F you Bernie! from the USA

[Ray]

Don't get me wrong, but you cannot blame the guy.
F1 coverage in USA is Shittacular!!! There is absolutely no interest in the sport, even from Americans themselves. I wonder what do they find in Nascar and not in F1

A lot of Americans suffer from poor education, especially down South where NASCAR is most popular. Therefore, it's easy to understand a relatively simple sport like NASCAR and they can easily relate to the big, lumbering V8's that they race there because they've grown up with them everywhere. it doesn't surprise me that NASCAR is popular here.

F1 is definitely more technical, and generally people with better educations in America seem more interested in it.

-- Removed by Tomba (opinions and facts only please, thank you)

The US lost it's GP because of money. Not TV coverage being bad, not because (as ginsu says) we aren't smart enough to 'get' a highly technical series, or because of commercial interest. They (Bernie) don't make money here cause it isn't really that popular compared to NASCAR. Money is the single most important factor in hosting a GP. There are various sources that can be shown vast amounts of money ARE made at the Indy GP weekend. But in the interest of European investors, the US is not a money maker. I'm sad to see the race go, but the track was quite bad. There are a million better place than Indy.

[manchild]

I think that the reason why F1 lost popularity in US lays in fact that it is not that glamorous and cool as it used to be some 20-30 years ago. Just look at the pitlane... drivers walk around in some grunge style clothes, they seam uninterested in anything, everything is known in advance, everything is too common and therefore - BORING!

Every driver makes a blah, blah statement that says nothing because it must be politically correct, they all hope, wish... engineers and team bosses repeat same old "we're hoping for better result" crap, there are no fights for podium on circuit, refueling and tyres define the outcome of the race and thanks to internet not even the hard core fans have that much to see on the race as they hoped to before internet era.

Obvious lack of star-drivers is present since the mid 90s. All in all... F1 has become industry and that's not attracting people fun-wise.

So, I'm basically saying that problem of F1 in US isn't in uninterested south but in uninterested north. Indianapolis is famous but it is in the middle of the country far from both north and south. I think they'd do better by locating F1 to one of the coasts. So it should be either Watkins Glen or Laguna Seca (although Watkins Glen is much closer to Montreal and therefore more suitable).

I don't know, perhaps they should run marketing analysis in LA and NY and compare where F1 is more popular and than make a decision based on data they acquire.

[Rob W]

A lot of Americans suffer from poor education, especially down South where NASCAR is most popular. Therefore, it's easy to understand a relatively simple sport like NASCAR and they can easily relate to the big, lumbering V8's that they race there because they've grown up with them everywhere.

I hate to say it but that statement with regards to NASCAR is soooo true.

I met some people from the US a short while ago and we were talking about motorsport... all they could come up in support of NASCAR was that it was "awesome" and that you could take your wife, two kids and sit there and drink beer for two hours without any car going out of sight of you.

As for F1, they said it was slower (than NASCAR) and that all of the best drivers in motorsport raced in NASCAR.

(to put it into perspective, this family have a father and 12 year old son who both have mullets)

Rob W

[vs331]

You only have to compare American television with the rest of the world to understand why F1 wont work in the US, just compare the kind of advertisements and you will get an idea. For American audience sport can't be just sport, it has to be entertainment first.. plus it has to be American made (otherwise its unpatriotic ). If it doesn't entertain them then they don't care whether it has the best technology or the best people in it.
NASCAR is all about entertainment and thats why Americans watch it, not just in the south but rural/semi-urban areas almost everywhere. Just count the number of times the commentators during a NASCAR race talk about car being loose or tight (just that and no other technical words).. that is their 'Tech' talk and you are expecting them to understand F1 technology !?

[Ray]

I can tell there is a superiority complex running rampant in the community of this website. Every one is so much smarter here than your average American. Just cause we watch an 'inferior' series of racing that isn't as 'advanced' as F1, we are all stupid V8 loving morons here in the US. I get it now.

[West]

I don't like NASCAR, but I don't see why anybody here should be bashing it. I expect more of that attitude at Myspace. Ironically, the F1 groups post some really retarded comments.

That said, there is more overtaking in NASCAR, more "home grown" drivers, cars that fans can sort of relate to (certainly more than an open-wheeler), and crashes occur quite often. I watch F1 for the technical aspect... but like what JPM says... often times it's the same parade every two weeks.

[allan]

i didn't get it! who's rude, American's or us in this website??
Anyway, i agree on both ways

[Ray]

What I absolutely can't stand about NASCAR is that they are slowly, in a whole bunch of ways, making it into a sort of spec series. It's horrible. I sincerely hope that F1 doesn't do the same.

