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?