cutting42
Arrived at B4 Hacker Ergo
Once again the law is an ass
The 2023 Formula One Season
- Thread starter Tony Lockhart
- Start date
Once again the law is an ass
tuga
Legal Alien
I agree. It needs fixing.
gez
pfm Member
Totally boring circuit.1982 ‘circuit’ top left, this year’s Vegas circuit on the right. A little different, I think!
tones
Tones deaf
gez
pfm Member
They should sue the circuit.And a Ferrari
cutting42
Arrived at B4 Hacker Ergo
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
New circuit map
gez
pfm Member
Much better!
New circuit map
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Are those detours round all the manhole covers?
New circuit map
I’ve tried to look at modern F1 through the eyes of Liberty Media and the new fanbase they are trying to attract and while not personally impressed I do get the fact that the sport needs to modernise and keep evolving to attract younger fans that are more used to instant gratification than I ever was at their age. However, I think today’s events in Las Vegas show that Liberty Media are going too far too fast.
F1 has always been a tough sell in the US, but with the COTA in Texas being built, Liberty Media working out that to attract non fans to the event having headlining concert acts after the racing is a great idea and of course the Lewis Hamilton effect (like it or not the Americans love him) I felt that finally F1 has found a home and audience in the US. Sensibly (in my view) Liberty Media sought to build on this by adding a second US race, but instead of Watkins Glen, Indianapolis or another new circuit chose to go racing in Miami... this was not so sensible. Furthermore, they made the event financially beyond the reach of the mere mortal race fan used to shelling out a handful of bucks to watch Nascar... very not sensible!
Then came Vegas… racing down the strip at night… what a spectacle and what could go wrong? Well, quite a lot actually. Firstly the local residents have been hugely inconvenienced for about 6 months while work has progressed with roads closed all over the city. Instead of F1 embracing them and doing the sensible thing such as putting on local resident events, offering discount prices etc. they have largely been ignored, a metaphorical swatting away of an irritating fly if you will. Instead the package and ticket prices have been aimed at the uber rich who haven’t been that interested and finally huge discounts have been offered although still out of the reach of most mere mortals.
Then the event itself starts and it turns out the circuit was not inspected properly and the draincovers are not secure. A fairly big own goal as, after all, it’s not like F1 does not have a history of drain cover issues – Baku 2019, Monaco 2016 and even as far back as Shanghai in 2005. Thus it transpired that FP1 ended after 9 minutes with Sainz’s Ferrari destroyed! Ground effect cars were always going to be more prone to this issue anyway so why was it not thought about beforehand? It’s jaw-droppingly incompetent. Then a huge amount of time to secure all the manhole covers and an FP2 starting at 2:30am and finishing at 4am with the roads opening much later than anticipated further antagonising the locals.
Due to unionised labour rules preventing staff working past 3am fans were then asked to leave the circuit before FP2 even started… and apparently are not being offered refunds as they got to see FP1! Meanwhile Sainz has a 10 place grid penalty as the stewards can find no loophole not to give him one… wtf????
And this is just day 1.
Liberty Media need to slow down and pause for thought… uber expensive races do not work even in Monaco, the endless tinkering with the race calendar and the race weekends with silly sprint races are antagonising the core fan base and some of the teams/drivers. The inability to define rules properly, or then enforce them correctly combined with a desire for a larger and larger race calendar is moving F1 from a sport to a show and, with weekends like this, a joke!
I fully embrace the need to change the sport and attract new audiences, but I also think that if the sport loses its connection to the past and completely stamps all over tradition then it just won’t be the pinnacle of motorsport it always has strived to be… some balance and common sense is what is needed here… not the ‘more is more’ thinking all the time!
F1 has always been a tough sell in the US, but with the COTA in Texas being built, Liberty Media working out that to attract non fans to the event having headlining concert acts after the racing is a great idea and of course the Lewis Hamilton effect (like it or not the Americans love him) I felt that finally F1 has found a home and audience in the US. Sensibly (in my view) Liberty Media sought to build on this by adding a second US race, but instead of Watkins Glen, Indianapolis or another new circuit chose to go racing in Miami... this was not so sensible. Furthermore, they made the event financially beyond the reach of the mere mortal race fan used to shelling out a handful of bucks to watch Nascar... very not sensible!
