66 replies to this topic

[Lights]

Very nice thread opener. Need more of those in here. Not sure if I agree with it all but it certainly seems to have a point.

[kraduk]

This thread is really rather bizarre. I totally understand some of the frustrations but sure if the OP author is that frustrated he should follow his own advice and vacate the forums. That would teach us wouldn't it!!! 

[Rinehart]

Perhaps the OP should stop watching, then he/she wouldn't have to put up with the moaning fans. 

[tifosiMac]

Come and watch bike racing. The grass is greener...

Indeed and proper bike racing with a bit of danger and excitement! 

 

In all seriousness though in regards to F1, I think if fans like us did not discuss our dislikes for the way the sport is going or has gone, then how are the organisers going to determine why less and less people are tuning in year on year? I don't believe the paddock are completely locked away in a bubble that they have no idea what fans are saying. The sport is suffering a slump in viewers on a global scale and there is no getting away from that. If we did just say 'oh well' and went back to complaining about tyres and engines then I doubt we would be able to gage whether our opinions are widespread or not.

 

The fact of the matter is the sport has changed dramatically since 2009 with regulations far removed from previous seasons. We've had a sole tyre manufacturer, a ban on aero widgets, the introduction of an overtaking gimmick, engines introduced that have lost their powerful sound, and the switch to pay TV across many of the highest pulling audience countries in Europe. Combine that with a period of 2 teams dominating and the picture gets a little clearer. There has been so much change in the last 6 years and up until the end of the 2010 we had the highest level of interest in F1 in 25 years. At first the change was greeted with a mixed response, but people still watched. Now we have a situation where the sport is in desperate need for funding (I say the sport but really mean teams, Bernie's profit is still healthy) and the quick buck is broadcasting fee's. This means the fans lose out and interest drops again.

 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to diagnose the problems, but it will take a clever person to come up with a solution that brings the money in and the fans back IMO. F1 is chasing its tail at this point and all we can do as passionate F1 enthusiasts is discuss our sorrow at why it has gone this way. Or find some other form of motorsport to watch while F1 learns its lesson. It might need to go this route for its long term future to be healthy again. 

[ensign14]

All this talk of what's wrong in F1, what's killing F1, how bad F1 is now, can F1 get any worse etc has just made me realise what really ticks me off the most.

It's the whining, ****ing fans.

 

 

You've missed a key point.

 

The sport has always been followed by the hardline fans.  And always will be.  It's the nature of being a hardliner. 

 

For F1 to "succeed", it has to attract beyond that point.  And the big danger is that it is not.  It's cut itself off from the casual with increased ticket prices, races in Godforsaken shitholes watched by crowds so small the total number of bacteria attending is in the hundreds, and going to PPV with very little free-to-air access. 

 

So the major source of income for the teams right now is prize money and television payments.  Both of which ultimately come from the same source - the casual watcher who buys into whichever station pays for the television rights.

 

If that casual watcher turns off, then those stations will not pay so much and the whole thing will go tits up.

 

Because there's a point at which even the hardline fans can't afford to subsidize the sport.

 

Or.

 

It will retrench, recover and revert to the days when the sport was run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. 

[Elba]

This is the only sport I've ever followed that has ever had constant "crisis" and "we need to solve this or that".  Constant talk of the financial side or sustainability.  It's not the reason why anyone tunes in to watch.  It's like if you go into a cafe or restaurant to eat, you don't want to be worrying about whether they are about to close down, or if the manager is about to be fired, or if the staff is unhappy, you just want to enjoy the meal.

 

There will always be whingers, sometimes they whinge about something small, and turn it into something big.  They give everyone else a bad name.  Like the extremist conspiracy theorists.

 

I don't like reading about negative stuff either.  It really irritates me.  But censorship or turning a blind eye isn't much better.

 

What I like more, is when there is nothing to whinge about.

Of course censorship or sticking your head in the sand isn't much better however if some of the serial whingers would follow the OP's suggestion and take a hike, go follow some other sport, it would make for a much more enjoyable experience for many.

 

What's the point complaining about everything in F1 over the last 5 or 6 years knowing that NOTHING will happen with your complaints? 

So I agree with the OP, vote with your feet (or remote) as whinging online won't change a thing.

Don't bother to look back, those of us who do stick around and enjoy the sport will let you know if it's safe to return already. 

