Audi to F1 now?

Audi to F1 now?

Author
Discussion

KarlMac

4,457 posts

140 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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I think some people are under estimating the arrogance of a company like VAG. If they are going to do it, it'll be under the guise of 'the saviour of F1. Someone in a boardroom will honestly think people will pay to see a vag F1 team. They're success in DTM/WEC will feed this confidence.

I don't think WRC has done wonders for the Polo or Fabia, I think they do it to stop others succeeding - would the Golf R/S3 be as popular if Subaru/Mitsubishi were still the big names in WRC?

Not really sure I've properly explained what I mean there though.

As good as WEC is, it just doesn't have the same entry level/casual engagement f1 does.

revrange

1,182 posts

183 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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pozi said:
Ah the good old days, it made Silverstone worth getting to at 6AM because mere mortals could access the pit lane and watch the teams going through pistop practice.
Yeap i got a signature off some guy called JJ Leto, thought it was ace!

Real shame that doesnt happen like that anymore.

MrKipling43

5,788 posts

215 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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KarlMac said:
As good as WEC is, it just doesn't have the same entry level/casual engagement f1 does.
Yep, a two hour GP is already right on the limit of the casual-observer's attention span. Six hours is too much for me and I love the series!

The grainy, SD, cheap-as-chips coverage probably doesn't help much tbh.

Ahonen

5,015 posts

278 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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KarlMac said:
As good as WEC is, it just doesn't have the same entry level/casual engagement f1 does.
That's an interesting point, but I'd certainly argue that F1 has far less casual engagement than it used to. Many people I know who used to tune in for the races and maybe even qualifying on a Saturday simply don't bother anymore - not because the engines are too quiet, but because they view it as too sterile, artificial and devoid of character.

WEC, on the other hand, is really starting to get a foothold amongst the casual spectator - and moreso now that people are realising that Motors TV is on Freeview and they really can sit and watch it on TV like a GP. I'm not suggesting that the popularity is anything approaching the F1 circus, but it's far better than it was and, let's be honest, the WEC is in only its 4th season. It would be a great shame for Audi to jump ship just at the point that the form of racing they've supported for so long was really gaining momentum (both with spectators and manufacturers).

suffolk009

5,344 posts

164 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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Although WEC is on Motors, it gets nothing like the wider media coverage F1 has built up. If and when it does F1 will have a real problem on it's hands.

I've started watching NASCAR this year, the racing is okay but the media circus outshines F1's best efforts, albeit with a very American-centric flavour. Hence it's vast popularity in the States.

hairyben

8,516 posts

182 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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MrKipling43 said:
KarlMac said:
As good as WEC is, it just doesn't have the same entry level/casual engagement f1 does.
Yep, a two hour GP is already right on the limit of the casual-observer's attention span. Six hours is too much for me and I love the series!

The grainy, SD, cheap-as-chips coverage probably doesn't help much tbh.
To be fair endurance racing will never be a mainstream motorsport for this reason, most people have a limit, evan a motorsports fan like me who "gets" the slow-burn appeal of F1, find myself constantly expected to explain why I like something so "boring", will happily sit glued to the sky F1 5-6 hours of race day coverage, finds endurance racing a bit of a chore.

No other form of entertainment expects you to commit to something for so long, I've enjoyed 4 day music festivals but you never spend more than about 2 hours at one set before seeing/doing something different, in fact the supposed fans start to complain if bands decide to play 3 hour sets at their own headline gigs, films are considered dragging on after about 2 and a half hours, most sporting events, everything tends to be capped at 2 hours because thats a time period that just "works" for the average human psyche.

Ahonen

5,015 posts

278 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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hairyben said:
...most sporting events, everything tends to be capped at 2 hours because thats a time period that just "works" for the average human psyche.
But Test Match cricket remains popular and that lasts all day, for five days. It depends on the sport and the audience, I suppose. (Playing devil's advocate a little there, before anyone moans about how boring cricket is, but you get the idea).

carinaman

21,224 posts

171 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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I don't think the sums work.

I read the book Bernie's Game. It said that they counted anyone that sat through a minute or two of F1 coverage during the Sport section at the end of the TV news programmes as F1 viewers.

StevieBee

12,795 posts

254 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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carinaman said:
I don't think the sums work.

I read the book Bernie's Game. It said that they counted anyone that sat through a minute or two of F1 coverage during the Sport section at the end of the TV news programmes as F1 viewers.
This is how all sports figures are worked out - or very similar.

The seller will use metrics one way to justify a high price and a buyer will use the same metrics in another way to justify a lower one.

