37 replies to this topic

[cheesy poofs]

Having watched today's qualifying session, I was shocked to see so few people in the stands at Imola...

What the hell is going on in Italy... and where are the tifosis ?
I am serioulsy wondering what was todays' turn-out for practice and qualifying...

Anyone else noticed this during today's coverage ?

[Nasty McBastard]

maybe they decided it was herecy to go to a gp on easter weekend

[gerry nassar]

Originally posted by Nasty McBastard
maybe they decided it was herecy to go to a gp on easter weekend

Possibly true. Easter weekend probably does result in people not attending the GP as they might have had it not been Easter.

[StickShift]

Actually, If I remember correctly the crowds weren't that dense last year either on the Friday or Saturday, but filled up for Sunday. Shame, there are some great places to watch the cars in action at Imola.

[pRy]

82,500 for the weekend. 8,500 on Friday.

[random]

Originally posted by pRy
82,500 for the weekend. 8,500 on Friday.

8,500 on Friday is pathetic. Last year Montreal drew 100,000 for Friday practice.

[BuonoBruttoCattivo]

Originally posted by StickShift
Shame, there are some great places to watch the cars in action at Imola.

Not at the prices the crooks running Imola and Monza charge.

[Linus27]

Sunday 2002 - 70,000
Sunday 2003 - 50,000

20,000 less than last year.

[philhitchings]

Originally posted by random

8,500 on Friday is pathetic. Last year Montreal drew 100,000 for Friday practice.

that's what they had in Sepang for Friday, must have felt like a ghost town.........

[TAB666]

must be ester and the pricing for the tickets. I dont understand why they have races during easter , sure there are alot of people in the world that dont celebrate ester but a big part do ... especialy in Italy.

[jonpollak]

Exactly one of the reasons I chose to go!!!!!

It was wonderfully easy to stroll around and view from any vantage point without the crowds.
More when I get home tonight

Jp

[f1fan]

the cost of admission to a grand prix is just to expensive for most people.

[Jackman]

It was very noticable how few people were in the stands, and everyone was commenting on it. Of course it did them no favours having the race on the Easter weekend (especially after the church spoke out against holding a race on Easter Sunday), and charging 380 euros for a 3 day pass is ridiculous - you could fly to a resort, spend most of the weekend soaking up the sun and still see the race on TV for that price.

[jaisli]

Both my wife and I had an unexpected day off on Friday, the 18th. Since flights are so cheap right now we tried at the last minute to book a flight from NY to Balogna and buy tickets for the race. Airline tickets were no problem--about $400 return/person. Race tickets were outrageous--even more than the airfare for decent seats. It's almost double the price we paid to go to Monza in 1996. I didn't even bother to look for hotels.

There's something sinister about paying $1,000.00 to watch a race. At $85 a pop I tend to forget what a bargain Indy is.

[gerry nassar]

They are adding two GP's next year. So I wonder which one will make way for them!!!!?? Could this have been the last San Marino GP?? I dont like the track itself but the scenery around it is just beautiful!

[cheesy poofs]

Originally posted by gerry nassar

They are adding two GP's next year. So I wonder which one will make way for them!!!!?? Could this have been the last San Marino GP?? I dont like the track itself but the scenery around it is just beautiful!

I also think this was the last San Marino GP.

[Sir Frank]

Originally posted by cheesy poofs


I also think this was the last San Marino GP.

That would be too good to be true, with the current layout the track is a piece of crap, no overtaking, no intrest among the fans, boring races. The old layout was awesome too bad they changed it, and nobody should tell me that "it had to be done" because there are still worse places left than the old Villeneuve and Tamburello corners.

[aportinga]

that's what they had in Sepang for Friday, must have felt like a ghost town.........

[wolf howls]

[que the tumble-weed]

[jonpollak]

Originally posted by jaisli
Airline tickets were no problem--about $400 return/person. Race tickets were outrageous--even more than the airfare for decent seats. It's almost double the price we paid to go to Monza in 1996. ....
At $85 a pop I tend to forget what a bargain Indy is.

I really wonder where you people get your info from.
Here is what it cost to get in.
Fri..gates were open
Sat €50
Sun€60
WTF?
Sir Frank : what you talking bout... TV?
Of the many people who talk about the demise of the place ...any of you BEEN there?
Next to Spa....This place is the best place in the world to experience the cars.

