F1 sold to Liberty Media. Bernie Out?

[ChrisM40]

Just because something is a cliché, it doesn't make it wrong. Most of those points are right, even if the details in his post arent always.

[toraabe]

Thanks to the increase in fees, both for tracks and TVs.

But if people buying those tickets and subscriptions continue the drop trend it´s just a matter of time revenues start decreasing too.

What will they do once audience is so low revenue can´t be compensated increasing fees? Moreover, before reaching that point there will be a cascade effect. If audience is low, sponsors are no longer interested on paying huge ammounts of money. No money, and F1 is done

Simple, as has been done before; Go to another venue.

They´ve done that for the past 15 years and they´ve solved nothing. Audience continue decreasing despite there´s new venues at countries where there had never been before.

New venues at Rusia, Arab Emirates, Malaysia, China, Singapore, Azerbaijan, Bahrain... have not been enough to compensate the audiece drop. Even with all those new countries, audience continue falling. That means something about audience in ´traditional´ countries, means that A LOT of people is no longer interested in F1 and is not watching anymore. Means that there´re more people on traditional countries who did follow F1 but is no longer interested, than new people on new countries that start watching. Simple maths

If they want F1 to become a toy for petrodollar millionaires they´re doing great. Otherwise F1 is on a serious problem

Ok

I mentioned Oval.. if no oval. Let's bring F1 back to Watkins Glen. Fantastic track

[Facts Only]

Just because something is a cliché, it doesn't make it wrong. Most of those points are right, even if the details in his post arent always.

Actually most of the points were opinion which can be considered neither right or wrong. Except for the 'tyres dictate strategy' part which is correct because they do... but its a moot point because they are just about the only pit-stop variable so the strategy has to be about tyres.

Remember though everything was better in the old days, it always is according to people on the internet.

[Just_a_fan]

Remember though everything was better in the old days, it always is according to people on the internet.

Rubbish! Nostalgia was much better before the internet came along...

[Andres125sx]

Blimey you've really gone all in to get as many of the same-old-same-old F1 complaints into one post.

- A dig at Bernie; Check
- Tyres are rubbish; Check
- The designs are the same; Check
- DRS has ruined F1; Check

Do you disagree with any of them? If so, please explain

If only you had mentioned the way the prize money is distributed you would have had the full set of cliche' F1 moans.

That´s only because I forgot it

The one thing that baffles me, you say that "Strategies depend on tyres" well what on earth else are they going to depend on? the engineers toilet breaks? I suppose we could bring back refuelling.... and then listen to everyone complain about how "races are only won in the pits" and "all the overtaking is in the pits" blah blah blah

Ok agree with this, I did word it quite poorly. I meant with current tires drivers need to nurse them independently of their strategy, as pushing will destroy them in 1-2 laps. Proper tires should allow for much more laps pushing, tire industry must have evolved and F1 cars are not as fast as they have been previously, so I see no reason to assume pushing tires will destroy them in 1-2 laps.

If you´re forced to nurse your tires, your strategy choices are limited

Also this is just plain BS "Even 20 years ago F1 was not a general public motorsport" I remember 25 years ago Mansell mania taking over, then Schumacher v Hill was headline news for years. People sat an watched F1 on Sunday afternoons as families.

Lucky you, here in Spain only in Alonso era it was that popular, but even in that era not so many people actually watched the GPs. Many people find it too long, too complicated to follow, or not exciting enough (euphemism of boring )

Maybe in your country there´s a higher tradition with F1 wich makes it more popular, but here it´s not the case, it has never been, and I seriously doubt it will ever be

[Facts Only]

Well then I think you have just made the point that the current rules/tyres/strategies/whatever actually make very little difference to viewing figures (which I think is true).

Its the characters that get people involved and excited, most of the races in '92 made the current era look like a the most exciting thing ever.... Buuuuutttt people loved 'our Nige' they were invested in him as a person so the were glued to the (dull) races to see him win.

And as you point out when Alonso was the Spanish Wonderkid taking F1 by storm in '05/'06 F1 grew in spain, conversely it took a dive in the UK as there wasn't anyone for people to watch and love (Jenson never had a 'story' until the Brawn era).

Then Hamilton arrived and Jenson took a shock championship against all odds and the UK was back involved again, we had a working class kid rookie fighting Alonso and a written off journeyman/underdog winning.

So while we don't actually disagree about many of your points I think you are wrong to blame tyres/cars/DRS and you have actually made the point that drivers draw people in.

What liberty media needs to do is try to encourage some driver character and build their stories, we had a glimpse last year of a good feud with Vettel losing his --- at Verstappen and even the normally reserved Kimi getting riled up. As well. Don't supress them and keep them quiet, handing out penalties for insulting each other. When I did some work in BTCC many years ago they enforced a strict 'no swearing' policy to keep it pre-watershed but the feuds and the fights were left largely un-punished and people loved it. I know you're in Spain so maybe you haven't seen Matt Neal vs Jason Plato.... its worth a look.

[Just_a_fan]

Some of us cheered for Hill against Schuey too, it wasn't straight from Our Nige to Lewis/Jenson...

[zac510]

Lucky you, here in Spain only in Alonso era it was that popular, but even in that era not so many people actually watched the GPs. Many people find it too long, too complicated to follow, or not exciting enough (euphemism of boring )

Funny that, because the most popular sport in Spain is one that has a horrendous gap between rich and poor, is dominated by two richest teams, the game is around the same duration as a GP and for a lot of that time not very much happens!