[jonpollak]

http://sniffpetrol.c...lan-progresses/

Jp

Edited by jonpollak, 23 March 2015 - 10:06.

[P123]

I guess I'm guilty- I still watch despite wondering why I bother on several occasions over the years.

 

There is though a wailstorm of whining over a boring race or not liking the rules.  Well, races are boring all the time, and the rules change all the time too.   What F1 needs it's to sort out it's commercial side and it' s promotion first because these are the root cause of most of the daft knee-jerk sticky plaster rules we have and the dwindling popularity and reach of the sport.

[V8 Fireworks]

I'm not usually one to defend 'the fans', but I'm not sure how you can go blaming them here for much. We aren't the cause of the criticisms you mentioned(many of which I don't agree with anyways).
 

 

There is just isn't any other open-wheel or GT racing available in Australia.

 

If there was a local WEC or Indycar round of course I would be interested in it!

[Nemo1965]

This thread is really rather bizarre. I totally understand some of the frustrations but sure if the OP author is that frustrated he should follow his own advice and vacate the forums. That would teach us wouldn't it!!! 

 

It indeed has something of what the Dutch call 'The Droste-effect'. Which means: if you moan about moaning, you are kind of painting a picture in a picture of that picture in the picture in the picture....

 

 

Edited by Nemo1965, 23 March 2015 - 10:08.

[August]

F1 neglects fans, still fans should praise it, for the benefit of the series. Oh yeah!

 

Well, IndyCar is starting so maybe F1 will have one moning fan less until the end of August.

[tifosiMac]

Of course censorship or sticking your head in the sand isn't much better however if some of the serial whingers would follow the OP's suggestion and take a hike, go follow some other sport, it would make for a much more enjoyable experience for many.

 

What's the point complaining about everything in F1 over the last 5 or 6 years knowing that NOTHING will happen with your complaints? 

So I agree with the OP, vote with your feet (or remote) as whinging online won't change a thing.

Don't bother to look back, those of us who do stick around and enjoy the sport will let you know if it's safe to return already. 

People ARE voting with their remotes that is the point and its a major reason why the sport is suffering with funding and sponsor interest. You can sit in your ivory tower mocking the peasants who don't have access to PPV as you often do in the TV threads, but in the long term this problem will eventually affect everybody who watches. This complaining might not appeal to you but you are new here and chose to get involved with those types of discussions on this board. There are plenty of threads here that avoid complaints of course. I think you enjoy the 'serial whingers' a bit more than you are letting on here me old mucker. 

[Elba]

F1 neglects fans, still fans should praise it, for the benefit of the series. Oh yeah!

 

Well, IndyCar is starting so maybe F1 will have one moning fan less until the end of August.

 seems like a much more constructive approach.

If the gap between Merc and the rest remains as big as it currently is I'll devote a bit more of my time to something else (WEC) too

[TheRacingElf]

If my company goes bankrupt because the customers don't like my products it's the fault of the customers, isn't it Superden? Seriously I haven't heard such rubbish in a long time.

It's people like you who stick their head in the sand and pretend everything is fine who destroy this sport, not the ones who want to save it!

[superden]

If my company goes bankrupt because the customers don't like my products it's the fault of the customers, isn't it Superden? Seriously I haven't heard such rubbish in a long time.
It's people like you who stick their head in the sand and pretend everything is fine who destroy this sport, not the ones who want to save it!

How can you miss a point so spectacularly?

Never mind, it's been an interesting read.

[Lazy]

Yes, it's the fans, along with a plethora of wannabe journos desperate to initiate some scandal or controversy.  

 

F1 has been in a lot worse state than it is now. Less cars on the grid, less racing, more dominant teams, uglier cars, worse politics, more dangerous etc

 

The problem with fans is that some approach it thinking cars should be a certain way, generally from what they see as the golden era. They should look a certain way, sound a certain way etc. Their minds are closed, so many approached this set of regulations "knowing" they were going to sound crap and so they did, to their ears.

 

Open your minds, embrace the new, there is so much amazing stuff in this new formula, it's foolish to focus on perceived negatives.

 

A sport designed by it's fans will disappear up it's own arse sooner rather than later.

[Disgrace]

This thread is really about members on this forum rather than F1 itself. The simple solution if you don't enjoy talking about F1 with it's fans online is to stop doing it. Sorry, but no.