September is usually the most difficult month to file this column. Why? Because it’s the annual ‘factory shutdown’ period in Formula 1 – and, forget about on-track, there’s no off-track action either. Even the PR machinery goes into hibernation mode. And if you follow any of the drivers or team personnel on social media, you’ll know that hibernation most often means a family holiday.
This year, days before the shutdown, Mercedes released a simulated audio-visual of their version of the 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged engine that will be used in their cars (and their customer cars) next year. Just like every other F1 fan, I tuned in only to hear the ‘sound’ of the much discussed power unit. The first thought was: will it sound as ferocious as history dictates an F1 unit should?
The simulation of the engine was a lap of Monza, which is an important factor to keep in mind. Without sounding too negative, I hate to admit that the sound was too ‘tame’ for my liking. While Renault has indicated that, by mid-2014, cars could actually go faster than this year, the speed just doesn’t seem as apparent minus those deafening engine sounds!
Plus, if the engine sounded ‘tame’ around a lap of Monza, where about 70% of the lap is on full throttle, what would these engines sound like in a place like Monaco for instance? While there’s nothing fans can do about it, I wonder if this is the future of Formula 1. Will the sport, in the quest to shed the tag of being unfriendly to the environment, lose its fire-spitting charm? With the introduction of hybrid systems being discussed in the future, and the usage of only electric power in the pit-lane, will the monstrous sounds of the F1 engines be limited to being accessed via YouTube? I suggest searching for ‘F1 V10 engine’ to know what I mean.
The other future that Indian F1 fans need to specifically be worried about is that of the Indian Grand Prix. In typical style, Ecclestone announced that the Indian GP would be dropped from the calendar for 2014, and ‘could’ make a comeback in 2015. Reasons for this announcement were a lethal mixture of lack of Government support, devaluation of the Indian rupee, and the lack of interest of the local fan on actually ‘spending’ on LIVE consumption of a Formula 1 race. Of course, there were some scheduling issues as well.
While fan sentiments towards the purchase of tickets could be linked towards expensive pricing, the 2013 edition is one of the most competitively priced Grand Prix across the world – so, I hope that fans flock to the circuit in sell-out numbers. After all, Formula 1 is a business and it needs to succeed as a business and as a sport (they both go hand-in-hand). While I’m in absolute support of the Indian Grand Prix and the Buddh International Circuit, it won’t exactly be a straightforward return for the Indian Grand Prix in 2015.
With China and Korea being the other circuits struggling to put ‘bums on seats,’ will this be the future of Formula 1 for a few years to come? Explore a new market, get the country (government or private) to invest, race for a few years, and then leave for the shores of another emerging market?
And, last but not least, your TV too may not be your primary medium for F1 consumption in the years to come. In my view, Formula 1 has been slow in taking to new-age media to reach out to fans, especially in the emerging markets (follow ‘Moto GP’ on social media and you’ll agree). However, a majority of TV contracts are up for renewal at the end of 2014/15, and there’s buzz in the Paddock that the Internet is where the future of the sport lies. With Tata Communications on board as communications partner, there’s talk that an online streaming service is being developed to increase the depth of coverage and consumption for fans. Given that I consume the sport on TV in India, I would love to have access to applications like the SkyF1 Pad where different camera feeds are available for viewing during the LIVE broadcast itself – and then, of course, archival footage too (think Schumacher duels with almost every rival).
While the possibilities are endless, the one BIG challenge for Ecclestone would be the monetization of this medium and the revenue distribution amongst the teams. While the model for TV revenues is pretty standard, I doubt if the same can be replicated for the Internet. But I would trust Ecclestone to tackle this problem – like everything else – in true ‘Bernie-style.’
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