scorpaguy]

As per the forum's 2 questions....here are 2 overly simplistic answers:

1. too much aero
2. too little tire spin

The sport has simply lost its way. Aero is great for increasing corner speeds, but is hard to visually determine its effect (most spectators simply see a scaled up slot car). Smallish, high tech engines produce, but don't tend to have the raw, explosive visually evident power of the older, larger displacement mills. Motorsport used to be a Formula Drift type of event in every corner. That's why I watch drifting and rally more than F1. F1 is still nice, but really more of a grounded air show IMHO.

[wesley123]

It could be better than it is.

It always can be

What would you like to change to make the show better?

Why me? There are over 400 million viewers. This puts them in a position where they couldn't possibly please everyone. Plus, listening to the audience isn't possible either, because the opinions will be too varied.

I know a lot of people who watched F1 when we were young, and they stopped watching lately,

Nobody enjoy watching a competition with no competition, if you know who will win before hand, it´s boring,

Then why did those people watch F1 when they were young? Most of F1's years have seen a domination from one team.

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

Then why did they enjoy it before?

[Psoz]

Needs more cars/teams on the grid, more fun and interesting drivers (which will come if the FIA is less anal about pr, and more sponsorship comes in), the rules need to open up more technical development, and the tracks need to get better (read: not in places that have no history, and the track regs on cornerspeed and elevation need to be reworked or trashed). If fan accessibility at events was better, that would be a plus, and FOM should definitely release what classic racing video it has so that new fans can understand the history. Not really that complicated a process, but all elephants in the room that no one is interested in actually addressing

[chuckdanny]

The problem with loosing fan is that you can lose the championship

bernie

[Starscreamer]

Problem loosing fans:
I think the problem is that people have to pay to watch F1 (behind a decoder).
15 euro a month for only F1!
And potential fans won't pay that!

[notsofast]

F1 was popular back in the day when people used to tinker with their own cars. One could dream of being able to work on an F1 car. Nowadays people don't even change their own oil anymore. To most people, watching an F1 team build their own car is like watching someone build their own computer. What's the point? And without the appreciation for the constructor aspects of the sport, there's no appreciation for there being a large gap between a team like Mercedes and the rest of the field. People who aren't interested in the technical aspects tend to favor sports where the field is bunched up.

[eyalynf1]

I did not get into F1 until about 15 years ago. Since then, aside from the engines, there has been a devolution in the tech. As an engineer and an open wheel racing fan since back in CARTs heyday, I was drawn to the complexity and power of the V10 aero beasts of the early 2000's. I think that the root cause of the devolution were the efforts to slow the cars down, and simplify the aero. The core values, the value proposition of F1 is the best drivers harnessing the pinnacle of racing technology to advance the human motoring endeavor.

I am still entertained by F1, but I am not inspired by it as I once was. Pay drivers of mediocre talent and contrived rules which pander to the lowest economic denominator have robbed it of its integrity. The brand value of F1 relative to other motorsports has been diminished thereby, and only similar misteps by the likes of IRL, CART, and NASCAR have kept them from taking advanage.

F1 needs to STAY ON BRAND. Best drivers. Best tech. Fastest cars.

[Pierce89]

I did not get into F1 until about 15 years ago. Since then, aside from the engines, there has been a devolution in the tech. As an engineer and an open wheel racing fan since back in CARTs heyday, I was drawn to the complexity and power of the V10 aero beasts of the early 2000's. I think that the root cause of the devolution were the efforts to slow the cars down, and simplify the aero. The core values, the value proposition of F1 is the best drivers harnessing the pinnacle of racing technology to advance the human motoring endeavor.

I am still entertained by F1, but I am not inspired by it as I once was. Pay drivers of mediocre talent and contrived rules which pander to the lowest economic denominator have robbed it of its integrity. The brand value of F1 relative to other motorsports has been diminished thereby, and only similar misteps by the likes of IRL, CART, and NASCAR have kept them from taking advanage.

F1 needs to STAY ON BRAND. Best drivers. Best tech. Fastest cars.

This,this,this,this. So right. Even with the new PUs f1 cars no longer feel like spaceships.

[Moxie]

It is difficult to address the on track problems without acknowledging that underlying financial disparity plays a role in many on track problems.

The biggest problem with F1 (on track) is that there are not enough cars that realistically have a chance to win the race at any given circuit. As has been mentioned many times before, it is boring to watch a competition without real competition. Some people are satisfied with the WDC competition between team mates, but the WCC competition between teams has been lacking.

While Tilke has designed some spectacular circuits, the fact that so many of the circuits are of his design with billiard table surfaces means that teams must make fewer design sacrifices dependent upon the characteristics of the track. There was a time when back marker teams still had a chance to win or podium because they focused their efforts and budget on one track. I would argue that it was a mistake to start designing the tracks to suit the cars, rather than the other way around.

Driver mistakes and talent used to play a huge role in the on track competition. While the technology is wonderful, it has had a negative impact on competition. Drivers had to double clutch and manually change gears dozens of times per lap. One mistake and the lead was sacrificed. Conversely, it was not uncommon to see a driver with a wonky gearbox driving the hell out of the last two gears he had left. This talent was most Famously displayed by Senna at Brazil in 1991. When Grossjean returned to F1 after an absence, I remember an interview where he admitted to preparing to return to The F1 circuit by playing a video game. This is a disappointing truth about contemoprary F1.

Not that contemporary designs are without variety, but there was a time when teams would show up to the track with some amazing equipment. "Reinterpreting the rules" in order to ban a clever design in middle of a season stifles creativity, and punishes brilliance.

Unfortunately, none of these problems will be solved easily. Simply addressing these problems, REALLY ADDRESSING THESE PROBLEMS, requires FOM and the teams sitting down and having very serious conversations about what F1 really should be. Is it a competition of engineers, designing the most technologically advanced cars in the world? How can F1 make such a technologically advanced series with unique designs affordable sot that the series can post a field of competitive cars. Is this a competition of drivers? Should F1 sacrifice some thechnological advancement for the sake of testing driver skills? Frankly, I think that neither Bernie, nor the teams are willing to sit down and have these conversations, certainly not with any binding resolution. At this point they are not even willing to let all teams sit at the table.

Edited to correct grammar

[Gaz.]

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.

Magny Cours failed because not only did the fans not want to be there, but neither did the teams. Catalunya, Hockenheim & Monza were half empty last year.

It's odd that when Malaysia is at 50% capacity people say the sport is in the wrong country, but when Germany is at 50% there must be something wrong with the sport... almost as odd as someone questioning the Bahrain GP while cheering on Mclaren.

I wonder what people would have said on a message board when F1 went to Japan in the 1970's?