Liberty Media to 'make changes' in Barcelona...

[MartG]

At this stage any changes are unlikely to be of a technical nature, as that would have to go through the normal approvals process with the FIA and the teams. Even something as simple as swapping the airbox cameras for the rotating ones used in Indycar would need a fair bit of work due to the aerodynamic impact of the different shape.

What we're more likely to see is media-related things like streaming video etc.

[rdjohn]

JS hinted that it might be high-speed track rides in an AMG taxi.

Obviously it will impact very greatly on the vast majority of attendees.

[HardtopManual]

sandman77 said:

Helmet mounted "head cams" would be a big improvement over the current above head camera.

These were trialled some years ago - I was at Monza watching helmet cam footage using a Kangaroo TV. Not sure why they never made it past the trial stage; they gave a completely different perspective to the car cams and really brought home how violent the forces on the drivers are.

[ukaskew]

MartG said:

What we're more likely to see is media-related things like streaming video etc.

I'd be surprised if anything interesting happened in this respect given their existing contracts with broadcasters around the world. None of them are likely to allow any sort of change that will take viewers away from them just for the good of the sport.

Lewis posted a lap on social media recently, didn't last long.

Liberty have to be in it for the long haul to get anything done as they've inherited a whole heap of stuff I'm sure they're not happy with.

[S0 What]

I've noticed the F1 YT channel has been busyer since Liberty took over, more highlight vids ect so maybe more of that and or behind the scenes vids would be nice ?

[suffolk009]

steve-5snwi said:

Tyres changed by kwik fit .... they will be doing th brakes and shock absorbers too

And a geo set-up.

[Craigyp79]

I think most of the changes we will see this year will be mainly based around the fan experience, changes to the Paddock Club access, free Wi-Fi at circuits, greater social media offerings etc.

Ross Brawn has already said that there will be no knee-jerk reactions to the actually racing and they study groups that have been setup will be allowed time and space to come up with ideas on improving the actually racing....

[Derek Smith]

S0 What said:

I've noticed the F1 YT channel has been busyer since Liberty took over, more highlight vids ect so maybe more of that and or behind the scenes vids would be nice ?

Yes, I've noticed that. One wonders if they will pursue those setting up non-commercial fanzine websites and FB groups that use F1.

The YT channel is gradually building into a useful resource for the fans.

[Newscuttlepanel]

Bernie/CVC's "business plan" seemed to basically be bring as much elitism into the sport as possible and bo##ocks to the penniless scum, hopefully we'll get a bit of a reversal of that strategy.

[Newscuttlepanel]

Bernie/CVC's "business plan" seemed to basically be bring as much elitism into the sport as possible and bo##ocks to the penniless scum, hopefully we'll get a bit of a reversal of that strategy.

[FourWheelDrift]

Bernie pandered to the older permatanned white haired Rolex wearing millionaire, as he said in 2014...

Autosport said:

Asked if he believed there was no value in attracting a young audience, Ecclestone said: "If you have a brand that you want to put in front of a few hundred million people, I can do that easily for you on television.

"Now, you're telling me I need to find a channel to get this 15-year-old to watch Formula 1 because somebody wants to put out a new brand in front of them? They are not going to be interested in the slightest bit.

"Young kids will see the Rolex brand, but are they going to go and buy one? They can't afford it. Or our other sponsor, UBS — these kids don't care about banking. They haven't got enough money to put in the bloody banks anyway.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116761

[Eric Mc]

So glad he's gone.

That article summed up more or less everything wrong about his mindset.

What worked in 1987 is not going to work in 2017.

[Crafty_]

Eric Mc said:

So glad he's gone.

That article summed up more or less everything wrong about his mindset.

What worked in 1987 is not going to work in 2017.

But he's right.15 year olds are not interested in thousands of dollars of watches or banks.

They might be interested in racing though, thats where the interest should be built.

[Eric Mc]

Crafty_ said:

Eric Mc said:

So glad he's gone.

That article summed up more or less everything wrong about his mindset.

What worked in 1987 is not going to work in 2017.

But he's right.15 year olds are not interested in thousands of dollars of watches or banks.

They might be interested in racing though, thats where the interest should be built.

