Marussia to miss Austin GP
Discussion
Is this just a numbers game or is there a better and more meaningful way of measuring TRUE interest in a particular sport. China will have big numbers because it has a big population. How do we know if the numbers watching a GP on Chinese TV are a "loyal" to the sport and it's a different group watching it each time.
Does that matter?
Squeezing out the traditional and guaranteed markets for the sake of rather speculative and perhaps short lived "boosts" to TV numbers makes no sense to me at all.
Does that matter?
Squeezing out the traditional and guaranteed markets for the sake of rather speculative and perhaps short lived "boosts" to TV numbers makes no sense to me at all.
Scuffers said:
so, that's all 3 of Spankies new teams gone then?
Great work there....
Don't forget USF1.Great work there....
Feel for all involved, and its a bugger the sport doesn't need, but there's a strong feeling this is the logical conclusion of that particular sociopaths idiotic scheming; perhaps something greater can emerge, given there were some interesting and qualified entrants competing for places alongside spankies stooges?
hairyben said:
Scuffers said:
so, that's all 3 of Spankies new teams gone then?
Great work there....
Don't forget USF1.Great work there....
Feel for all involved, and its a bugger the sport doesn't need, but there's a strong feeling this is the logical conclusion of that particular sociopaths idiotic scheming; perhaps something greater can emerge, given there were some interesting and qualified entrants competing for places alongside spankies stooges?
It's easy to b
h on about it all being about money, but honestly that's just a part of the problem.Eric Mc said:
The UK has been and will remain one of F1's biggest national markets. To me it is the spiritual and technical home of F1 and any arrangements which alienate and dismiss the UK F1 fan base is treading extremely dangerous ground.
As Scuffers says, the only other country that shares anything like a similar passion for F1 is Italy. Other similar sized European countries - Spain, Germany, France etc are far less committed to the enterprise. The only non-European country that shows anything like a similar passion would be Japan.
F1's "marketing" mission over the past two decades has been to try and garner new TV audiences in countries that have never really had any involvement in motor sport, let alone F1. This has had various degrees of success but there will always be a massive question mark of longevity of interest in the "new convert" countries. Quite a few have already faded out or shown signs of faltering. In many cases, European ex-pats make up a sizeable chunk of the audience
That's seems like a hard sell to sponsors etc... To spend millions to flog their name to the gray citizens holding on the dying embers of the empire, sat on the edge of the old world that's about to collapse under it's own weight.As Scuffers says, the only other country that shares anything like a similar passion for F1 is Italy. Other similar sized European countries - Spain, Germany, France etc are far less committed to the enterprise. The only non-European country that shows anything like a similar passion would be Japan.
F1's "marketing" mission over the past two decades has been to try and garner new TV audiences in countries that have never really had any involvement in motor sport, let alone F1. This has had various degrees of success but there will always be a massive question mark of longevity of interest in the "new convert" countries. Quite a few have already faded out or shown signs of faltering. In many cases, European ex-pats make up a sizeable chunk of the audience
I'd have never have guessed that in a million years.
RemarkLima said:
That's seems like a hard sell to sponsors etc... To spend millions to flog their name to the gray citizens holding on the dying embers of the empire, sat on the edge of the old world that's about to collapse under it's own weight.
I'd have never have guessed that in a million years.
Perhaps Bernie is engineering all this so that he can buy the rights back at a knock down price and then reinvent it all!I'd have never have guessed that in a million years.
(Do I leave my tin foil hat on now or is it safe to take it off?)
RemarkLima said:
That's seems like a hard sell to sponsors etc... To spend millions to flog their name to the gray citizens holding on the dying embers of the empire, sat on the edge of the old world that's about to collapse under it's own weight.
I'd have never have guessed that in a million years.
Not exactly sure what you are implying. Retaining existing fans and creating new ones in your BEST existing markets sounds like a good idea to me. Once you have achieved that, by all means research and create new markets.I'd have never have guessed that in a million years.
Abandoning your best and loyal customers on the assumption that you MIGHT be able to make some new ones in countries that know or care little about your product seems not that clever.
F1 has moved away from doing what's best for F1, their fans and sponsors, to doing what's best for the car manufacturers, which is fine if both interests are aligned but not so good when the interests of F1 become secondary to the manufacturer's need to sell run of the mill hatchbacks. F1 should (imo) be about glamour, spectacle, speed and excitement (think Monaco), the car manufacturers want to promote fuel efficiency and green issues - things which F1 will always struggle to achieve when their entire business model involves flying many tonnes of people and equipment around the world so that they can drive round and round various circuits using huge amounts of fuel in the process and achieving nothing other than a race. The real kicker is that if and when F1 ceases to be a useful tool for the car manufacturers they will drop it without a second thought, as Toyota, BMW, Jaguar and Honda have done in the past.
