RE: Silverstone F1 Terminated!
Discussion
You didnt miss anything. I just thought it was a good article with some very good points. I agree that F1 has financial benefits, I just dont like it any more because money has become the main focus and spoilt it (its also dull watching the same driver/team win every time) therefore I dont much care for it. I also happen to think that the rest of the UK motoring/racing industry will not go into melt down, as has been suggested, merely because Silverstone no longer hosts a Grand Prix.
I dont pretend to know about the financing of grass roots racing but as to the GP being neccessary for subsidising it at Silverstone, I disagree - otherwise none of the other circuits could remain in business? There must be other business models that work.
>> Edited by jam1et on Wednesday 21st April 14:00
I dont pretend to know about the financing of grass roots racing but as to the GP being neccessary for subsidising it at Silverstone, I disagree - otherwise none of the other circuits could remain in business? There must be other business models that work.
>> Edited by jam1et on Wednesday 21st April 14:00
Britain is fairly dead as far as GP racing goes. Perhaps not immediately, but within the next five years there is a good chance that this and other Euro rounds will disappear.
F1 is big business and many of the sponsors for rounds, circuits and teams are cigarette/tobacco manufacturers. As more European countries ban advertising on these products the 'value for money' of sponsorship decreases.
Combine this with new circuits in the Middle and Far East which have countries where such advertising is not a problem, the population are more ingrained to (and entrained with) smoking and there is a demand to watch an exciting 'new' sport and it is clear to see that there is a vast market eager to view and purchase the related products - auto-related as well as cigs.
Yes, we do have a good deal of GP experience in the labour force (admittedly within a small area), but do you think this cannot be moved or repeated elsewhere - like Japan (no mean auto engineers themselves)?
F1 is big business and many of the sponsors for rounds, circuits and teams are cigarette/tobacco manufacturers. As more European countries ban advertising on these products the 'value for money' of sponsorship decreases.
Combine this with new circuits in the Middle and Far East which have countries where such advertising is not a problem, the population are more ingrained to (and entrained with) smoking and there is a demand to watch an exciting 'new' sport and it is clear to see that there is a vast market eager to view and purchase the related products - auto-related as well as cigs.
Yes, we do have a good deal of GP experience in the labour force (admittedly within a small area), but do you think this cannot be moved or repeated elsewhere - like Japan (no mean auto engineers themselves)?
Woh there jam1et! 
Just expressing a few opionions smattered with facts!
I stress the "indirect" part of the phrase. Rallying, I grant you, is a different entity.
F1 one is the top layer of the sport, regardless of how crap it is! Take that layer off and the rest weakens - it's the same in any business.
It would take years but it would happen. Every year when Wimbledon is on, every kid in every street in playing tennis and more people watch it. The sale of raquets goes up and for a few weeks we become tennis nuts. Come July, we forget it ever happened. Take Wimbledon out of the equation and tennis would have hardly any following in the UK. The same would happen in F1 - trust me!
Re-phrase required: Centre of the Motor Sport BUSINESS Universe.
Where are Champ and IRL cars designed and built? Where do their engines come from? Where does the engineering skills eminate from? Where do most of the mechanics, technicians, designers, etc get trained and where do they come from?
I think you will find that it's the UK!
Granted, NASCAR attracts massive crowds and if we could replicate that here or even in Europe then the issues I raise wouldn't be issues. But it never will happen because our culture is too different. In the US, they attarct similar size crowds to "Truckasaourus" and "Tractor Drag Racing".
Er, I do have an idea actually. I work in marketing and deal with the sort of companies, business and government agencies that I refer to. If I could find the copy of Marketing Week that ran an article on this subject I would quote you the exact figures but as I can't , you'll have to make do with an estimate based on my memory of the said article.
It's not about what event would make their company look prestigious - it's about the people who other people need to meet and do deals with being there.
Of course business wouldn't stop - never suggested it would. It'd just make life even more difficult for British business.
Yep - give you that one! (I also overlooked Bikes!)
Any opionion has a degree of the "personal" and "selfish". The bottom line I tried to make is that F1 is much more than just what you see on the box. Much more than racing (or lack of it). It's part of a far bigger web that very few people see or understand - and nor should they.
Grass roots racing desperately needs more paying spectators and there is an argument to suggest that the current state of F1 is actually discouraging new spectors from attending racing events.
But to allow it simply to slide from the UK would be akin to a company saying "this ad campaign isn't working - let's not advertise any more!" You need to re-group, consider what's wrong, fix it and move forward.
Just expressing a few opionions smattered with facts! jam1et said:
F1 feeds every aspect of motor sport in the UK either indirectly or directly.
I disagree, I think F1 is accredited with far too much influence. It does not feed every aspect of motor sport. What about sprints, rally events etc? They have little to do with F1.
I stress the "indirect" part of the phrase. Rallying, I grant you, is a different entity.