[Facts Only]

Some of us cheered for Hill against Schuey too, it wasn't straight from Our Nige to Lewis/Jenson...

I did mention Hill v Schumacher in my initial post.

Personally I had no time for Hill in 94-96, I think if he had been against anyone other than a German or not Grahams son or not trying to fill the very big shoes left by Sennna people would have been apathetic to the whole battle and it wouldn't have made the headlines it did.

I do think he proved himself in 97-99, that superb drive in the Arrows at Hungary... I was just absolutely gutted for him and the team. And some great drives in the Jordan, his career was almost back to front, he got the big drive and the WDC and proved himself in the smaller teams afterwards.

Anyway, I think its just more on my argument that you can tinker with the rules all you like but characters, good stories and genuinely hard fought battles get people involved, and bigger audiences watching.

We've lost the charisma-void that is Rosberg from the grid, hopefully Ocon and Vandorne have a bit more about them.

I've really grown to like Vettel in recent years, he may not be winning but the lad can swear like a mechanic trying to undue seized exhaust studs and he shows a lot of emotion and love for what he does.

[Vasconia]

Lucky you, here in Spain only in Alonso era it was that popular, but even in that era not so many people actually watched the GPs. Many people find it too long, too complicated to follow, or not exciting enough (euphemism of boring )

Funny that, because the most popular sport in Spain is one that has a horrendous gap between rich and poor, is dominated by two richest teams, the game is around the same duration as a GP and for a lot of that time not very much happens!

But football can be played by almost everyone and its super easy to follow. Moreover, in Spain exists an obsessive culture of praising the winner so most of the people support Real Madrid or Barsa, just ignoring the fact that its boring to see always the same two teams winning everything.

F1 was a super minoritarian sport even beings tons of people interested in cars. It was difficult to follow a full season on TV and no one showed much interest until Alonso´s arrival. Then, all those oportunits started to talk about F1 whithot having any idea about the sport, behaving like fanatics and showing 0 respect to Alonso´s rivals.

[FrukostScones]

"F1 can become huge in America, but needs more races"

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-ca ... wn-870853/

Ok, make it huge, but don't change the weekend format ,especially the 305km GP on Sunday.

and no artificial "caution" stupidity pls

[Andres125sx]

So while we don't actually disagree about many of your points I think you are wrong to blame tyres/cars/DRS and you have actually made the point that drivers draw people in.

Of course drivers are key, but they´re not the only parameter affecting viewership. Things like competitiveness are important, as it is to cause some excitement in the audience.

People want some entertainment, if it´s not entertaining, people don´t bother to watch. That´s TV. Most decisions FIA and MrE made in past seasons only cause a huge boredom, so they´re contrary to any TV show basics

Let´s put you an example, Imola 05 or 06. As a race it was boring as hell, but it was exciting to watch if Schumacher could finally manage to pass Alonso, or if Alonso would make any mistake (reversed in 06). I was watching the race repeating to myself "the race is finished, he can´t pass on such a tight track"... but couldn´t stop watching because there was an unpredictable parameter.

Today on the other hand, we would have see him fly passing on a straight thanks to DRS. More overtaking to make up the numbers so they can say there´s a lot of overtaking in F1, but the sad reality is today F1 races are extremely more boring since they ruined the unpredictable part


Obviously drivers are the most important factor, but they´re not the only one, and FIA and MrE managed to ruin all those factors. Currently in F1 there´s almost no competitiveness, excitement during races has almost dissapear, drivers can´t try any risky overtake or they´ll be punished, designers can´t do anything innovative or it´ll be banned....


Even when drivers are basic, I´m conviced Liberty can do A LOT to return F1 to its original position. And I´ll repeat, I think they can, I´m not saying they´ll do it, but there´s a huge margin for improvement

[Andres125sx]

Lucky you, here in Spain only in Alonso era it was that popular, but even in that era not so many people actually watched the GPs. Many people find it too long, too complicated to follow, or not exciting enough (euphemism of boring )

Funny that, because the most popular sport in Spain is one that has a horrendous gap between rich and poor, is dominated by two richest teams, the game is around the same duration as a GP and for a lot of that time not very much happens!

And even so there´s the unpredictable factor wich can make, for example, that Celta de Vigo beats and send home a big team like Real Madrid from the Cup

Do you think STR or Force India can beat Mercedes or Ferrari? That´s the main reason football (soccer) is so extended, even the most modest teams can beat the big ones. Unpredictability is basic for any entertainment, and F1 lost it a long time ago

[Andres125sx]

Then, all those oportunits started to talk about F1 whithot having any idea about the sport, behaving like fanatics and showing 0 respect to Alonso´s rivals.

And to Alonso himself, what is even more absurd

But there are fanatics at any sport, you can´t blame a sport because of the fanatics supporting it

[Vasconia]

Then, all those oportunits started to talk about F1 whithot having any idea about the sport, behaving like fanatics and showing 0 respect to Alonso´s rivals.

And to Alonso himself, what is even more absurd

But there are fanatics at any sport, you can´t blame a sport because of the fanatics supporting it

I have never done it! I could just blame those fanatisc(and Lobato too because he was responsable too).

You know that the "you love it/you hate it" it's an annoyingly usual trend in Spain.