RYH64E said:
F1 has moved away from doing what's best for F1, their fans and sponsors, to doing what's best for the car manufacturers, which is fine if both interests are aligned but not so good when the interests of F1 become secondary to the manufacturer's need to sell run of the mill hatchbacks. F1 should (imo) be about glamour, spectacle, speed and excitement (think Monaco), the car manufacturers want to promote fuel efficiency and green issues - things which F1 will always struggle to achieve when their entire business model involves flying many tonnes of people and equipment around the world so that they can drive round and round various circuits using huge amounts of fuel in the process and achieving nothing other than a race. The real kicker is that if and when F1 ceases to be a useful tool for the car manufacturers they will drop it without a second thought, as Toyota, BMW, Jaguar and Honda have done in the past.
Personally I dont see a problem with the new engines (well other than cost), and I think they ought to do more to explain just quite how efficient the engines are. I also seem to recall that the engines are compatiable with endurance racing regs as well and that has to be an advantage.I have prefered Marussias approach to other teams, they have got on and done the job without all the media attention seeking of other tems. They have been very unlucky to have ad 2 serious accidents in that time.
I hope that they do get bought and carry on, but it does raise a question about the whole financing of F1
In a sense allowing a business (a team) to fail is part of capitalism. If for example there were two off licences, one great and one terrible, then the terrible one would close in time.
Even in affordable racing series teams go broke and close.
But in human costs, to the employees and people who have worked hard to build these two teams, it must be extremely tough
Even in affordable racing series teams go broke and close.
But in human costs, to the employees and people who have worked hard to build these two teams, it must be extremely tough
Marussia's problem was it wasn't more prolific. No-one was out getting sponsors, or finding investment partners, at the same time the owner gave them just enough money to keep ticking over, no real investment to move them forwards.
In that sort of situation you're pretty much doomed.
Maybe the guy was using is for tax avoidance or something, who knows, either way its difficult ot see how it could have had a future operating as it was.
In that sort of situation you're pretty much doomed.
Maybe the guy was using is for tax avoidance or something, who knows, either way its difficult ot see how it could have had a future operating as it was.
Chrisgr31 said:
Personally I dont see a problem with the new engines (well other than cost), and I think they ought to do more to explain just quite how efficient the engines are.
For once I wasn't making a point specifically about the engines rather the fact that F1 appears to be becoming nothing more than a tool for car manufacturers to sell cars, and the brand values of the car manufacturers are often contrary to those of other potential sponsors. If the car manufacturers want to use F1 as a marketing tool it should be on F1's terms or not at all, otherwise the excitement and glamour of the sport will be compromised and other sponsors (and fans) will lose interest.The race that sponsors like most of all is Monaco (don't like it myself but there you go), which is the epitome of extravagance and conspicuous consumption, not fuel economy and green crap which is the false message the car manufacturers are trying to punt.
RYH64E said:
F1 has moved away from doing what's best for F1, their fans and sponsors, to doing what's best for the car manufacturers, which is fine if both interests are aligned but not so good when the interests of F1 become secondary to the manufacturer's need to sell run of the mill hatchbacks. F1 should (imo) be about glamour, spectacle, speed and excitement (think Monaco), the car manufacturers want to promote fuel efficiency and green issues - things which F1 will always struggle to achieve when their entire business model involves flying many tonnes of people and equipment around the world so that they can drive round and round various circuits using huge amounts of fuel in the process and achieving nothing other than a race. The real kicker is that if and when F1 ceases to be a useful tool for the car manufacturers they will drop it without a second thought, as Toyota, BMW, Jaguar and Honda have done in the past.
The current turbos are better to watch on balance. The V8s were more point & squirt as power & torque was at the top end whereas its in the mid range in the turbos. The engines sounds crap but at least you see Hamilton needing opposite lock and new underpants as he went up Eau Rouge.
entropy said:
The current turbos are better to watch on balance. The V8s were more point & squirt as power & torque was at the top end whereas its in the mid range in the turbos.
The engines sounds crap but at least you see Hamilton needing opposite lock and new underpants as he went up Eau Rouge.
That's more to do with the aero reduction than the powertrain.The engines sounds crap but at least you see Hamilton needing opposite lock and new underpants as he went up Eau Rouge.
Crafty_ said:
Marussia's problem was it wasn't more prolific. No-one was out getting sponsors, or finding investment partners, at the same time the owner gave them just enough money to keep ticking over, no real investment to move them forwards.
From what source did you divine that information?Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff