Depressing statistic about F1 followers in the U.S.A.

[Ho3n3r]

I for one don't mind Nascar that much, although I don't actually follow it. I just love the sounds of the engines, and the older PC games were also fun to play.

However, I just cringe every time I see a crash on any oval. It always just looks like it's going to be nasty, which happens almost every race. Sometimes it's easy to forget that those racers are actually humans with families. That's what is better about F1 - how many nasty crashes have you seen since about 1994-1996, when safety was REALLY upped?

 

[Jax Humanhater]

I for one don't mind Nascar that much, although I don't actually follow it. I just love the sounds of the engines, and the older PC games were also fun to play.

However, I just cringe every time I see a crash on any oval. It always just looks like it's going to be nasty, which happens almost every race. Sometimes it's easy to forget that those racers are actually humans with families. That's what is better about F1 - how many nasty crashes have you seen since about 1994-1996, when safety was REALLY upped?

Well, Dewald, NASCAR is safer than, say, Champ Car or IndyCar, but, it still has long ways to go.

 

[Ho3n3r]

Well, Dewald, NASCAR is safer than, say, Champ Car or IndyCar, but, it still has long ways to go.

Yes, sure it is safer than champ cars, all I'm saying is it really looks bad when crashes occur. And going around in a circle at full speed with concrete walls - well, that doesn't bode well, does it?

 

[Hampus Andersson]

So? I dont care its entertainment really. You've got to see it once and you'll be hooked.

Seen it on TV a few times, i just can´t see the sport in going around drafting off other people for 500 laps with all kinds of weird, fabricated yellows etc. It might be cool to see 25+ cars swing past at 200mph but that´s about the only thing that would be interesting for me.

I know people that pay 500 euros for seat at the F1 GP at Spa and they see one corner and the drivers passing by 40(?) times? Do the math and then ask yourself what is hilarious

More like 50-60-70 times, sure some tracks can be boring but if you chose your seat position wisely you might see the cars more then once, and i believe you can rent a mini-tv to watch the broadcast etc. [/quote]

Just because they pass by would not make it more exciting for me, just imagine people watching the old Nordschleife races.

 

[Chris Cronshaw]

I've been to Silverstone 4 times now, in 4 different places for the F1 Main straight, Beckets, Copse entry, copse exit.
Even though each car only goes past 60 times or whatever you don't even get chance to look up at the screens to see what's going on anyway it's that immense and intense.

And the noise, my word.

 

[William Levesque]

I was expecting to see some ignorant individuals talking crap about Nascar, *sigh*...

 

[Fredrik Arbegard]

Yes, sure it is safer than champ cars, all I'm saying is it really looks bad when crashes occur. And going around in a circle at full speed with concrete walls - well, that doesn't bode well, does it?

Looks bad but I've seen more drivers climb out unscaved from NASCAR than any other motorsport.
The new COT-cars are really safe compared to the old ones.
What NASCAR has to do however in my opinion is too drop the payback attitude because that ruins the racing, and after Brad Keslowski two years ago nearly found the crowd when Edwards turned him,I started to wonder if it isn't gonna take a fatal accident before NASCAR realize that paybacks aren't the way too go.

Also on the ovals the new safer barrier has improved safety in terms that they rather deform and absorb the forces of the crash rather than being some kind of hard wall.

That was probably off topic, and I apologies for it.

 

[John Robertson]

15% is way to high of a percentage. that's 1 in every 6 people.

If you think about it, that's a staggering percentage. Out of the people I hang out with I'm the only one I know that watches F1 on a regular basis. so that's like 1 out of 100 or more.

 

[PolymerStew]

They'd probably get more interest in F1 in the US if they'd show the races on normal broadcast TV channels. I think the British, Canadian, and Monaco Grand Prixs are about the only ones they show on the broadcast networks. If you want to see the other races, you need cable TV with the Speed channel.

Even a lot of the NASCAR or Indy races are only shown on the cable networks now.

 

[str8edgepunker]

I think that part of the problem is the current attitude of Formula 1 about new and/or underdeveloped markets. I mean for all intents and purposes, with the Grand Prix having been gone since 2007, the USA needs to be treated as a new market to foster excitement for the sport. It seems that the pervasive philosophy behind F1 and new markets is that if you build it, they will come. Turkey is a big example of this not working and I think that Korea might be next. I guess that for the most part, FOM and Bernie are spoiled because they've been able to go into new markets where people wanted the sport, I.E. India, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, etc.

I think that the FOM, the teams, the sponsors, etc. need to commit to fostering an understanding of and excitement for the sport in new markets. Specifically for the USA, they need to understand the fact that there are a lot of motorsport series in the country already and that they really need to work at fostering interest in the sport. I don't think it's a matter of complexity, its a matter of marketing. For example, Baseball is a very complex sport, with a lot of rules and regulations governing how the sport is played, equipment, facilities, etc. However a lot of Americans know about the sport, watch the sport and like the sport regardless of not being aware of the many intricacies of the sport. They need to go out there and make the people understand the sport; they will not have it handed to them on a silver platter.