For Once Taki Is Not On Point

"NoahthePorscheGuy" (porsche) 04/07/2014 at 17:46 • Filed to: None

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How can F1 spread influence and excitement if it doesn't visit "3rd world" countries. Also I'm not sure if you could classify any current F1 stops as 3rd world. Developing or emerging, but not 3rd world.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > NoahthePorscheGuy 04/07/2014 at 17:49

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Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > NoahthePorscheGuy 04/07/2014 at 17:55

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I don't know, perhaps something about the spending wildly to finance and build these tracks and put on these races when massive chunks of their populations are oppressed or can't put a meal on their kids' plates? I'm not generally one to take up that charge, but it's not particularly difficult to see why F1 races in emerging locales with giant societal issues lingering overhead is a bit difficult to stomach for some.

NoahthePorscheGuy > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/07/2014 at 17:58

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While I don't disagree with that, that doesn't seem to be his argument.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > NoahthePorscheGuy 04/07/2014 at 18:06

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I guess I'm trying to do my typical Taki interpretation, which may have led me astray.

I stand by his point, though; these are societies with zero appreciation for motorsport. F1 comes, happens, and goes in the blink of an eye. The only people who are aware are the socialite attendees of the races, who make up an even higher percentage (a near totality) of the attendees in an emerging market race than they do at a first-world race. The average citizens hardly know what's going on, and if they do they are aware only that it's happening and not what it entails.

And then the shimmer and sheen fades. And race attendance drops. And Bernie starts making threats. And then it's booted from the schedule and it's like it never happened.

The only race that I can think of in recent Tilkke-time that has grabbed a foothold has been Turkey, a race which no longer exists.

tl;dr I'm with Taki. The sport needs races in a place with an established thirst for motorsport, and that thirst needs to start at a much more grassroots level than F1. Starting that thirst with F1 has yet to prove fruitful, with India serving as a reminder to that.

The Transporter > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 04/07/2014 at 19:39

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It's an unpleasant truth that nobody wants to talk about because it's not politically correct. Over 30% of the races this year are in countries with no real racing culture. The locations were chosen because Bernie thought he could make a quick buck and it makes F1 look "diverse". Meanwhile, North America - a place with as rich of a racing history as Europe, if not more so - gets 2 races. And by the way that Bernie acts we should feel lucky to get those two. It doesn't matter that F1 has an opportunity to build a strong niche in North America with fans of racing that want to watch a top-tier motorsport that isn't controlled by the iron fist of the France family, Bernie's in it for the money.

I don't watch F1 because I can't be bothered to care about it. And why should I? F1 obviously doesn't care about me.