Jeremy Clarkson's message for Liberty Media
- Published on 11 Feb 2017 16:01
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- By: Fergal Walsh
Television personality Jeremy Clarkson has a message for new owners of Formula 1, Liberty Media. Liberty completed their takeover of F1 at the start of the year and look to change up it's structure to entice fans, with Chase Carey, Ross Brawn and Sean Bratches now the most powerful figures in the sports' ruling.
Clarkson, who currently presents The Grand Tour is a life-long F1 fan and says that he was holding out hope for former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone but perhaps it was time that he departed the sport.
"I had some time for Bernie in the end actually," said Clarkson. "But it's probably a good thing that he's gone and that's it's now going to be run as a show and not as just some tool for making already very rich men a little bit richer."
Clarkson said that an American takeover may prove necessary for F1 as they have techniques to get fans interested, pointing at American stock racing series NASCAR as an example.
"Because Chase is American, there’s no question that the Americans have a sense of theatre about them," he explained. "Think whatever you do of NASCAR, they can fill 250,000-seater stadiums, which no other sport on Earth can do.
"Formula One, the rich old men who run it, just need to be told that it’s for the fans. The only thing that will get the fans watching and therefore the sponsorship money rolling in again is excitement, and I think the Americans understand that so I'm hoping and praying that they bring it back."
Fergal Walsh
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Replies (8)
Login to replyf1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
He has a point
SPERX
Posts: 21
Does anybody seriously think the days of 3.5 litre engines, quality tyres and quality engines was boring? I think that the rot seriously started when the tyre regs were interfered with simply to stop Schumi.
SPERX
Posts: 21
qualifying tyres and engines ( sorry, auto correct strikes again.)
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
The problem F1 is facing right now isnt necessarily a lack of excitement. Apart from the lead we had some great battles in the midfield this year. By all means make it more exciting, but I dont think the current level of excitement is the main problem. What the sport need first and foremost is accessibility. Ecclestone treated it as a gentlemen's club and sold tickets at pretty high prices and sold airing rights to pay-channels. Naturally fewer people join in when thats the situation. Lower ticket prices, move the airing rights back to normal channels, and air the races on a streaming service, and Im sure we'd see an increased interest.
talktohenry
Posts: 362
Accessibility is an issue, but 80% of F1 fans never attend a race, so it's the TV excitement which should be the priority, and attracting non core fans new kids is needed to grow the next generation fan base.....
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Im talking both accessibility to the races and the show on the TV. F1 has more and more been removed from normal channels and can only be viewed on pay channels, so fewer people can watch it on TV. So it doesnt matter if its more exciting, because people will still need to buy these channel packs first to watch these races.
Bhurt
Posts: 320
Given how the "Americans" turned Top Gear into a ridiculous spectacle with three old men attempting to be comedians every single time they open their mouths, I'm not sure the concept of "the show" would be an improvement.
RS200
Posts: 26
Jeremy Clarkson shouldn't be allowed to speak.
Actually there's nothinh much wrong with F1 but people like to complain like they could do a better job.