Bernie - F1 doesn't need young fans..

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Good old Bernie!!!

WHAT WILL HE SAY NEXT?!?

Hitler! Putin! Reeva Steenkamp! Hahaha! HAHAHAAAA!

I think the key to "unlock" Bernie's thinking is that he hasn't dealt with an ordinary punter in 70 years - since he was flogging 2nd hand cars off his carlot. His natural habitat is with the high end businessmen, the top boardrooms, the CEOs, the TV execs, the big banks. He's the master of that domain but when it comes to understanding the mind of the punter - he's lost. The "Hitler gets things done" wisecrack might get the CEOs malciously cackling at the private after-dinner shin-dig but it'll drop like a beryllium balloon with the open public. Eccelstone doesn't seem to apprehend this. To him, the ordinary punter is still a cockney with a pencil moustache and a trilby.

He addressed the marshals 5 or 10 years ago - Mosley was still there - he managed to insult one half of them and astound the rest. He just hasn't a clue when it comes to conversing with normal people.

He has no grasp of mass marketing theory, social media must particularly perplex him. You want to know what? That's refreshing. The present generation has fallen out of love with the car, the online world means people's attention-span is shorter than ever so what's the purpose in inflicting untold damage to the sport in a vain attempt to capture a demographic that isn't there anyway? Best let the action speak for itself. And just as Grand Prix migrated from the cinema newsreels to TV highlights, contemporary F1 will eventually arrive online. But there's no rush.

[Moneyseeker]

Certain irony that BE is bigging up UBS for his high rollers in the same week they were fined £500M for rigging the foreign exchange market....

[Knowlesy]

It is refreshing that someone can't grasp the advantages of social media and the internet in general? Good god.

I mean, I struggle with Twitter at the best of times but if they can't see the advantages then god help us.

This is where F1 is too stubborn for its own good. It doesn't promote its good points, and when it does it doesn't get the message out wide enough. As a consequence nobody takes up interest and gimmicks are introduced, which only serve to drive away the old fans.

And then there is the utter lack of presence on media such as youtube and the decision to move TV coverage behind a paywall.

This year has also seen another twist to the Bernie promotion machine, that of actively slating the sport! Genius stuff in what has been the best season in many years.

Still, if they want to continue targeting the over seventies then that's fine. See how that is going in a decade or so, if we even get there.

[wolfhound]

Master stroke by Bernie to take peoples mind away from the small teams cash problems.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Only one sport in the entire world criticises itself openly for the public to see, fails address any successes with credible promotion strategies, and is led by a dictatorship so blind that if fans, venues, and teams don't/won't/can't bring substantial money and place it in this dictatorship's pockets than they write it off and insult/criticise/obliterate/ignore the party.

Only one sport in the world believes that not engaging with a new generation of fans that's is only several times larger than the last one because of globalisation, development and the human population increasing in size is actually a good thing.

Only one sport in the world seemingly attempts to erase it's own past, creating a new, much duller spectacle in areas where nobody there is interested, getting rid of nostalgic, old-school circuits, whilst still trying to keep the older, long-term viewers interested.

Only one sport in the world is supposed to be innovating in technology yet refuses to acknowledge that technological advances could benefit itself, both in the regulation sense and with social media.

Welcome, everyone, to Formula 1. Perhaps the most backwards, elitist and money-driven sport ever to have existed. It's not a sport anymore. It's a business model.

And seeing as the current business model is hugely flawed, it makes you wonder if the whole thing is worth anyone's time. Teams? Drivers? Sponsors? Spectators?

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

It is refreshing that someone can't grasp the advantages of social media and the internet in general? Good god.

I mean, I struggle with Twitter at the best of times but if they can't see the advantages then god help us.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/f1

Website: http://www.formula1.com/
(with live timing & video)

I'm sure via the broadcasters; you can get it up on your tablet.

That's fine. Well, they needn't be such copyright tyrants on youtube but bar that, fine.

