Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
I would disagree with PPV effect. In my country and in Hungary too F1 was always free, and it's still free, but we have the same problems as countries with PPV. So I would say it's more to do with the lack of interest generally for cars, and even more lack of interest to understand ANY complicated techincal stuff. And we know it all - if you are completely unaware iof the underlaying tech, it's very hard to understand team/driver strategics and decisions.
Subscribe GTWorld on Youtube and the ELMS channel. The races of the Blancpain championship, American TCR, ELMS champinonship are free to watch. Live with commentary and with good quality. There's nothing about complicated rules and there's really good races.
Im 34, and when I was 17, 'the bridge' in Maidstone was huge!! Scubbies, Evo's, Supra's, Skylines and a load of Cossies. Then all the 17-20yr olds with their Xr2i lookalikes ect. Now, its just standard Corsa's and Puntos.
I'm a bit older than you at 38, but i used to love drifting my 1980 landrover round that bridge back when i was 17! she was slow, but went sideways quite well
I would disagree with PPV effect. In my country and in Hungary too F1 was always free, and it's still free, but we have the same problems as countries with PPV. So I would say it's more to do with the lack of interest generally for cars, and even more lack of interest to understand ANY complicated techincal stuff. And we know it all - if you are completely unaware iof the underlaying tech, it's very hard to understand team/driver strategics and decisions.
Subscribe GTWorld on Youtube and the ELMS channel. The races of the Blancpain championship, American TCR, ELMS champinonship are free to watch. Live with commentary and with good quality. There's nothing about complicated rules and there's really good races.
I have no problem with F1 being too technical. I love it. I just see these things trough my two sons and their friends, and younger colleges. They just don't bother at all to try to understand these things. There are exceptions, but not too many.
I personally think F1 is doing fine and it's as good an era as any.
2014 saw some of the best wheel to wheel racing of all time throughout the field and now we have the fastest cars that have ever graced the sport.
You have to remember back in the 80's and such we only had 4 TV channels, nowadays we have hundreds of them. The folk that would watch F1 back in the day just because nothing else was on have so many more options.
The global wealth gap has a lot to do with it. Kids have a hell of a lot less disposable income because adjusted for inflation, wages have not increased in 40 years. Cars are an expensive hobby. If you don't develop an interest in cars, you'll never develop an interest in motor racing.
When I was on the graduate program in 1982 I earned UKP4000. Somebody starting on the grad program now gets AUD70000., about 7 times as much. Inflation 1992-2019 is about 100% for Australia or the USA. I call B/S.
I have seen many younger people who don't even get a license much less a car till they are into their 20s or more.
When I/we were young we couldn't wait to get a license and a car. Any car because it represented freedom. Freedom that todays kids not only have but take for granted. Same for getting a job so we could get out of the house and be on our own. Hell many parents when I was young were like .."ok, you're 18 now...see ya". We were kicked out of the nest and expected to have a plan to get a job and take care of ourselves. We darn sure didn't live in the basement playing games.
To be honest it's part of why anymore I'm in favor of mandatory military service. It made kids grow up and learn to make their own bed, and often a trade.
To achieve anything, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.”
Sir Stirling Moss
"Things are different today compared to yesteryear" shocker!
Got to love old people moaning about youngsters. They forget that when they were youngsters, old people moaned about them for other reasons. Goes around, comes around.
If you are more fortunate than others, build a larger table not a taller fence.
There is a lot less interest in cars generally among people who are under 30. Many of them live in high-density housing in cities, where owning a car is not only expensive, but most of the time, not even that useful.
Motor racing also has the fundamental challenge that as budgets increase, and cars become more complex, one or two teams begins to dominate a formula, and it becomes progressively more difficult to explain the internals of the sport and teams, and race strategies. This results in many casual fans shrugging their shoulders and hitting the channel change button, muttering either "I don't understand this ---, I thought this was about drivers and cars" or "why watch a sport where the top teams always finish at the front".
NASCAR may be way off the leading edge in many areas of technology, but 20+ drivers have a chance to win a race on any given weekend. Single-seater and top-flight sportscar racing has a very narrow top tier by comparison, usually due to an unequal distribution of budgets.
Motor racing, especially open-wheel and sportscars, needs to seriously re-think a lot of its incentives and structure if it wants to survive into the middle of the 21st century. The idea of a cost cap is regularly poo-pooed by many people in motor sport, but the NFL has succeeded in making it possible for most teams to be competitive by having a hard salary cap.
F1 is in good shape now, 2014 not so.
I cannot comment on the topic of kids interests, times change and will do so eternally.
Drone racing, cosplay, coding and social media seem be the driving forces, again, i have no clue, to know youth is to be young.
F1 will just have to adapt and they are making efforts unheard of 20 years ago.
Im liking the new crop of talent, hybrid tech has matured and is very fast, my vote is for F1.
In my youth, the streets were full of heavy modified GTi’s. Extreme lowered VW Golf, Opels with bodykits, Peugeots in full racing trim, etc. Fast and Furious gave us modified Japanese import cars. Or youngsters would drive an old beater with an extreme audiosystem, worth 4 times the car itself.
Nowadays they buy a standard Toyota Aygo or use a car sharing system.
First thing is cost. Cost of living is so much higher, percentage wise, compared to median salary than it was before. I was lucky enough to be able to buy myself a motorcycle (Yamaha R3, brand new) but to do that I had to settle for not so attractive car (2011 Grande Punto).
Second thing is, at least here in EU, that it isn't that simple. I went to my local technical inspection station (they are called like that here, don't know what is the name in other places) to inform myself about some stuff I wanted to put on my bike. For example, I wanted to change turn signals from standard bulbs to LED units as all other lights on my bike are LED. I have found a pair of rear and a pair of front turn signals that are homolagted for exact make, model and year that my bike is and all the documentation is included in packaging, yet it is not enough for those at technical inspection. They won't write it in my vehicle's permit if I don't do a test which I also have to pay for. Even though it was already tested and homologated for my bike in Germany, which is also in EU. I can risk it and just put them on, but I don't want to have trouble outside of my country since I want to travel around.
The rising cost of living compared to median salaries is a significant challenge for many people. It's great that you were able to purchase a new Yamaha R3 motorcycle, which is a popular choice for its balance of performance and affordability. However, it's understandable that this decision required some trade-offs, such as opting for a less attractive car. Balancing priorities and managing finances in the current economic climate can be tough, but it sounds like you've made a decision that works for you, enjoying the thrill of a new bike while being practical with your car choice.
