Carey: "F1 must attract a new generation fans"
- Published on 13 Dec 2017 12:33
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- By: Rob Veenstra
Chase Carey has admitted Liberty Media has a task to win over long-time F1 fans. The American and the American company have succeeded the long reign of Bernie Ecclestone, making changes this year and planning even greater changes for the future. But F1 chief executive Carey says he has work to do to convince some existing fans.
"It's probably the people who have been fans from the beginning who liked what they grew up with," he is quoted by France's Auto Hebdo. "They represent the foundation of the sport. These fans are essential," Carey added. "But we want to interest a new audience, and for this we must find solutions that respect the historical element - what made this category so special - while attracting new people at the same time. We must interest a new generation," he said.
Some fans, drivers and insiders have criticised some of Liberty Media's changes, including the Indy 500-style driver introductions seen this year in Austin. Carey said: "It starts above all with the show on the track. I use the word 'show' because that's what it should be. We can make the competition better -- improve the action. Around that, we want to make sure we capture the public's imagination." (GMM)
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Replies (11)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Thats nice, but how would you do that? By making it more hip? By making it a show? I personally think F1 has a clear path. It needs to be more accessible. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, and should with all right be competing against football and hockey, yet its far less accessible due to the way Ecclestone dealt with channel rights. Ecclestone's attitude served him well in his era, but in a modern era exclusivity isnt beneficial if you want to attract and retain fans. You dont need to make it as accessible as DTM or such, you dont need to make a youtube channel and livestream from it (but it'd be a good idea IMO), but streaming services from F1 and more accessible tv channels would benefit F1, Im sure of it.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Absolutely agree. Footage needs to be more easily available. I rarely see footage in the news from the race unless it's a few choice channels. Nobody is arguing it should be anything like NASCAR, but there is a lot to be done to bring the sport closer to the fans. Bernie worked really hard to keep it away, expensive, and distant. But I am quite confident Liberty will do the right thing. It's the first time I feel hopeful in decades.
f1dave
Posts: 782
Sorry, racing is not a "show". Maybe Liberty Media should have bought Formula E, or a hi hop group instead of ruining what was a sport.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Like it or not, it's a show, it has to be to remain sustainable. Formula E is actually doing a great job, even though the racing and the cars are not great yet. Being a show does not mean a bad show, or a stupid show. It just means there needs to be showmanship in the presentation, and access, the racing itself. Nobody except Sebastian Vettel, wants to see 50 lap processions with no overtaking.
boudy
Posts: 1,168
Bernie referred to F1 as a show also. Chase is correct a better and closer competition will be a better show and bring more people to F1.
talktohenry
Posts: 362
They need engine noise sorted first, Bernie as wow factor gone now.
Harryw
Posts: 107
Because of bernies greed two twos dominate f1 and by selling tv rights to pay per view he has wacked viewing figures.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
That was one of the worst things ever done to the sport. But I expect that it will not continue when the Sky contract expires. Don't get me wrong, I love the coverage on Sky, but it's too exclusive and expensive.
SPERX
Posts: 21
If you want a show on track, then abandon this nonsense about relevance to road cars. In my opinion the pinnacle of F1 was when we had qually engines; qually tyres; special fuels; gravel traps; and no artificial rules on numbers of tyres, gearboxes, engines/ components. Replace run offs with gravel traps, that puts a penalty on cheating and inadequate skill. A five second time penalty imposed after the chequered flag is risible and alienates fans. If MV had bogged down in a gravel trap, his many fans would have shrugged and said he screwed up; a post flag demotion from the podium alienated the fans and did not make for good TV.
Looking back, if Perry McCarthy trying to pre-qualify an Andrea Moda could be exciting, and it was when I saw it at Silverstone in '92 I think, then the answer is on track competition achieved by removal of restrictive rules. I simply do not believe that making engines and gearboxes last multiple races actually achieves overall cost savings - it's just money is spent on durable components rather than multiple components.
If you put the competition back on track, then Liberty can package the product as many ways as they want - YouTube, Facebook whatever it takes to attract millennials with the attention span of a fruit fly. But if they do not get us back to thrilling on-track racing where driver guts and skill is the determining factor, they have nothing to package and "legacy fans" will move away.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Relevance to road cars is the only way to keep most manufacturers in, unless you are either Ferrari, or a dominating manufacturer who doesn't want change (currently Mercedes). For everyone else, road relevance is important. Formula 1 is not a money making machine for teams, it's actually a pretty low return on investment. But the marketing, brand promotion, etc... that's were the returns are.
Ferr
Posts: 6
Yes because some of the fans of the real F1 are probably leaving and cannot be bothered with the rubbish that is being shown at the moment.