Is F1 Turning Its Back on Europe?

[cosworth151]

That question is asked by AutoWeek in an article on their daily racing news. It discusses F1's move third world venues and the limits on the number of races. It also mentions that the consent of those top-three teams is needed if more than 60 percent of the races are held outside Europe, the United States or Canada. At present, that number is 52.6 percent.

Not a whole lot of new info, but a good summery of the situation.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130509/f1/130509799#ixzz2Snodw8vE

[Jericoke]

I don't think that F1 is turning its back on Europe.

The sport is hemmed in.  It wants to be truly global.  That means having races in places other than Europe.  Without adopting a NASCAR -esque 40 race schedule, that means leaving Europe.

I think the solution is rotating race venues, or perhaps using another NASCAR strategy of growing a 'minor' series that is almost as popular as the main one.  So one year Spa (for example) hosts F1, then the next season they host GP2.  Local fans get top tier racing every year, but F1 only runs every other year.

Otherwise, F1 has to make less money, and pay the teams less.

[Scott]

I would rather see a different way of growing minor series under F1.  Develop an F1 Jr series for each region (F2 Austral-Asia, F2 Americas, maybe F2 Africa or at least upper Africa) running their own calendar for 15-20 races.  Make these true feeder series into F1, including teams.  Choose regulations that create the series as only a step down from F1, including car design and manufacture or allow F1 teams to sell their previous year cars to the F2 series.  Bring the F1 circus to each region for perhaps a maximum of 3 races per year, at various tracks in each region.  Keep remaining F1 races (12 or so) in Europe at the classic venues and even develop a couple more (like Switzerland!!).

[Irisado]

Did the Swiss overturn the law which made motor racing illegal there?  I can't recall.

Anyway, I do fear for F1's future in Europe, and I think that it's a cause for concern, since this is where much of the heritage of motor racing is to be found.  It's all well and good wanting F1 to be a global sport, but there's no point holding races on rubbish tracks in countries without any significant motorsport heritage, as that's just counter productive, from a sporting perspective.

Of course, if the bank balance is the only concern, then this is what's going to happen, but this is the problem with how some of those who are primary actors in Formula 1 think nowadays.  It should be a sport more than it is a business.  Yes, I'm more than aware that this is perhaps idealistic, but the fact that this point of view is now seen as idealistic (and not just in F1 either) is something that we should all, in my view, be concerned about.

[Jericoke]

http://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/basicpage/file/Statuts%20FIA%20AGO%2007%2012%202012%20(FR-EN)-CLEAN.pdf

The Aim of the FIA

The aim of the FIA shall be to establish a union between
its members, chiefly with a view to:

1) Maintaining a world‐wide organisation upholding the
interests of its members in all international matters
concerning automobile mobility and tourism and motor
sport.

2) Promoting freedom of mobility through affordable,
safe, and clean motoring, and defending the rights of
consumers when travelling.

3) Promoting the development of motor sport,
improving safety in motor sport, enacting, interpreting
and enforcing common rules applicable to the
organisation and the fair and equitable running of motor
sport events.

4) Promoting the development of the facilities and
services of the Member Clubs, Associations and
Federations of the FIA and the co‐ordination of
reciprocal services between Member Clubs for the
benefit of their individual members when travelling
abroad.

5) Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to disputes of a
sporting nature and any disputes which might arise
between its Members, or in relation to any of its
Members having contravened the obligations laid down
by the Statutes, the International Sporting Code and the
Regulations.

6) Preserving and conserving all documents and
artefacts concerning world motoring in order to retrace
its History.

The 'history' of motoring is the sixth element on the list, AFTER its goal of being world wide, and servicing ALL its member organisations.

Now, if you'd like to argue that F1 doesn't need the FIA, I'm all ears.  It's no secret that I believe between FIA, FOM, FOTA someone needs to get the F out, preferably two of them.  (Any two, I don't really care.)

