More Ramblings From Bernie...

[zac510]

In 2010 I placed a paper before the FIA outlining the take up of electric open wheeled racing alongside F1.
I had predicted the decline of F1 long before that time.

In what position were you when you presented this paper to the FIA? Were you a staff member, or a paid consultant perhaps?

[ChrisDanger]

Just on Bernie's approach to women in F1, an article on F1today (below) indicates it was taken out of context. So we are probably as guilty of being manipulated by media propaganda as Bernie is of saying absurd things.

Susie Wolff said on Twitter: "After hearing Bernie's comments in context and speaking to him today, it's clear we both have the goal of getting a female driver to F1."

Indeed, Ecclestone had also said last week that he is willing to personally support a female team and driver in F1. "I would say 'Great'," he said. "And I'll tell you what I would do: I would put in another 20 million (pounds)."

Wolff continued: "Through my years in motor sport, he was supportive of my mission to make it onto the starting grid in F1. Last week, he agreed to come on board with (the campaign) Dare To Be Different and support the next generation of girls aiming for the top, on and off the track. For me," Susie added, "actions always speak louder than words." (GMM)

[Just_a_fan]

Bide your time and remember you don't deserve anything from Bernie.
I don't care for the old fart, but he made this phony glamour show y'all seem to like so much

If he wants me to pay for the product then he needs to give me a product that I want and am willing to pay for.

The fact that audiences are dwindling as costs to view are increasing suggests that the product he is supplying is not what people want. Now, you can say "to hell with people" and just carry on racing, true, but you'll be very quickly doing it on a shoe string.

People go racing because they like racing (be it speed, competition, winning or just "the buzz"). Others watch because they'd like to race but either can't afford it (most people probably) or don't think they're good enough. Someone in the middle (Bernie, for example) then takes money off one group to watch the other group doing what they enjoy doing. If you take out the middle man, people will still race and people will still watch. Take out the watchers and people will still race. Either way, you quickly see that the middle man doesn't actually do anything other than make money from others' endeavours. That'd be capitalism then...

[strad]

If it's not entertainment then why do we have TV coverage at all?

The smart ass short answer would be you.
Or youths like you.
When someone like you (or Bernie) talk of entertainment you seem to be talking of glitz and glamour.
Is Kanye West here?
' OMG I just saw movie star X talking about how exciting it is to be here..
Now for myself and a dwindling number of old farts that can actually remember life before Bernie, before massive sponsorship deals and decals. Before each race was a night at the Oscars the sport itself was entertainment and needed no embellishment..

[strad]

If he wants me to pay for the product then he needs to give me a product that I want and am willing to pay for

As gets thrown out all the time: Change what you watch!
What exactly do you think he/F1 owe you?

[SR71]

If it's not entertainment then why do we have TV coverage at all?

The smart ass short answer would be you.
Or youths like you.
When someone like you (or Bernie) talk of entertainment you seem to be talking of glitz and glamour.
Is Kanye West here?
' OMG I just saw movie star X talking about how exciting it is to be here..
Now for myself and a dwindling number of old farts that can actually remember life before Bernie, before massive sponsorship deals and decals. Before each race was a night at the Oscars the sport itself was entertainment and needed no embellishment..

Are you saying the time highlighted in bold wasn't entertaining?

Even if its purely about sport and competition for someone, that's still entertaining. There is no other word best used to describe the act of watching an F1 event.

We're not saving the lives of children or anything. There is no higher principal to F1 other than very advanced apes looking at something shiny.

[strad]

Even if its purely about sport and competition for someone, that's still entertaining. There is no other word best used to describe the act of watching an F1 event.

Agreed.
I'm saying that the whole concept of "Entertainment"
Has changed a ton especially/b] since Bernie.
So OK you win.
If you think it's entertaining that's great.
However there seems to be a few millions that don't think it's entertaining from a racing point of view.
enjoy

[zac510]

Even if its purely about sport and competition for someone, that's still entertaining. There is no other word best used to describe the act of watching an F1 event.

We're not saving the lives of children or anything. There is no higher principal to F1 other than very advanced apes looking at something shiny.

Thanks, well said. This would be an interesting topic to discuss at a higher level in a separate thread, if I thought it could be kept on topic. Many fans are blind that all sport at all levels is entertainment, fundamentally.

Frankly some of the ramblings in this thread make Bernie's look positively sane!

