F1 needs entertainment over technology - Horner
- Published on 23 Jan 2017 18:44
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- By: Fergal Walsh
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has called for a return of the V10 engines as he believes Formula One should focus on entertainment rather than technology.
F1 has been criticized ever since the 2014 introduction of the V6 Hybrid power units, which have taken Mercedes to three dominant drivers and constructors championships.
"I think the commercial rights holder needs to dictate that because he's got to sell a product," Horner told ESPN. "For me F1 should be entertainment first and technology should play a secondary role. So for me, I would prefer to go back to a normally-aspirated, screaming V10 engine with a standard energy recovery system. That might not be what Mercedes or Honda would vote for, but would it be more appealing to the fans? I believe it would be."
Horner believes the technology is too complicated for the fans to understand, and advertising events and cars needs a re-think.
"I think the technology we have now is so complex that people don't understand the complexity, and we don't do a great job of advertising what these cars are currently achieving either. I think the sound is a key factor and a key part of the DNA of Formula One.
"You only have to listen to the McLaren-Honda V10 they fired up at the Grand Prix in Japan [last year], they did a couple of demonstration laps and every mechanic in the garage put his tools down to come and look and listen -- that's what Formula One should be. The commercial rights holder has to decide what it wants."
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Replies (2)
Login to replydenis1304
Posts: 284
"Horner believes the technology is too complicated for the fans to understand...."
I'm really sick and tired off call us morons. Who the fu... he thinks is watching F1?
dr002
Posts: 141
I TOTALLY concur! It's disappointing because ordinarily I agree with Horner's comments.
They don't need to dumb it down, in fact I reckon there is room to add to the complexity of the race days in terms of the qualifying and race formats........ What I for one don't understand are all of the inconsistencies in the application of the rules, particularly all of the inconsistent steward's decisions on race days and from race to race. Beyond that, the rules within F1 are not complex, stupid / nonsensical at times, but not complex.
In terms of the complexity of the technology, don't dumb it down, talk more about it, promote and explain it in ways that are more accessible to the fans, documentaries, multi-media snippets about particular design elements etc....
...... perhaps, now that Bernie has some extra time on his hands, he can satisfy Horner's desire for loud V10 open wheeler muscle cars, by creating a new simpler championship format.....