F1 one is the top layer of the sport, regardless of how crap it is! Take that layer off and the rest weakens - it's the same in any business.
jam1et said:
The interest it creates generates new fans some of whom in time become (club) racers themselves which in turn creates income for engine tuners, race shops, race car dealers and so on - not to mention added enjoyment for those who just like to watch the racing be it F1 or Mighty Minis.
Motoring fans/racers wouldnt dry up if F1 wasnt hosted in this country. You can still watch it on the TV you know. However, if there was a decent British driver in F1 it may attract more people towards motor racing but at the moment they're all crap.
It would take years but it would happen. Every year when Wimbledon is on, every kid in every street in playing tennis and more people watch it. The sale of raquets goes up and for a few weeks we become tennis nuts. Come July, we forget it ever happened. Take Wimbledon out of the equation and tennis would have hardly any following in the UK. The same would happen in F1 - trust me!
jam1et said:
England is the centre of the Motor Racing universe but without F1 - that centre will begin to shift elsewhere and then the country looses a very large chunk of an industry which IIRC is worth something in the region of £30billion.
I did mention in my earlier post that although I didnt much care for F1, it is important for employment and the GDP of the host nation. However, get your head out of your ar$e, the UK is not the centre of motor racing. In a recent study by Sports Business Daily the top 7 race series by attendance are as follows:
1) NASCAR Nextel Cup
2) ChampCar
3) Formula 1
4) ALMS
5) NASCAR Busch Series
6) IRL
7) World of Outlaws
F1 is a paltry third and only one race is held in the UK.
Re-phrase required: Centre of the Motor Sport BUSINESS Universe.
Where are Champ and IRL cars designed and built? Where do their engines come from? Where does the engineering skills eminate from? Where do most of the mechanics, technicians, designers, etc get trained and where do they come from?
I think you will find that it's the UK!
Granted, NASCAR attracts massive crowds and if we could replicate that here or even in Europe then the issues I raise wouldn't be issues. But it never will happen because our culture is too different. In the US, they attarct similar size crowds to "Truckasaourus" and "Tractor Drag Racing".
jam1et said:
The amount of business done in the paddock club at Silverstone each year is massive - this is mainly business that benefits the UK - ie You and me!! I wouldn't mind betting that the value of the sport, combined with the collective deals of British business involved in F1 isn't far short of £100billion.
You have no idea how much business was done, stop making up statistics. Those kind of spectators dont care about motor racing, they will just go to what ever prestigous event is going on to make themselves and their company look good. Business wouldnt stop just because F1 does.
Er, I do have an idea actually. I work in marketing and deal with the sort of companies, business and government agencies that I refer to. If I could find the copy of Marketing Week that ran an article on this subject I would quote you the exact figures but as I can't , you'll have to make do with an estimate based on my memory of the said article.
It's not about what event would make their company look prestigious - it's about the people who other people need to meet and do deals with being there.
Of course business wouldn't stop - never suggested it would. It'd just make life even more difficult for British business.
jam1et said:
And quote me another sporting event in the UK which attracts over 100,000 people over 3 days!
Wimbledon attracted almost 500,000 in 13 days in 2001. Anyway, attendance figures at the british grand prix are in decline.
Yep - give you that one! (I also overlooked Bikes!)
jam1et said:
It's a bit like saying "why bother about the Olympics coming to the UK" or "Why bother about Wembley", "Why bother about Cities of Culture".
Its purely personal and selfish. I dont particularly enjoy F1, so I dont care if it goes. The kind of motor sport I do enjoy isnt going to suddenly collapse without F1 in the UK. I'm sure if you did a poll, F1 would be way down on the popularity list below athletics and football, thats why people would rather care about wembley and the olympics.
Any opionion has a degree of the "personal" and "selfish". The bottom line I tried to make is that F1 is much more than just what you see on the box. Much more than racing (or lack of it). It's part of a far bigger web that very few people see or understand - and nor should they.
Grass roots racing desperately needs more paying spectators and there is an argument to suggest that the current state of F1 is actually discouraging new spectors from attending racing events.
But to allow it simply to slide from the UK would be akin to a company saying "this ad campaign isn't working - let's not advertise any more!" You need to re-group, consider what's wrong, fix it and move forward.
how many times in recent years have we been down this path? each time the public cry foul and as the threat passes we breath a sigh of relief and we're thankfull for what we get. lousy conditions, excessive costs, crap campsites (i had my tent ruined last year by fireworks that "were not allowed"), and above all rubbish races. this year promises to be worse, with the F1 cars spending even less time on track.
i am fed up with the us needing F1 when the truth is that F1 needs us and should be made to realise it. where would F1 be without sponsors. and yet we all walk around silverstone paying silly money to wear a team shirt to advertise various companies. we really are mugs or just a bunch of stupid sheep. BAAAAA
i am fed up with the us needing F1 when the truth is that F1 needs us and should be made to realise it. where would F1 be without sponsors. and yet we all walk around silverstone paying silly money to wear a team shirt to advertise various companies. we really are mugs or just a bunch of stupid sheep. BAAAAA
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