He's right in that they may not be interested in THOSE particular sponsors. But there are plenty of other products and services that they might be interested in - if you want to use sponsors as a draw to the sport in the first place.

Of course, as you rightly state, that is precisely back to front. It's the sport that should be the draw for the sponsors - not the sponsors being a draw for the sport.

Which proves my point - he had to go.

[Crafty_]

Be under no illusions that LM want their pound of flesh, they are not going to do anything about pay TV contracts, they want the same number or more races, they let Malaysia walk away because they wouldn't drop the price.

Right now LM are saying a lot of things and all the "Bernie is a villan/scumbag/idiot/delete as applicable" are buying it. Honeymoon period is still in full effect, lets see in a few years when teams start acting like a spoilt 3 year old and stamping their feet because they can't get their way.

But for now, you go right ahead and blame Eccelstone for everything from the year dot....

[Newscuttlepanel]

Nobody's blaming Ecclestone for everything, but the business model was unsustainable, and I think Liberty know that, hopefully they realise they need to appeal to a MUCH broader range of punters.

[S0 What]

Unless a LOT has changed since i was 15 ?
to interest a 15 year old they should be advertising pink lady, night train and the phone number of the local "easy" girls! thats all that interested me back then any way i'm not sure a 15 year old is the target audiance TBH so why cater for them.

[Crafty_]

Newscuttlepanel said:

Nobody's blaming Ecclestone for everything, but the business model was unsustainable, and I think Liberty know that, hopefully they realise they need to appeal to a MUCH broader range of punters.

Eric is. Eric always does.

[Eric Mc]

Crafty_ said:

Newscuttlepanel said:

Nobody's blaming Ecclestone for everything, but the business model was unsustainable, and I think Liberty know that, hopefully they realise they need to appeal to a MUCH broader range of punters.

Eric is. Eric always does.

Eric isn't.
What Eric is doing is blaming Bernie for allowing F1 to become what it is today. That is not "everything". It's just blame for its current state.

His original thinking ran out sometime around 1987/88.

He's gone now because people saw that he was now the problem and not the solution. Let's hope the new team will inject life and freshness into the sport.

[Derek Smith]

Crafty_ said:

Be under no illusions that LM want their pound of flesh, they are not going to do anything about pay TV contracts, they want the same number or more races, they let Malaysia walk away because they wouldn't drop the price.

. . .

But for now, you go right ahead and blame Eccelstone for everything from the year dot....

One good thing about dictatorships is that there's only one person to praise or blame.

With 20 cars on the grid, and a significant gap between the haves and have-nots, my feeling is that it was headed down a cul-de-sac. We had constructors queuing up to get on the grid a few years ago (at least a few to those who've been following the sport for a while). Those days are long gone.

Whether Liberty want their pound of flesh or they are after a decent return on their investment depends on a point of view. I'm happy for them to make money from the sport. Liberty are, the suggestions suggest, looking to other circuits and Malaysia going might well suit their objectives. They will still want circuits to buy the race. Dropping the price at first request is possibly not the best way of going. Malaysia might well be back, but it will have to fight with circuits in North America I reckon.

There's more to them ducking out of holding the GP than is explained by a simple answer.

As for pay TV, I think we will have to wait for their model to develop before we can come to any conclusions. Their YT channel is move that Ecclestone dismissed out of hand, in fact contemptuously.

The market moves on and Liberty will, one hopes, move on with it. I think they will want the biggest audiences they can get for sponsors. How they will go about this is unknown at the moment, but social media might be an option.

The concord agreement restricted Liberty's freedom of movement to an extent. It is lucky, very lucky in fact, for them that a copy surfaced so soon into their ownership, allowing/forcing it to be challenged in court. If it is deemed 'unfair' then there will be a new model for F1, and probably sooner than 2020. A chance to level the playing field perhaps, and to give newcomers a decent chance?

I might not like the new style F1. However, if the changes that Liberty will bring strengthen it and provide, as much as it can, for the long term health of the sport then I will accept it and, no doubt, grow to like it as I have grown to like its every incarnation.

Ecclestone is yesterday's man, of little consequence to the sport. Let's forget about him. What would be silly would be to eulogise him and his influences on aspects of the sport. What made F1 exciting, not to say thrilling, are the teams and the drivers. They are the ones that provided the memories and the thrills.