I was no more rude than ginsu generalizing Southern Americans (from the southern states, not South America) being stupid for watching NASCAR than a more tech oriented series. That's called bigotry. I don't call people from southern England stupid for watching cricket instead of baseball. That was a broad and misinformed statement.

[bhall]

This isn't an issue of America or its interest in F1. I mean, the last I checked, the USGP outdrew the British Grand Prix. So clearly America is interested in Formula 1. In fact, there should probably be a North American Grand Prix hosted in the U.S. as well. That's for another discussion though.

This is really about countries like Bahrain, Malaysia, Turkey and Singapore aiding Ecclestone in his undying quest to make more money by yielding to his fees. It's simple supply-and-demand economics.

Developing countries who want to add to their own prestige and tourism coffers are willing to pay whatever Bernie asks to get on the schedule, while - I hate to use the term "established" but I will - established countries don't need F1 to draw tourism money. They get it from other areas. It's why France is losing its race, and it's why Britain and Australia are close to being axed as well - they don't need F1 for anything, and they're not willing to pay the proverbial arm and a leg to get a race.

Business-wise, it makes complete sense for Bernie to get all the money he can for himself and for the teams. That's what business is supposed to do: make money. But for the fans, it's terrible.

People in those "developing" countries may be interested in F1, but that interest isn't really comparable to the level of that in traditional F1 countries. All you have to do is look at pictures of the races in Bahrain and Malaysia (where they literally had to give away tickets to bump up attendance) to understand. The stands are nowhere near as full as they are in Britain, France, etc.

In the long run, even though Ecclestone is making money hand over fist with these new deals, F1 is going to lose out tremendously if this trend continues. All politicians know that you can't stray too far from your base and hope to remain successful. It's a lesson I hope Bernie learns before it's too late.

[Ray]

That's EXACTLY what I was trying to say. It wasn't because there is no interest, there is, it's down to money. All that Bernie can line his pockets with. It's a shame really. I like Magny-Cours. I like Silverstone cause of it's history. It's too bad Bernie has dollars signs (or Euros ) for eyeballs.

[Saribro]

What I absolutely can't stand about NASCAR is that they are slowly, in a whole bunch of ways, making it into a sort of spec series. It's horrible.

Yeah, it's the same, infernal "reducing costs" mantra. Very distressing.

[jaslfc]

its not the ticket receipts.... ticket receipts are for the track management to keep..(if im not mistaken)
i think its the entire business of f1 is not profiting in the US. Maybe bernie is getting pressured frm the corporate sponsors.

[Steven]

That's EXACTLY what I was trying to say. It wasn't because there is no interest, there is, it's down to money. All that Bernie can line his pockets with. It's a shame really. I like Magny-Cours. I like Silverstone cause of it's history. It's too bad Bernie has dollars signs (or Euros ) for eyeballs.

Actually it's more than just the money. The USA is a very large and rather new target group for F1 and it would be great to get more popular there. In total it could push audience to unseen heights. That in the first place is the reason why F1 comes to the USA, not because it is popular but because it wants to become popular.

In my view Americans are less technically and more spectacle oriented towards motorsports, and the reason why it doesn't get more popular is the lack of pure racing on track. Adding to that and making more show around the GP would help without doubt.

[Carlos]

The history of the United States Grand Prix

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Grand_Prix

[BreezyRacer]

Great!!! Just trash all Americans, why don't you all????

Maybe we can do the same for the brits when Silverstone gets the axe, which Bernie has wanted to do for years. I'm sure the average Brit IQ will drop 30 points as soon as we/they lose Silverstone, right? Maybe we can badmouth them for those silly combo dirt/pavement races, whatwever they are. I'm sure those are for neandertals

There are 300 million Americans .. not all of them are NASCAR only race fans and so if they are? What's so wrong about NASCAR? If you cannot stand it, fine. But if NASCAR and motorsports entertainment are sooooo bad why not beat up on the Assies and Germans, etc for all of those sedan Sporting Car series. They are all pretty much the same as NASCAR. And while I'm on it, who in HELL is racing around Semi trucks????? And you guys are down on Americans for NASCAR????? Please ...

The real issue is that selling F1 events has become easy money .. many of the new F1 races are used for creating specticales for governments to use as PR instead of creating world championship motor races. This is not growing F1, it's cashing in on F1 in a way that will cost F1 in the future.