 |
| Von Trips led by Hill in 1961 (above), Rosberg and Hamilton in 2016. |
My thoughts on Shortening the F1
Season
FORMULA 1 racing was basically born of the competitiveness in the automotive industry.
Elite engine manufacturers would strive to prove the superiority of their
product with endurance of the machinery under extreme conditions. Major manufacturers
financially sponsored their own cars from their own factories. Winning races
meant bragging rights when advertising to the buying public... especially
wealthy celebrities.
In those
days, races would be run on open roads that coursed through rural country
sides, passing small farms on the way through small towns. Spectators could
freely sit on hills and fences along roadsides to watch the racer cars speed
by. There was a certain charm to early Formula 1 racing. But it was a very
dangerous time and the demand for driver and spectator safety began to shape F1
into what it is today.
Design
engineering, technology, closed courses, safety equipment, and travel: all
these elements understandably contribute to the rising cost of F1 Racing.
Where there’s a Will, there’s a Way
My
interest in F1 racing this year was rekindled when I read Michael Cannell’s book “The Limit” about American F1 Champion Phil Hill and his teammate and
rival Wolfgang von Trips. It is a good book... the REAL old school kind with
hard cover and paper pages. It took me back to my days as a kid when F1 racing
was shown on Saturday mornings after the cartoons were over. We watched it on
ABC’s Wide World of Sports and then rode our bicycles around the neighborhood
pretending to be Jackie Stewart. I wondered how the F1 Circuit had changed
since those days of clipping playing cards into the spokes of our bike tires to
emulate the sound of engine pistons. And so I began to follow the 2016 Formula
One season.
First, I
visited the official F1 website to get the season schedule. I printed and
posted it in my cubicle at work, and wrote the location of each race on my wall
calendar. That’s right...I didn’t use my mobile device. I wanted to be sure my
interest in racing was purely mine, not some electronic reminder to tune in.
Next, I
reviewed the list of drivers, and visited their profiles. I’d like to say I
selected drivers to “favor” based on their records, but as my online F1
Go-To-Guy Michael Lamonato will attest, my race vocabulary and understanding
was a bit rusty. So I did the next best thing: chose drivers to watch based on
their looks. It was a tough choice because Formula 1 drivers are traditionally
very handsome.
I chose to follow Felipe Nasr and Nico Rosberg. To my delight, the
rivalry between Nico and his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton reminds me much
of the Hill/Von Trips rivalry 55 years ago. Watching Felipe race is a pleasure
because he is a good driver. He has to be: otherwise he would not be racing at
this level. It’s exciting to see his car move up in position during the races.
(I just wish I was able to read his blogs.)
At the
beginning of the season, I was following the F1 GP on Social Media. Twitter,
connected me to a live audience, but it was not the race itself. Then I tried
live streaming it on the F1 website, it was a little faster getting updates,
but it was clumsy at best. Then, early one Sunday morning, I went to the family
room and flicked all over the cable channels until I heard David Hobbs’ voice
commenting on the race. I had found the live televised coverage and I was
transported back in time to the excitement we experienced as kids. I continued
to track the commentary on Twitter during the race: asking questions about tire
strategy and track design. The combined use of a variety of media was GREAT!!!
Whether
is it via social media or television, I have been “tuning in” all season long.
It is exciting to be able to converse with fans in other countries during a
live race. I have to admit to being a little envious of those fans in Monaco!
(Ah... some day!)
Endurance and Innovation
So while
the excitement for Formula One racing is building momentum for me -- and I’m
making the effort to watch the races live--it was curious to hear that some
would contemplate shortening the race season, and even the races themselves.
Yes. The
race times are not always convenient for everyone around the world. I choose to
wake up early on Sundays to watch the race. I could sleep in, but only dreams happen
in slumber. Real life requires waking up, getting involved and connecting with
other people.
Yes. The
races are long, usually running and hour and a half. I was able to watch many
race starts which are exciting because a lot of action takes place off the
Pole. Anything mechanical and strategic can happen during any lap, giving any
driver an advantage and a chance to win. That is F1 racing at its fundamental
core: endurance, skill and strategy.
True. I
don’t get the opportunity to see many finishes because I attend Mass on
Sundays. This is a choice of priority for me. While my mobile device is
switched off in Church, my prayers include the safety of all the F1 drivers.
After the closing prayer and benediction, I check the F1 Twitter feed to see
who won.
Television
viewing is said to be on the decline. Perhaps that’s true for a variety of
marketing factors: primary among them may be a finite number of viewers
accessing race coverage by the growing number of avenues which those viewers
choose to access the races. Couple that with the on-demand viewing habits of
millennials. From a consumer stand point, I think one of the more glaring
factors is advertising format. It goes beyond major sponsor logos being
plastered all over retaining walls, cars and the drivers themselves. Televised
live race coverage shrinks to the size of a postage stamp in the corner of a
television screen while the same commercials run over and over. It should be
the other way around. I tune in to watch the race... not cinematography about
car parts. And although the Pirelli Tyre spot with the soft yellow shoes is
totally relatable, I don’t need to see it every 20 seconds.
The most
obvious factor of all might be the lack of interest in the sport itself. That
raises a separate set of marketing questions to which solutions would be a
topic for another blog.
I
respectfully disagree with those who might speculate the season is too long.
Tweeted or televised, I have looked forward to each race. I’m bummed out that
the 2016 season is nearly over. In 10 months, I’ve learned enough from
broadcasters, commentators and fans to the point where I am comfortable
weighing in with my opinion here.
F1
racing is about endurance and innovation. It is my opinion the length of the
season is a perfect test of mental, physical and mechanical stamina.
******
Inspired by Human Endurance and Innovation.