[strad]

Well since it is obvious that F1 racing is NOT entertaining that means that IF someone IS entertained it is from watching Nicole or maybe Kanye prance around the pits.
Please tell me where you derive this "entertainment?
It certainly cannot be from watching brave and talented men master machinery that would just as soon kill them.
It can't be from the high level of wheel to wheel exciting racing.
Come on
This is not where I wanted this to go but you cannot be part of the legions that say F1 has become boring but then say it is that is exciting racing entertainment.

[Just_a_fan]

I don't think F1, on track, has become boring. What has become boring is the constant political infighting that dominates the coverage of the sport.

What has also become boring is Bernie's move to marginalise the majority of fans by making it increasingly expensive and difficult to watch the races. For example, I live a 15 minute drive from Silverstone. I have been to the GP there in the past but the price to attend, for what one gets in return, is now excessive. £185 to get in the gate on race day. That just gets you in the gate. On race day there is basically the race and that's it unless you can stay for the concert afterwards. There are hours of sitting watching an empty track. There used to be lots of stuff going on around the track but it's now just the basic team-related merchandise mostly. Oh, and it's £50 to park your car if you don't fancy the park-and-ride system (that's a tenner which is pretty good value all things considered). The reason the price is so high is because Bernie charges the circuit a ridiculous amount to host the race.

I had great times back in the mid-90s at the Silverstone GP and have enjoyed some Friday practices over the years since but I can't justify £200+ for 90 minutes of racing. I can afford it, no problem, but I can't justify it in any way as good value for money.

Would I pay to watch F1 on TV? Yes, I would, but not in the form it is now. I certainly won't be giving Sky my money but that's because they're Sky and have systematically destroyed sport enjoyment for many in the UK. I'd pay FOM for online content if it allowed me to really enjoy the race. I'd like to be able to access information that enhances the experience and informs me of the battles that the drivers are joined in. Being able to pick a duel and sit with a driver as he ducks and dives would be fabulous. Pick a driver and listen to him discuss a car problem with the pit team whilst defending his position or wrestling his wounded 800bhp animal around Monaco - wow! Instead, we get the same coverage that we had in the 1990s but with new graphics. Instead we get more time spent listening to team bosses complaining about decisions than we do watching the on track action. Talking heads talking about issues that aren't racing but are politics. The rights to show the talking heads go to the highest bidder meaning Bernie can't or won't provide an alternative option.

What do I want from F1? I want enjoyment! Enjoyment from watching some of the finest drivers in some of the finest cars on some of the finest tracks in the world. Give me MOTORSPORT not MOTORPOLITICS! Give be racing, not bollocks. If you can't do that, step aside and let someone else have a go.

[SR71]

It certainly cannot be from watching brave and talented men master machinery that would just as soon kill them.

But if it were, that would be entertaining.

It can't be from the high level of wheel to wheel exciting racing.

again, if it were, still just entertainment of a different sort.

This is not where I wanted this to go but you cannot be part of the legions that say F1 has become boring but then say it is that is exciting racing entertainment.

yes i can.

[autogyro]

Non of you recognise F1 for what it is.
Prior to WW2 GP racing was a competition between nations to show off the best technology a country had.
The best drivers were bought in to drive the best machinery.
It was very dangerous and the drivers risked their lives mainly for their countries prestige.
During WW2 the same competition between countries continued mainly in aviation between the opposing nations.
After WW2 this competition was renewed with F1.
Italy which had changed sides at the end of WW2 made up the main opposition to Great Britain who had won the war with the help of its allies including the commercial power base of the US.
Germany of course was sidelined because it had lost the war badly and had no reputation at the time.
The French (as they again do ) ran the official body running the sport because of their moral position after WW2.
As memory of the war declined respect for France as usual declined and Bernie pushed Max forward into what ended up as the FIA. Bernie himself recognised the changes and started to replace the national interest with increased commercial involvement which supplied huge amounts of money and made everyone either very wealthy or bankrupt.
This state of affairs continued with a stable balance between national pride and commercial interest for a few decades.
As the generations who had served in WW2 began to die out a number of major changes occurred.
Germany became more and more accepted in F1 first supplying engines and then teams as memories faded.
The British domination of the sport slowly declined as the disease of brain washing socialism eroded national pride in Europe.
America developed its criminal attempts to dominate world commerce including a dumbing down of education in such subjects as history and engineering to make way for imported cheap labour in both America and Europe through the EU.
The result today is a young brainwashed population of weedy apologists with almost no national pride or common sense.
Of course F1 is in decline.

[Just_a_fan]

What utter tosh.

[zac510]

Are you saying you want A1GP back?

[autogyro]

Are you saying you want A1GP back?

There will not be any going back.
You are looking at history and awaiting oblivion.