Jp

[MCesio]

Originally posted by jaisli
Both my wife and I had an unexpected day off on Friday, the 18th. Since flights are so cheap right now we tried at the last minute to book a flight from NY to Balogna and buy tickets for the race. Airline tickets were no problem--about $400 return/person. Race tickets were outrageous--even more than the airfare for decent seats. It's almost double the price we paid to go to Monza in 1996. I didn't even bother to look for hotels.

There's something sinister about paying $1,000.00 to watch a race. At $85 a pop I tend to forget what a bargain Indy is.

-----


Nicely said

[jaisli]

Originally posted by jonpollak

I really wonder where you people get your info from.

A few of the sites I looked at obviously no longer show prices. This one still does. I also called a friend of mine in Milan who told me that Tosa or Varianta Bossa were still open but the prices were the same as the above site. Perhaps that's where he looked instead of calling.

Here is what it cost to get in.
Fri..gates were open
Sat ?50
Sun?60

I wasn't talking about bribing somebody at a side entrance. But without ever being there and with only 3 days to spare (hardly ideal) I would have wanted an assigned seat to plop down on.

jaisli

[scokim]

they were attending good friday mass at the churches.

[Sir Frank]

Originally posted by jonpollak


Sir Frank : what you talking bout... TV?
Of the many people who talk about the demise of the place ...any of you BEEN there?
Next to Spa....This place is the best place in the world to experience the cars.

Jp

Yes, only TV. Havent been there, but what I have seen on TV, I wouldnt even consider it.

Why is it one of the best places, to experience the cars Jon? Are they close to the grandstands?
I think the newer version is just a very poor relative of the old track, apart from that why would anybody want two races in Italy so close to eachother? There are lots of deserving countries without a GP.

[jonpollak]

Originally posted by jaisli

I wasn't talking about bribing somebody at a side entrance. But without ever being there and with only 3 days to spare (hardly ideal) I would have wanted an assigned seat to plop down on.

jaisli

Well jaisli:.....if you were intending to be impulsive you really should have gone for it... tickets or no tickets
....I did
Entry wise I was not talking about bribes or anything
"General Admission" is available at the track for the very reasonable prices I listed above

Comfy seating was available all over the place.. WITHOUT a grandstand ticket.
(natural grass banks and trackside cafe's and bars within 15 meters of the cars singing past)

As soon as I get some of my CheapDigiPix posted on the web I will show you some of the options

Originally posted by Sir Frank

Why is it one of the best places, to experience the cars Jon?

That's an easy answer Sir Frank, having attended around 50+ GP's over the years....
The environment there is lovely.... Flora/Fauna/Ragazze Giovani etc.
The history of the place(almost as chilling as Monza )
The houses were Mama cooks lunch for the passionate Italian fans sat in the stands she has set up in her back garden (facing the track)
I could go on for hours .....yeah Jp, we know, we know !!!
Jp

[Yelnats]

The low attendance for qualifying is just a bunch of fans voting with their feet on the new qualifying scheme. The show we see on TV bears no realationship to the boring yawner that qualifying is for the fans in the stands. Why would anyone pay all that dough to see 20 qualifying laps when formerly you would have been seeing at least 60 or 80 laps? The TV audience stays in the car for the entire lap but fans only have the car in view for a few seconds out of a 75 second lap.

I would have thought this was obvious and am astonished that no one here has figured this out yet. I to would never invest in a weekend ticket again as long as this farce continues.

[Sir Frank]

Originally posted by jonpollak

That's an easy answer Sir Frank, having attended around 50+ GP's over the years....
The environment there is lovely.... Flora/Fauna/Ragazze Giovani etc.
The history of the place(almost as chilling as Monza )
The houses were Mama cooks lunch for the passionate Italian fans sat in the stands she has set up in her back garden (facing the track)
I could go on for hours .....yeah Jp, we know, we know !!!
Jp

Thats fine I love that part of Italy also but these things dont make for a good race, it makes you feel good but not because of the actual race. Imagine the same track in the middle of nowhere and you would get a perfectly boring scenario.