[Tucky]

Twitter I agree they've done a decent job with it (albeit the insistence of Bernie that it's just a fad) as well as their website which is great, but their live timing is only really good for hardcore viewers. Not many casual fans will watch free practice, let alone a screen of sector splits and weather info.

The copyright issue on youtube is too big to brush aside. If it wasn't for people uploading clips that eventually get banned by FOM, I doubt i'd be as into F1 as soon as I had been. I might have still been just a casual viewer if all I got to see of F1 was a race every few weeks.

I applaud sky for showing some of the old races on their channel and I think that's a great move, but it's just a shame that it's a subscription channel.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

Only one sport in the world seemingly attempts to erase it's own past...

thats the one that really really bothers me.

i can understand not wanting to give it away for free on youtube but i dont know why FOM seemingly has no interest in making their huge archive of footage and races available for sale.

remaster that stuff, put it on a subscription channel, sell it to the TV providers so they can rebroadcast them, sell it to me via DVD or digital download but just do something with it.

if anyone here is familiar with NFL Films then thats what im getting at.

[wolfhound]

A lot of rugby match that are pay per view normally are put on You tube a few days after the match by the varios rugby unions/leagues so that everybody can see them.

Surely F1 could do the same.

[P38 in workshop]

Bernie's being provocative and it seems to be getting him some attention.He certainly seems to have returned to form since his German court case was settled and it would be unwise to bet against him sorting things out in the next few months.The interesting part will be determining who benefits from his efforts and when they will acknowledge the outcome.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

I

I wonder how many of the TV viewers that watch F1 overall are in a position to buy a Rolex watch....anyway.

Um, actors salary

[Aysedasi]

I have a £22 Bagelsport Daytona...... Works fine.

[Nikki Katz]

Aaargh why can't Bernie just go? It's not just that he's ignoring everyone's pleas, he's actually actively antagonising the fans.

[Peter Mallett]

Everybody needs a hobby.

[chillibowl]

and the hits keep on rolling:

according to Pitpass BE will be taking more control over the media accreditation process. hopefully it involves hand bags at dawn between this article's author and the mysterious 'outspoken blogger'.

sounds like a case for the Mole (and one of the Penelopes) to me.

http://www.pitpass.com/52989/Ecclest...-accreditation

next up, BE apparently upset because the smaller teams dont know the definition of 'cartel'.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns29434.html

last but not least, Amnesty International (not everyone's favorite NGO) has timed a report on the state of affairs in the UAE to coincide with the race.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/uae-r...our-2014-11-18

so media crack down, claims its not a cartel (when it really is), and an unflattering report about the host nation and human rights violations...just another day in the life of your average everyday kid friendly dictator.

[wolfhound]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

and the hits keep on rolling:

according to Pitpass BE will be taking more control over the media accreditation process. hopefully it involves hand bags at dawn between this article's author and the mysterious 'outspoken blogger'.

sounds like a case for the Mole (and one of the Penelopes) to me.

http://www.pitpass.com/52989/Ecclest...-accreditation

Not according to Joe Saward as press accreditation lies with the FIA.
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2014/...-announcement/

[chillibowl]

yeps thats the Saward article that Sylt was quoting from in his article.

someone needs to put these guys into some cars and let them sort it out on track!

[JeremySmith]

Bernie needs any fans he can get his hands on...

[The Happy Track Fan]

For a supposedly smart man, Bernie really is a completely stupid idiot.

A 15 year old man or woman can't afford a Rolex. However, in 10 years, when those young men and women are 25, inventing a phone that has a 48 inch screen that folds away into the size of a deck of cards, and making $200,000 dollars a year, those people will be buying Rolex watches, Mercedes, plenty of petrol to put in the Mercedes and cases of Red Bull to keep them awake and alert for 20 hours a day.

