China race attendance or lack thereof

[markabilly]

Notice the numerous covered china grandstands?

They even got big letters on them

In a country of 1.4 billion and give aways of tickets....what a joke.
Wonder what the real attendance was

But not enough fan interest for the US GP

[Jag_Warrior]

But not enough fan interest for the US GP

The way F1 (Bernie's mind) works, it all comes down to sponsor $, not fan interest. Remember that idea that Bernie floated, where the races could be purely TV events, with NO fans in attendance?

In a way, I agree. Since I'm not able to attend many, if any races... all I care about is the TV presentation. As long as the track is a good one and the racing is good, if some government is will to fill Bernie's pockets with cash to host a race, I'm happy.

[Sonic]

As I mentioned on another thread I am re-reading the 1996 championship year book. Figures of 200 million Chinese viewers for GP races were banded around as a case for having a race in China.

So either those figures were pie in the sky, or the ticket prices are way above what 95% of the population can afford.

I do see Bernie's reason for going to China - they are a sleeping giant and if F1 can get in at the ground floor its fan base could explode.

[markabilly]

The way F1 (Bernie's mind) works, it all comes down to sponsor $, not fan interest. Remember that idea that Bernie floated, where the races could be purely TV events, with NO fans in attendance?

In a way, I agree. Since I'm not able to attend many, if any races... all I care about is the TV presentation. As long as the track is a good one and the racing is good, if some government is will to fill Bernie's pockets with cash to host a race, I'm happy.


I see, said the blind man....

actually I do agree with his (and your point) point to a point.

But if the little man cared about tv revenue, then he should have watched the Speed replay of his race compared to the Versus HD broadcast of a mere IRL race that probably drew an almost zero TV audience, esp compared to the F1 interest on world wide TV..........Both of which were on at the same time. I never noticed Versus was even available in my area until today. The broadcasters were nimrods...BUT the images were stunning and clean--and the sound was stereo where you could hear changes in pitch of an almost being there nature....

At the first race at Indy, the first thing that struck me was the sound was incredible....TV has never done it justice....

This is one of the reasons for NASCAR popularity...clearly superior camera work and HD quality. However, if you think one or more of all of the broadcasters you have ever heard broadcast an F1 race are bad.....you aint got no reason to be complaining if you listen to those nascar boy-yahoos.....fur sore enuff...

[markabilly]

So either those figures were pie in the sky, or the ticket prices are way above what 95% of the population can afford.

.
Actually for the first race, they were giving them away....and still not many were showing up. Do not know about this race, but we are talking communists...u know, from each according to ability and to each according to need....

[stephenw_us]

I smell an axe grinding...

[truefan72]

I smell an axe grinding...

yep !

Actually the attendance seemed fine to me and those grandstands have been covered for a few years now. I look at them as room for increased attendance if they reduce ticket prices. I noticed a solid attendance during qualy and the race.

[Jag_Warrior]

This is one of the reasons for NASCAR popularity...clearly superior camera work and HD quality. However, if you think one or more of all of the broadcasters you have ever heard broadcast an F1 race are bad.....you aint got no reason to be complaining if you listen to those nascar boy-yahoos.....fur sore enuff...

NASCAR's ratings have actually gone down since HD came on the scene. Don't get me wrong, I think having the best picture quality and sound possible ADDS TO a broadcast. But people follow NASCAR here for essentially the same reasons they follow F1 worldwide: drivers they like (or don't like), screaming cars and good racing.

You can have all the HD in the world, but if your series is one that few care about (the IRL), then you're still S.O.L. And in F1's case, they could broadcast the races in black & white and diehards like me would still be glued to the set. It's like these modern movies and TV shows that rely on special effects as a substitute for good story telling. Give me Citizen Kane or an old Kurosawa movie in B&W any day.

[Ranger]

I swear there were black cutouts of people in the granstand on the penultimate straight. Did anyone else see that?

[stephenw_us]

If you watched the Chinese Grand Prix and found a reason to complain and felt the need to start two negative threads about yet again another barn burner of a race...well....

Not much more to say really...

[markabilly]

I swear there were black cutouts of people in the granstand on the penultimate straight. Did anyone else see that?
either that or they were using some strange paint designs on the stands, because they were not people. (although there was people there also) May have been some sort of computer imposed image

I think about 80% of the seats were empty or simply covered over. maybe more. That was the race before the rain got going.
Qfing, there were far more empty seats.

What a joke.

[stephenw_us]

The joke is on you...it was a great race.

[Azumanga Davo]

The joke is on you...it was a great race.

We aren't on about the quality of the race (we know it was a good 'un). We are on about whether the Chinese GP is overpriced and underattended...

[nigelred5]

either that or they were using some strange paint designs on the stands, because they were not people. (although there was people there also) May have been some sort of computer imposed image

I think about 80% of the seats were empty or simply covered over. maybe more. That was the race before the rain got going.
Qfing, there were far more empty seats.

What a joke.