[Clatter]

Originally posted by Yelnats
The low attendance for qualifying is just a bunch of fans voting with their feet on the new qualifying scheme. The show we see on TV bears no realationship to the boring yawner that qualifying is for the fans in the stands. Why would anyone pay all that dough to see 20 qualifying laps when formerly you would have been seeing at least 60 or 80 laps? The TV audience stays in the car for the entire lap but fans only have the car in view for a few seconds out of a 75 second lap.

I would have thought this was obvious and am astonished that no one here has figured this out yet. I to would never invest in a weekend ticket again as long as this farce continues.

Totally agree.

There is no way I would bother going on either friday or Saturday. I find the new system boring when watching it on TV, so how much worse it must be to be there.

[jonpollak]

Yes, you are right...
It is boring to watch,
TV or otherwise

All the more reason to have it take place under pleasant surroundings.
Jp

[cheesy poofs]

Friday is now the time where you'll see more on-track action than saturday and sunday.

Friday: 4:00 on track action
Saturday: 2:45 on track action
Sunday: 2:00 on track action

:

[Jackman]

Originally posted by Clatter
There is no way I would bother going on either friday or Saturday. I find the new system boring when watching it on TV, so how much worse it must be to be there.

I'm at a loss as to why you bother watching the race, or posting about them here, if F1 is such a chore for you.

[Jackman]

Personally I agree with Jon Pollak that Imola is a brilliant place to hold a race, but I'm afraid that we've probably just seen the last San Marino GP, and I think this thought was probably in a lot of other minds at Imola on the weekend. Hell, I think the track owners even knew this - they did no work at all on the place since last year (not even a lick of paint on anything other than signage). The facilities are pretty ordinary, it's Italy's second GP with other countries getting a shot from next year (so something has to go), and the low turnout means low revenues (and F1 is all about the money, of course).

It's sad, as next year will be the tenth anniversary of Senna's death, but I can't see much keeping the GP in this lovely part of the world.

[troyf1]

Imola hasn't been the same for me in many respects. IMHO the flow of the track was destroyed after the changes....(which I know had to take place) were made post 1994 race. I'd hate to see it go but I fear this is the trend with so many of the tracks that have any kind of history at all in the sport :

[Simioni]

It's sad because Imola, besides being such a pitoresque sample of Italy, also has great topography for a race track. If only more thought had gone into the layout, there wouldn't be a problem. With the double chicanes at tamburello and Villeneuve and the variante alta exactly on the halfway point on the run to rivazza, they effectively eliminated the possibilities for overtaking to take place. It's always a noticeable issue and it was again last sunday when the ferraris were chasing Ralf, that just when the car is getting close enough to attempt an outbraking manouver a chicane comes up and breaks the flow. It's a pity if they do drop it, as the potential is still there to recreate a track as superbly adequate for F1 racing as the old one was.

[cheesy poofs]

For one, Imola had no historical value before 1 May, 1994.
That fateful day changed everything. It did, however, offer some interesting races before 1994, on a selective race track.

[Clatter]

Originally posted by Jackman
I'm at a loss as to why you bother watching the race, or posting about them here, if F1 is such a chore for you.

Well I'm really sorry if my view offends you, but as this is a discussion forum I was under the impression that I was allowed to air them.

If you bothered to read what I said I mentioned nothing about the race. I still enjoy the racing. What I dont enjoy is the new qualifying format. I excitement that the old format generated is (for me) totally missing.

The amount of time the top teams now spend on track over the weekend has been greatly reduced and I believe that is having a detrimental effect on the crowds for the friday and saturday sessions.

[baddog]

Originally posted by cheesy poofs
For one, Imola had no historical value before 1 May, 1994.
That fateful day changed everything. It did, however, offer some interesting races before 1994, on a selective race track.

I have many memories of races at the old imola. It was a fine circuit and had quite a bit of history attached to it

Shaun

[maxell]

I heard somebody say that the weather is partly to blame for the low turn-out, as it had been predicted it would rain the whole weekend.

[jonpollak]

Originally posted by cheesy poofs
For one, Imola had no historical value before 1 May, 1994.
That fateful day changed everything. It did, however, offer some interesting races before 1994, on a selective race track.

Geez poofs..

You would have been one of the last persons I would have nominated for a history lesson
Like baddog said....
The place bleeds history ..Just like Monza, if not as palpable.
Anyway...
Fisa/Foca war 81
Gilles/Didier 82
Gerhard in flames 89
Just to name a few.

Being a self respecting race fan...
I just HAD to go

Jp