Or F1 could concentrate on Racing

[Tazio]

http://www.f1technical.net/news/11931
Personally I think they should stick to racing!

[UltimateDanGTR]

'F1 rock'-hmmmmm, interesting. Your spot on though, They should just stick to the track action. end of.

[V12]

FOM CEO Bernie Ecclestone said: "I have always said that we are in the entertainment business

That sums the man's mentality up I'm afraid :(

And yes I agree with the OP.

[52Paddy]

FOM CEO Bernie Ecclestone said: "I have always said that we are in the entertainment business

What a shame. Bernie has shot himself in the foot with this comment, not that it bothers him. Isn't it a great sadness that we can safely say the sport is being run as business, and not from the heart, or passion of the ringleader. Moves, and I mean radical moves, need to be made to overthrow Bernie before long, otherwise its 'sayanora.' Nothing you haven't heard before, I know....aye.... :(

[markabilly]

What a shame. Bernie has shot himself in the foot with this comment, not that it bothers him. Isn't it a great sadness that we can safely say the sport is being run as business, and not from the heart, or passion of the ringleader. Moves, and I mean radical moves, need to be made to overthrow Bernie before long, otherwise its 'sayanora.' Nothing you haven't heard before, I know....aye.... :(


Yes, I agree 100%, but as long as it is a racing business, I could live with that.......if it is entertainment, the future holds TV reality shows, dancing with the stars, sports illustrated photo "spreads" of the "driver" tugging on her panties, and whatever else that has nothing to do with racing.....just like the IRL.

There was a time when an above average talent in the old combined Indy racing series, could win Indy, slip over to F1, start on the pole for their first race, lead it, and their second year, be the WDC. And my opinion was that JV was NOT the top dog here, and other drivers were even more capable. Then the split occurred and while I wished for a quick death of one or the other, did not happen and Nascar took over, good and solid

But alas no more such talent as before when JV was racing in the USA.....now when the third rate series comes to town, all you see are posters and news clips of DP, either in or out of uniform, showing her body part "stuff" in some sexy pose. :uhoh:

And there is no driver, especially american, or for that matter foreign as well, in American IRL or other OWR, who could do what JV did. As horrible as it sounds, such talent to be found here would be in one of the nascar series, such as Scott Speed, Kyle or others.... There is Scott Speed but he does not do IRL, I guess because sponsors would not be interested in him doing sports illustrated swim suit shots...although I hear he did paint his toenails pink :burp:

So pray that bernie does not decide to make it a pure entertainment business, but if he does and you want to know what it is gonna look like...turn on "The Bachelor" or open your sports illustrated swim suit addition...or just look at the IRL

[ShiftingGears]

The TV programmes will be gimmicky. Although if it means less celebrity races on race weekends, and good music (unlikely, I know) then it will be a good thing. So long as they don't forget what the priority is supposed to be.

[PSfan]

I'm shocked!!! Truly Truly shocked... I agree with Bernie on something!!!

F1 is entertainment, proof by how many " the cars a so ugly and the new regs are so stupid I don't think I'm gonna watch" posts I've read...Of course its entertainment based on reality, so there has to be some conisistancy in the product, but major changes in the technical side could have the same form of negative impact on viewership that say killing off a major character in a tv program, or even an actress getting a hair cut (yah I made a felicity reference... sue me :p I was gonna make a Jack Baur gaining super powers reference but I didn't want to offend any 24 viewers or even give the slightest hint I actually watch that crap which I don't...)

As to the Subject of combining Rock'n'Roll with racing, nothin new there. Look at Cart/champcar, they had a concert series to go with their racing a few years ago... IRL managed to make the worse of it with their colaboration with Gene Simmons of KISS fame with that laughable "I am Mindy" And speaking of KISS... there where all those "photo caption contests" from the Australian GP race that KISS closed out that kept Valve up past his bedtime (I hear they got The Who this year :P )

[V12]

Look at Cart/champcar, they had a concert series to go with their racing a few years ago...

And look how well that worked out ;)

OK OK OK...It'd be stupid of me to suggest that was a contributing factor in CART/Champ Car's demise, but here's my take on the whole "entertainment" thing.

Yes F1 is entertaining, to some people, including you and me. But it should be a sporting contest that just happens to be entertaining, not entertainment which happens to be sport.

Call me old-fashioned, but if I want live music, I'll go to a gig or a festival. Yes there's an argument to be made that having a few bands play will pull in some people who won't otherwise go and then may get hooked on the actual racing, but if you ask me, if F1 really want to help attract the fans better, a good start would be opening up the paddock...

As far as improving the weekend programme, how about bringing back the Sunday warm up and allowing unrestricted running on Friday outside of the engine/gearbox life regs (yes it costs more blah blah, but come on testing has been banned altogether!), and having a more diverse program of support races (I'm thinking BTCC/British F3 at the British GP, those Speedcar things for the Middle Eastern/Asian rounds... do they run V8 Supercars at Melbourne?

And what worries me about the "entertainment" thing is that it can often be used as a pretext for dumbing-down/gimmicky measures to the actual racing itself - I'm thinking of reverse grids, mandatory use of "option" tyres (already guilty), success ballast and "competition cautions" and the like.

Anyone in the UK remember that satirical Budweiser "Soccertainment" advert? It finished with "You do the football, we'll do the beer."

So Bernie - lets just do the racing.

EDIT: Here's that advert I was on about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjI-qh37xf0

[52Paddy]

Yes F1 is entertaining, to some people, including you and me. But it should be a sporting contest that just happens to be entertaining, not entertainment which happens to be sport.

Well put :up:



Call me old-fashioned, but if I want live music, I'll go to a gig or a festival. Yes there's an argument to be made that having a few bands play will pull in some people who won't otherwise go and then may get hooked on the actual racing, but if you ask me, if F1 really want to help attract the fans better, a good start would be opening up the paddock...

And also, it may be 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. i.e. If more 'outside' supporters were drafted in to F1 due to the increased emphasis on non-racing entertainment, fans of the actual racing may feel happier watching the races at home on TV, rather than paying laughable amounts for a GP ticket, gaining entry to an event they may not enjoy. Just a point.