Then came Vegas… racing down the strip at night… what a spectacle and what could go wrong? Well, quite a lot actually. Firstly the local residents have been hugely inconvenienced for about 6 months while work has progressed with roads closed all over the city. Instead of F1 embracing them and doing the sensible thing such as putting on local resident events, offering discount prices etc. they have largely been ignored, a metaphorical swatting away of an irritating fly if you will. Instead the package and ticket prices have been aimed at the uber rich who haven’t been that interested and finally huge discounts have been offered although still out of the reach of most mere mortals.
Then the event itself starts and it turns out the circuit was not inspected properly and the draincovers are not secure. A fairly big own goal as, after all, it’s not like F1 does not have a history of drain cover issues – Baku 2019, Monaco 2016 and even as far back as Shanghai in 2005. Thus it transpired that FP1 ended after 9 minutes with Sainz’s Ferrari destroyed! Ground effect cars were always going to be more prone to this issue anyway so why was it not thought about beforehand? It’s jaw-droppingly incompetent. Then a huge amount of time to secure all the manhole covers and an FP2 starting at 2:30am and finishing at 4am with the roads opening much later than anticipated further antagonising the locals.
Due to unionised labour rules preventing staff working past 3am fans were then asked to leave the circuit before FP2 even started… and apparently are not being offered refunds as they got to see FP1! Meanwhile Sainz has a 10 place grid penalty as the stewards can find no loophole not to give him one… wtf????
And this is just day 1.
Liberty Media need to slow down and pause for thought… uber expensive races do not work even in Monaco, the endless tinkering with the race calendar and the race weekends with silly sprint races are antagonising the core fan base and some of the teams/drivers. The inability to define rules properly, or then enforce them correctly combined with a desire for a larger and larger race calendar is moving F1 from a sport to a show and, with weekends like this, a joke!
I fully embrace the need to change the sport and attract new audiences, but I also think that if the sport loses its connection to the past and completely stamps all over tradition then it just won’t be the pinnacle of motorsport it always has strived to be… some balance and common sense is what is needed here… not the ‘more is more’ thinking all the time!
Yank
Bulbous Also Tapered
Plus, as I already mentioned upthread, the race will be run, and broadcast after bedtime for 2/3rds of the host country. Not really a way to attract new US fans.
sean99
pfm Member
F1 already kind of had an East Coast GP in Montreal, they have a central GP in Texas / COTA, I guess Las Vegas is their West Coast GP ? I would have prefered Laguna Seca - perhaps they felt there was insufficient local hotel accomodation for the type of fan they're looking to attract.
I think Liberty are making a mistake in marketing to a new generation of fans who will likely have a very short attention span to F1 - and could be quickly pulled into the next new / shiny event.
I think Liberty are making a mistake in marketing to a new generation of fans who will likely have a very short attention span to F1 - and could be quickly pulled into the next new / shiny event.
tuga
Legal Alien
Space is the Place
pfm Member
I can't help feel all this investment and excitement came on the back of the season where Lewis and Max where going at it and partly Drive to Survive too.
However, that season wasn't representative of F1. I think F1 really appeals to nerds. When i watch a race and hear the crowd booing, that's seems at odds with what the racing's about, i find it bizarre.
What makes F1 interesting for me is the history of it, the technology, and some of the tracks they visit, it gives it and air of exoticism and magic in my mind, something almost sacred on a Sunday.
I also think the drivers are more interesting and some of them less corporate than they used to be too, (they've taken a page from Rossi's relationship with racing perhaps).
However, that season wasn't representative of F1. I think F1 really appeals to nerds. When i watch a race and hear the crowd booing, that's seems at odds with what the racing's about, i find it bizarre.
What makes F1 interesting for me is the history of it, the technology, and some of the tracks they visit, it gives it and air of exoticism and magic in my mind, something almost sacred on a Sunday.
I also think the drivers are more interesting and some of them less corporate than they used to be too, (they've taken a page from Rossi's relationship with racing perhaps).
martin dawson
pfm Member
I was listening to Talk Radio the other morning and they were interviewing Ross Brawn about Brawn Racing. I didn’t realise that for the whole of the season they had no spare chassis or body parts and no updating during the course of the season.
His instruction to Jenson and Rubens I think we’ll be ok at the beginning of the season don’t crash as we haven’t any spare parts ! Genius!
He was also talking about Schumacher he’d ask him to do a certain times during the race and he’d always deliver.
Regards,
Martin
His instruction to Jenson and Rubens I think we’ll be ok at the beginning of the season don’t crash as we haven’t any spare parts ! Genius!
He was also talking about Schumacher he’d ask him to do a certain times during the race and he’d always deliver.
Regards,
Martin