I do believe that sports that are regional are better for fans.  Having start times all over the clock is confusing for casual fans, and difficult for serious fans.  A European F1 series would be fantastic for me, as I find it easier to watch a race Sunday morning than Sunday afternoon (or Saturday night, as North American races are starting to do).

[Scott]

Did the Swiss overturn the law which made motor racing illegal there?  I can't recall.

Yes they did.  A few years back there was some idle talk about perhaps building an F1 track on an old military base near Interlaken.  In anticipation of the track getting the go-ahead, they got rid of that silly little law.  http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19232.html 

Of course there wasn't enough support to go ahead - the noise might bother the sheep.   

They have had the Rallye du Valais every year in the autumn for a little more than 50 uninterrupted years.  Somehow this rather large international rally has escaped the scrutiny of whatever authorities there are that monitor such laws.  As well, I've been to two drag races while living here.   

http://www.riv.ch/en

[cosworth151]

It always looked like the aim of the FIA was to screw up every form of motorsport that they can get their slimey claws into. Just look what they've done to endurance racing in only a year & a half.

[lkjohnson1950]

For all practical purposes the FIA no longer makes the F1 schedule, Bernie does. The FIA just rubber stamps the deals Bernie puts together. If you don't like the schedule, don't blame Todt.

[Jericoke]

For all practical purposes the FIA no longer makes the F1 schedule, Bernie does. The FIA just rubber stamps the deals Bernie puts together. If you don't like the schedule, don't blame Todt.

Indeed.  Just pointing out that the F1 schedule fits the FIA's mandate.  As such, they're rubber stamping something that they should approve of.

(As a side note, the organisation is supposed to be apolitical, and, as such, not care about the situation in Bahrain, just so long as motorist rights are respected.  In fact, given that the opposition blocks traffic, that would put the FIA on the side of the government trying to clear the road...)

[cosworth151]

I refer to many of the new venues as "pay tracks." Just like pay drivers, they are usually here not on their own merits, but on the merits of somebody's checking account.

The idea of rotating some track is fine, as long as the nucleus of historic tracks remain every season. Keep annual races at Monaco, Silverstone, Spa, Indy, Monza and maybe Nurburgring, The Bugatti circuit at Le Mans and Suzuka. Rotate the remaining between the "pay tracks."

They could even make an annual event of it, like the NFL draft. An public auction could be held (pay-per-view, of course) to award the remaining race dates to the highest bidders. After all, isn't that pretty much the way it's being done now? Why not just be open & honest about it.

[John S]

The idea of rotating some track is fine, as long as the nucleus of historic tracks remain every season. Keep annual races at Monaco, Silverstone, Spa, Indy, Monza and maybe Nurburgring, The Bugatti circuit at Le Mans and Suzuka. Rotate the remaining between the "pay tracks."

  We can all see what you've done there Cossie, inserting Indianapolis in the list.   

The Indy 500 may be an historic race and was once part of the F1 championship, however modern F1 running on the legendary oval might appear to be historic but it would also be plain daft.

The mash up of oval and infield that later F1 races ran on cannot be truly called historic , IMHO it's not any better than a lot of the Tilkedromes, despite the 70/80's admission prices that Indy managed to offer right into the new millenium. 

     

[cosworth151]

Indy has hosted 19 F1 races. The track used for the last 8 is far better than most of the newer tracks. Certainly far, far better than a Texas cow pasture or a New Jersey sewage plant. I'd say it's at least as good as Monaco. Having both a tight infield section and the longest full throttle run in F1 presented a unique challenge to setting up the car.

[Ian]

Can we assume that you like the Indy circuit Cos.   

[cosworth151]

Love it! 

The races there were the best F1 experiences I've ever had, even better than the Glen in the 70's.

(Mind you, some of my memories of the 70's in general seem a bit hazy.    )

[Ian]

I'm with you on the Indy circuit Cos.