Lies, damned lies and all that.

hairyben

8,516 posts

182 months

Monday 27th April 2015
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Ahonen said:
But Test Match cricket remains popular and that lasts all day, for five days. It depends on the sport and the audience, I suppose. (Playing devil's advocate a little there, before anyone moans about how boring cricket is, but you get the idea).
Point, thats not a bad comparison. Although as you allude to it's pretty marmite; nobody gets annoyed at the current state of football/rugby etc and decides to watch test matches instead. Most of the people I know who like cricket liked it from when they were 12.

suffolk009

5,344 posts

164 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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hairyben said:
No other form of entertainment expects you to commit to something for so long, ...
I rather enjoy watching LeMans on Eurosport, as many of the 24 hours as possible. In fairness though, one whole weekend of daddy on the sofa monopolising the telly in a year is sufficient for the rest of my family.

London424

12,826 posts

174 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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hairyben said:
Ahonen said:
But Test Match cricket remains popular and that lasts all day, for five days. It depends on the sport and the audience, I suppose. (Playing devil's advocate a little there, before anyone moans about how boring cricket is, but you get the idea).
Point, thats not a bad comparison. Although as you allude to it's pretty marmite; nobody gets annoyed at the current state of football/rugby etc and decides to watch test matches instead. Most of the people I know who like cricket liked it from when they were 12.
Unfortunately you just reinforced your own point. Test match cricket attendence has been in decline for years now. Guess what is replacing it...that's right 20/20 cricket where the match is over and done with in about 3 hours.

Here was an article from a couple of years ago http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cricket/23494008

KarlMac

4,457 posts

140 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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I think if someone could make a slickly produced, well presented 2 hour round up of the WEC weekend then it'd be the death of F1 tv coverage. Seemed to work for WRC when that was big.

I think BTCC suffers from being overly long too. 6 hours and different races is quite confusing for a novice to get into.

rubystone

11,252 posts

258 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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pozi said:
Ah the good old days, it made Silverstone worth getting to at 6AM because mere mortals could access the pit lane and watch the teams going through pistop practice.
The real shame of it is that the Wing pit lane layout makes it very easy to allowxthe paying public to walk the pit lane. There are two 'main' gates into the paddock, one large one at the exit and a smaller one just past the podium. All other access to the paddock is via garages or doors that can easily be locked.

This is in contrast the the old pits with multiple access points that need to be policed.

So no excuses then?

sirtyro

1,824 posts

197 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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WEC has some brilliant racing and the hybrid rules have worked. Each manufacturer taking a different approach and at Silverstone the battle between Audi fast through the corners and Porsche mega fast on the straights whilst having to overtake 3 other classes it was amazing to watch.

The tech in WEC is more relevant to Audi, just look at the new laser lights they now have and that's gone into the road cars a lot quicker then any F1 tech has ever transferred! I wish ACO/WEC would figure out a way to get mainstream TV viewing for the series and give F1 a run for its money.

Crafty_

13,248 posts

199 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
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Badly written, but it is Benson... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/32506081

Would love to see the report that Stefano put together, would make for interesting reading.

KarlMac

4,457 posts

140 months

Wednesday 29th April 2015
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Crafty_ said:
Badly written, but it is Benson... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/32506081

Would love to see the report that Stefano put together, would make for interesting reading.
Is there anything to read into the fact they only specifically rule out Aud? Could we see a Bentley or Lamborghini team? I feel Bentley is unlikely as they seem all about gt racing at the moment but maybe they'll leave that to Audi/Porsche?

EskimoArapaho

5,135 posts

134 months

Wednesday 29th April 2015
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Crafty_ said:
Badly written, but it is Benson... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/32506081

Would love to see the report that Stefano put together, would make for interesting reading.
Once you see all of the qualifying words in that statement, you realise that Audi are just saying "we're not telling you".

MissChief

7,095 posts

167 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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I'm completely convinced Audi have at least looked at it internally and mocked up various Engine mockups and simulations. Domenicali has also, no doubt, completed a cost/benefit analysis.

Having said that, I won't believe it until I see their name on the Official FIA Entry list, two drivers in Audi/VW uniforms at a car launch and the car on track at a pre-season test.

hdrflow

854 posts

137 months

Monday 4th May 2015
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The rumour is that they went a bit further than that

BBC said:
The story doing the rounds among senior figures in the German car industry and F1 was that Audi had agreed with Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz to buy Red Bull Racing for £500m but that when the idea was put to Piech in January he said: "We'd rather not do this."