And, when the 70 year old with lots of cash becomes the dead 80 year old who has left his inheritance to the 25 year old, exactly whom is going to come to watch his beloved F1? The dead guy?? LOL!! The 25 year old whom he alienated at 15?? LOL!!

This is what happens when you let the head inmate run the insane asylum.

This is an era where you embrace youth and their love of technology, and the fact that they are your next wave of millionaires and billionaires. These kids love sleek and sexy sports cars. Why do you think the Pirelli World Challenge is on the verge of becoming THE series in North America? And why do you think that NASCAR has gone from filling 160,000 seat Bristol 10 years ago to barely filling half of Homestead for a Championship deciding race? NASCAR is a series for antique race cars. Sheet metal, V8's and tube frames? Really. Most young kids see that and yawn. But a 15 year old gets a woodie at watching a Ferrari 458 Italia vs a McLaren Supercar vs an Audi R8!!

Formula One needs to put as much technology back into the sport as they can. Don't dumb it down. The genie is out of the bottle. Let it is loose. Open up the rules and let the engineers flourish. And, for god's sake, get someone in charge who realizes the future of Formula One lies in a 15 year old with dreams and not a 70 year old who is full of crotchety ideas and stuck in the past.

[Peter Mallett]

Good points and well made.

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by The Happy Track Fan

For a supposedly smart man, Bernie really is a completely stupid idiot.

Formula One needs to put as much technology back into the sport as they can. Don't dumb it down. The genie is out of the bottle. Let it is loose. Open up the rules and let the engineers flourish. And, for god's sake, get someone in charge who realizes the future of Formula One lies in a 15 year old with dreams and not a 70 year old who is full of crotchety ideas and stuck in the past.

Agreed. Best summation of the state of F1 I've seen in this forum for a long time.
Although at 77 not sure I agree with the idea of being dead at 80

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Twitter: https://twitter.com/f1

Website: http://www.formula1.com/
(with live timing & video)

I'm sure via the broadcasters; you can get it up on your tablet.

That's fine. Well, they needn't be such copyright tyrants on youtube but bar that, fine.

I have the Official F1 app on my phone and tablet, and have to admit I think it's pretty good. Full timings and tracking for all the sessions as well as the relevant race control and flag messages onscreen. I use it on the tablet as a companion to the Sky coverage.

[miatanut]

Originally Posted by The Happy Track Fan

(Lots of really good stuff)...

This is an era where you embrace youth and their love of technology, and the fact that they are your next wave of millionaires and billionaires. These kids love sleek and sexy sports cars. Why do you think the Pirelli World Challenge is on the verge of becoming THE series in North America? And why do you think that NASCAR has gone from filling 160,000 seat Bristol 10 years ago to barely filling half of Homestead for a Championship deciding race? NASCAR is a series for antique race cars. Sheet metal, V8's and tube frames? Really. Most young kids see that and yawn. But a 15 year old gets a woodie at watching a Ferrari 458 Italia vs a McLaren Supercar vs an Audi R8!!

Formula One needs to put as much technology back into the sport as they can. Don't dumb it down. The genie is out of the bottle. Let it is loose. Open up the rules and let the engineers flourish. And, for god's sake, get someone in charge who realizes the future of Formula One lies in a 15 year old with dreams and not a 70 year old who is full of crotchety ideas and stuck in the past.

[wolfhound]

Bernie doing 'U' turns again now he says he didn't say that young people were not a target audience for F1.

How many more 'clarifications', 'back tracking' etc will we see from him?

http://www.pitpass.com/53067/Bernie-...youth-comments

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by wolfhound

Bernie doing 'U' turns again now he says he didn't say that young people were not a target audience for F1.

How many more 'clarifications', 'back tracking' etc will we see from him?

http://www.pitpass.com/53067/Bernie-...youth-comments

He says one thing then tries to weasel his way out of it by saying he was ''misquoted''. I've got to the point now, where I don't care what Bernie says anymore.