Has F1 reached a new low?

[Soul Reaver]

There is no doubt that we have some very serious issues and I say that because I am an F1 fan and watcher and at the moment I am getting much more enjoyment watching Ginetta juniors than F1 by a very long margin!

When I have figured out why that is ill let you know!

[London424]

Derek Smith said:

Premiership rugby is on BT Sport. One of the reasons given for taking BY's shilling was that the extra money would enable rugby to obtain grass roots support.

Every 6N there's a surge in youth membership. With this RWC we have had lots of interest from parents and children.

No one sees premiership rugby anymore so the continual exposure has gone.

Short-sightedness rules.

With football mainly highlights with one or two live matches, rugby union missed a massive opportunity to put itself out there. Give it away free to BBC or ITV and people would being to watch regularly and then join clubs and take part.

Sky is the death-knell of any sport if it is on there exclusively or mainly.

I agree, I mean look at football. Really struggling since they've been on Sky (or BT).

[Eric Mc]

Football is an exception rather than the rule.

And don't think that the seeming wealth of the Premiership is destined to last forever. The demographic of football followers in the UK is also getting older - essentially because young people are now priced out of the market. In a decade's time you could see Premiership football begin to suffer a "fan drain" in the same way F1 is suffering at the moment.

[London424]

Eric Mc said:

Football is an exception rather than the rule.

And don't think that the seeming wealth of the Premiership is destined to last forever. The demographic of football followers in the UK is also getting older - essentially because young people are now priced out of the market. In a decade's time you could see Premiership football begin to suffer a "fan drain" in the same way F1 is suffering at the moment.

Pick any number of sports.

Rugby
Cricket
Darts
Golf

You could argue that a few sports were saved by going to a Sky or BT. The terestrial channels dropped TV coverage to almost non-existant levels in some of these things and the money you have injected in by the subscription channels have added a lease of life to it.

[Eric Mc]

What sports have been "saved"?

Saved from what?

Are you claiming that without a move to Sky or similar restricted platform that a sport would have collapsed and ceased to have a following?

[London424]

Eric Mc said:

What sports have been "saved"?

Saved from what?

Are you claiming that without a move to Sky or similar restricted platform that a sport would have collapsed and ceased to have a following?

No Eric, that would be a bit silly. Almost as silly as those pronouncing that F1 is dead/dying. The same that has been spouted for at least 40 years.

My use of 'saving' was an extreme use of the word. I do believe that there are quite a few sports that had disappeared from our screens that were given a new lease of life on the pay TV model.

In some instances this has led to increased popularity and the desire of the free to air broadcasters wanting to put that sport back on.

[Eric Mc]

If you think that the problems facing F1 are no different to what it has faced before, you obviously aren't keeping up with the stories.


F1 has had a couple of crises in the past, the most serious being in 1952 and 1953 when it more or less completely closed down. The current problems are getting very close to that type of situation.

Just because it survived scares in the past is no guarantee it will survive a new form of scare.

[London424]

It's just more of the same.

Every time we read about crisis X sanity prevails and things get sorted.

[Eric Mc]

Gaz. said:

Eric Mc said:

Just because it survived scares in the past is no guarantee it will survive a new form of scare.

Yourself and Derek have been predicting the imminent death of F1 every other month since you joined PH. There will always be a top flight international single seater open wheel formula.

We'll be proved right - eventually.

I am sure there will always be some category of racing which will label itself Formula 1 or even just "Grand Prix" racing. But I do not think that the current situation can continue as it currently stands.

[entropy]

Chrisgr31 said:

Eric Mc said:

What type of viewing figures does Moto GP get and are they rising or falling?

The noise, the racing or alledged lack of them etc is I believe a red herring in determining what is wrong woth F1.

I agree its a complex problem.

Viewing figures and attendances figures for NASCAR have drastically been down for a a number of years when it peaked in the 2000s.

A common theme regularly mentioned in Motorsport magazine's blogs is that Millennials aren't interested in things automotive. In the UK turning 17 and getting a driving license isn't so much of a rites of passage, sports bikes sales have been in decline; cost of insurance, particularly for young 'uns is expensive. Kids don't to show off their new rides but want smartphones, tablets, social media and whatnot.

[Eric Mc]

Is ANY of this sustainable - not just F1 but all forms of sport and entertainment on TV. If fewer numbers are watching will the sports have to cut their cloths to measure?

They all seem to be doing the complete opposite.

[rohrl]

Mark Hughes and Nigel Roebuck's F1 pages in Motorsport are always a good read and this month's are quite depressing. Nigel reminisces about the V10 era and compares the 2004 Monza qualifying lap with this years while Mark lays out exactly what is wrong with the tyres supplied by Pirelli and how they're spoiling the sport.

The cars are too heavy and not fast enough and the tyres don't allow the drivers to drive flat out for more than a couple of laps. This isn't what F1 ought to be.

[Walford]

Eric Mc said:

Is ANY of this sustainable - not just F1 but all forms of sport

If they ain't pushing fag,s

[Eric Mc]

Lack of cigarette sponsorship has very little to do with it. Lack of ANY sort of sponsorship is becoming an issue though.

[Walford]

rohrl said:

The cars are too heavy and not fast enough and the tyres don't allow the drivers to drive flat out for more than a couple of laps. This isn't what F1 ought to be.

I think the iceman has also said this

[longblackcoat]

Walford said:

rohrl said:

The cars are too heavy and not fast enough and the tyres don't allow the drivers to drive flat out for more than a couple of laps. This isn't what F1 ought to be.

I think the iceman has also said this

And driving into the side of your rival because you were driving like a dick isn't what F1 ought to be, but Kimi doesn't seem to have a problem with that, does he?

[rohrl]

longblackcoat said:

And driving into the side of your rival because you were driving like a dick isn't what F1 ought to be, but Kimi doesn't seem to have a problem with that, does he?

What has that got to do with anything? It was a stupid move but it's completely irrelevant to whether he's able to diagnose F1's problems.

[Derek Smith]

Gaz. said:

Yourself and Derek have been predicting the imminent death of F1 every other month since you joined PH. There will always be a top flight international single seater open wheel formula.

I would point out that I have been pointing out the likelihood of there being a crisis rather like the one we have now. I suggested that the value of F1 would go down due to Ecclestone's management and that the sale of the rights would be the most dangerous time for F1.

Whilst I am not one to say I told you so - oh! wait, I am.

[Walford]

Merc have the best engine, they are not letting anyone else use it,
if they gave red bull the Williams Merc lite engine they would moan, were,s the other 30hp
its boring

[longblackcoat]

rohrl said:

longblackcoat said:

And driving into the side of your rival because you were driving like a dick isn't what F1 ought to be, but Kimi doesn't seem to have a problem with that, does he?

What has that got to do with anything? It was a stupid move but it's completely irrelevant to whether he's able to diagnose F1's problems.

Simply put, I really don't think that Kimi is worth listening to on pretty much any topic. A boorish man of fading talent, he's doing the typical driver-on-the-slide thing of blaming the rules to explain his lack of competitiveness.