They did all sorts of CG imagery during the Bejing Olympics broadcasts. Why would the F1 race be any different? They don't want the world to see what China really is.

[Roamy]

AHso I want number 8 broccoli chicken

great race but I guess the chinese don't give a sh!t. Probably a race ticket is one the the top 10 high priced items over there.

[turismo6]

Remember that idea that Bernie floated, where the races could be purely TV events, with NO fans in attendance?

I think that idea was for the swine flu pandemic.

[wmcot]

We aren't on about the quality of the race (we know it was a good 'un). We are on about whether the Chinese GP is overpriced and underattended...

And how does a ticket price compare to the average weekly income of the average Chinese worker? Then again, perhaps China should be the first country to practice socialized racing? :)


BTW - Anybody else notice the message on the empty grandstands? It was for some upcoming expo and said, "Made with China." Shouldn't that have been "Made IN China?"

[SGWilko]

BTW - Anybody else notice the message on the empty grandstands? It was for some upcoming expo and said, "Made with China." Shouldn't that have been "Made IN China?"

Oh well, the grandstand will fall apart soon then..... ;)

[TheFamousEccles]

the Chinese dont care a fig about motor racing - its just a PR exercise by their hereditary Monarc.. oh sorry - I meant government, you know... "were not really a totalitarian regime, we are not violating human rights and international laws, stealing intellectual property and falsely imprisoning foreign nationals for giving in to the prevailing business practice of bribes and corruption, amongst other alleged issues." "Why dont you watch this crazy, decadent western noise-money spending ritual that we are putting on to distra.. er, entertain you."(my quote)

It says more about F1 that they are able to conveniently ignore this.

But, WTF, as long as the racing is good.

[ArrowsFA1]

The way F1 (Bernie's mind) works, it all comes down to sponsor $, not fan interest. Remember that idea that Bernie floated, where the races could be purely TV events, with NO fans in attendance?
Created a bit of a stir at the time, but was dismissed as typical Bernie mischief making. However, as far as Bernie is concered he doesn't need spectators at the races. His/CVC's money is made from the fees circuits have to pay, television rights, commercial deals etc.

It's the circuits themselves that need spectators to provide the income that pays Bernie!! Unless, that is, the government is financing the race, in which case we get what we saw in China - very few spectators.

[I am evil Homer]

We aren't on about the quality of the race (we know it was a good 'un). We are on about whether the Chinese GP is overpriced and underattended...

Most GP's are overpriced cos the have to recoup the money Bernie demands. As for China GP...Marka clearly just has an axe to grind. Didn't take long for the "c" word to appear.

[markabilly]

......As for China GP...Marka clearly just has an axe to grind. Didn't take long for the "c" word to appear.

Right


And prices too high.. :rotflmao: government has been giving them away in years past

20k(?) of people, probably much less, in a country of 1.4 billion, where in the past years, the tickets had been given away :rolleyes:

maybe as few as 9k showing up in Turkey, :rolleyes:

Compare that to where the average for the USA gp was over 125,000 in attendance on race day......nah, why should i care....

[D28]

The way F1 (Bernie's mind) works, it all comes down to sponsor $, not fan interest. Remember that idea that Bernie floated, where the races could be purely TV events, with NO fans in attendance?

In a way, I agree. Since I'm not able to attend many, if any races... all I care about is the TV presentation. As long as the track is a good one and the racing is good, if some government is will to fill Bernie's pockets with cash to host a race, I'm happy.

My impression is that Bernie's model calls for modern facilities, where the teams, sponsors, media types can enjoy racing in maximum comfort; the spectators are a secondary consideration. In a sense, the races are more for the F1 circus itself.
Most fans, including readers here, have at some time owned a car, watched a race, perhaps participated in motorsport, and saw a race car car up close.
The problem with Bernie's model may appear 20 years down the road. If F1 becomes a TV only spectacle, will young people who have never seen a race continue to watch. Perhaps they will, but I would not bet the farm on it.

[fandango]

When I first came to live in Barcelona, F1 wasn't shown on Spanish national TV, at least not every race. It was shown on Catalan TV, where the Spanish GP is held. I remember going to watch winter testing where you could just wander into the circuit to watch. Now the bar is open, they're selling t-shirts and the place is really crowded. Suddenly everyone's an expert. A very big business, indeed.

All because of one person.

What China needs is a driver, if they want F1 to take off.

Maybe they should allow the teams to run a third car if they use a driver who is from the local country. Imagine an extra Ferrari or McLaren dicing with the Virgins.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Right


And prices too high.. :rotflmao: government has been giving them away in years past

20k(?) of people, probably much less, in a country of 1.4 billion, where in the past years, the tickets had been given away :rolleyes:

maybe as few as 9k showing up in Turkey, :rolleyes:

Compare that to where the average for the USA gp was over 125,000 in attendance on race day......nah, why should i care....

Now Mark...quit talking sense...like who CARES about fans in the stands? Bernie don't....

You are dead on the money on your take on what is wrong with this sport, but some refuse to see it.