1. A couple of American based teams?
2. Some American drivers?
3. An F1 race returning to the US or Canada?
I know there are some big F1 fans in the US, but would one or all of the above help F1 be closer in popularity to NASCAR and the IRL or will F1 always be a minority sport in the US?|||All of the above.
A couple of US teams are almost in. Yesterday Peter Windsor was interviewing Ginger Spice on the grid before the start, and while speaking to her he firmly said that 2 new US teams will be in F1 next year. And he confirmed once again that his US team will have 2 American drivers. He didn't commit on a female driver (sorry Danica) though.
A F1 race in North America is a must. It's a disgrace this season is totally blank.
But as far as the popularity of F1 vs. the other auto racing series in North America, I am possibly one of the best to comment on this issue due to my vast experience in both continents, Europe and North America. In the US, F1 will never, ever, be as popular as NASCAR or IRL. Canada is a different story and although F1 ranks thrid, the gap is not as big for many reasons (heritage, more international influernce, less NASCAR and IRL coverage and races, etc.).
In the US It's a little bit like football. Football is the #1 followed sport in the world, but not in the US. "American" football is #1 during the season. The fan base who follow NASCAR (#2 most followed sport after American football) is primarily a group of people who is not interested in the high technology, the pinnacle of motor sport, the strategy, the glamour of F1. They don't share history, heritage or the passion for F1. They have their reasons to mostly get drunk following their idols on ovals waiting for a major crash to happen. It's a different philosophy of looking at an auto race. And I don't see "ever" a way for the big crowd to be interested in F1, especially in the complicated way F1 has headed lately. Americans are not into complications. If they have to think too much they go away. Motor sport for them is something to make you forget about thinking. F1 can only be appreciated fully if your brain exercises its functions. This is a sad generalization, and there are true and passionate F1 fans as well, but in small number.
American teams and drivers, and races in North America will be positive to stir the interest in people. Better than what is there now, which is basically zero.
Interesting enough the next four F1 races, starting from the Turkish Grand Prix, will be broadcast by FOX (a main station) instead of the usual Speed TV, which is the channel for the hardcore auto fanatics, but that's it. So with TV exposure aimed at different viewer segments, it will be interesting to see the polls afterward. I think this initiative has been set up as a marketing research tool geared to future decisions regarding F1 in North America.
Really, F1 in North America is more of a commercial issue. The biggest automotive market in the world. Look at FIAT and Chrysler, and Ferrari is part of the FIAT group....think at the possibilities for promotion.
BMW is doing great in the US. Ferrari's North American market is their largest. Renault is nor there, but with gas prices going up again, they would be fool not to think of a venture in America. And the little teams...they can find sponsors to exploit their promotion in the rest of the world.
It's clear that North America is a very poorly explored territory so far with regards to F1. But after all said, the support of North American fans will still be very limited unfortunately. Unless Bernie accomplishes his goal to find that famous Jewish, black female driver!!! That Bernie is indeed a visionary.|||The impending USGP team as of 2010 should help expand coverage across the pond. Aside of that, plenty of monies to Bernie should guarantee a higher following of F1 to some extent.
Making the sport a hell of a lot more personable would help, as the proximity and accessibility of drivers and teams to the public are a couple of reasons that can explain the popularity of NASCAR and IRL.|||Americans love winners. Not so much the losers. They are hard to impress.
Having a couple of American teams racing in North American circuits is not going to achieve much if they are languishing at the back of the grid.
They need to get a top NASCAR driver into a competitive car and get him to win the title. That will raise a lot of interest.
If a top NASCAR driver joins a midfield/backmarker team and comes last all the time, that will be a huge dent in their ego and Americans won't like that.
So what's the chance of Dale Jnr etc joining Ferrari or McLaren to show the world how good NASCAR drivers are? Rather small.
I think we could be waiting for a long, long time to see F1 become popular in America.|||Marketing. Period.
F1 used to be more popular than NASCRAP once upon a time. We had two GP's in the states: Watkins Glen and Long Beach. Up through the mid-80's F1 ruled.
When CART and IRL split, F1 was an unfortunate bystander caught in the open wheel crossfire. NASCRAP saw an opportunity, and ran in with marketing blazing to capture all those mush-minds, and convinced them that NASCRAP was real racing (it's nothing of the sort).
To get the level of interest back, we're going to need NAMES in any US F1 effort. Marco and Danica would be pure marketing gold. Honestly though, I don't think Danica wants to drive F1. The only names that the US could put forward that would get the US to sit up and take notice are, Andretti, Foyt, and a team run by Penske.
If there were any NASCRAP drivers that would stand a chance in an F1 car (there aren't) that would help a lot.
Not only getting the USGP back, but doing what they did before with an East and West version, to spread the exposure. Or maybe a standard USGP, with a North American GP that bounced between the US, and Canada's west coasts. After all, there is a European GP every year.
As as someone said, MAJOR network coverage, not cable channels.|||though i don't think any of the options you mentioned will hurt in any way i think the real answer would be accessibility, if FOM would sign a money loosing deal for one year to have all f1 races broadcast on one of the 3 major networks at noon central time zone, F1 would gain mountains of fans, and capitalize with astounding profits for decades to come,
as it stands now in my local area you have to have an interest in racing be awake at 6:30 am and just so happen to be cruising by channel 282 to stumble across formula 1 racing, as this is no problem for the avid race fan, its a lot to ask of the casual race fan|||1. USF1 will help, but they need a good american driver that everybody knows
2. A race in America for heavens sake
3. Stop showing races on SPEED, not everybody has it, they need to show them on CBS or FOX
4. I dont think F1 will ever be huge in my home country, it is like putting soccer here, it just does not work|||First of all fix what you have before expanding to North America. Make the Great tracks that they already have and make them Wider to allow more passing. As it is right now, Get the pole position and win the race.|||I did have a very eloquent intricately argued statement to make, but alas Carpedostoyevskitolstoydiem stole all of my ideas.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment