Motorsport Network acquires a stake in Formula E | FerrariChat

Motorsport Network acquires a stake in Formula E

Discussion in 'F1' started by rob lay, Jan 8, 2017.

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  1. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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  2. FarmerDave

    FarmerDave F1 World Champ
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    Wow... Thats really cool!
     
  3. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Zak is building himself a nice little vertical monopoly ;)
     
  4. dud

    dud Karting

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    Does motorsport networks also own a collection of Internet discussion forums? I'm so confused about all these holdings.

    Is Formula E part of FIA? More confusion...
     
  5. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
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    Formula E, can't think of anything more boring, oh, except watching a documentary on Elton of course
     
  6. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    F E has its detractors, of course, and its presentation is far from perfect at the moment, that's for sure.

    But it has a lot of potential and a great future, I predict.

    Those who get on board that formula early (as promoters, organisers, constructors, etc...) will ripe the benefits one day, I think.
     
  7. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    51% of FerrariChat, 51% of forums.autosport.com, 51% of MotorInteractive.com

    I own 25% of the above and there is a 24% silent partner.

    Motorsport Networks has no other social networks at this time, they are mainly in internet motorsport news Motorsport.com, Motor1.com, and Autosport.com.
     
  8. greyboxer

    greyboxer F1 World Champ

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    Whatever it may be in the future is FE yet ready for equal billing with F1 here ?
     
  9. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
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    #9 GordonC, Jan 8, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2017
    Rob, has Zak asked you to start a McLarenChat.com yet? ;)
     
  10. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    Unfortunately the reverse is true, especially in sports business.
    Early players fund and discover where the landmines are.
    Second and third wave learn from those explosions and enter market with clearer strategy coupled with lower risk
     
  11. The Surveyor

    The Surveyor Karting

    Nov 11, 2015
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    Formula E is the kings new clothes, eventually even those who are close to it will realise that it's just a hollow concept. Racing by its very nature is a rebellious activity, fast, dangerous, noisy, and exciting.

    Fast silent cars can be exciting, but as soon as people start being sold a race concept primarlily for environmental reasons, it looses all its appeal. It's like going to a lap-dancing club and finding that the girls are all plug-in Holograms.

    I would guess FE will stop after another 2 seasons max.
     
  12. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

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    no. Longest Formula E thread has how many replies? I did a quick search -24 replies. And now it gets a equal billing LOL
     
  13. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    This is where we disagree.

    Among the early participants in F1, you could say that Ferrari, McLaren, and Williams have been rewarded for their long participation (from the start of the WDC for Ferrari), whilst late starters like Caterham, March, HRT, Manor, Lola, Prost, and many others have fallen by the way side.

    When F1 was an amateurish sport, it was relatively easy to join; now that it's a full-blown hi-tech engineering business, it's far more difficult to make an impact.

    The same for F E. At the moment, it's easy to join since it's almost a specs series. When it will become (as intended) a true electric formula with much less common technology, those who grew with the formula will be at an advantage, IMO.
     
  14. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
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    Hmm, I just noticed that the forum section name has changed! It's no longer F1, it's F1/FE.

    Seriously, I think F1 on THE Ferrari forum deserves it's separate status. While FE could easily be lumped in the "Other Racing" section, at best it should get it's own separate section. Sure, it's an open wheel series, but we don't lump in F2, F3, IndyCar, FAtlantic, FRenault, etc etc. in with the premier open wheel series in the world either, do we?
     
  15. 4rePhill

    4rePhill F1 Veteran

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    It's a curious coincidence isn't it that no sooner do Motorsport Network acquire a stake in Formula E, than FerrariChat (whom Motorsport Network own 51% of), decide that Formula E should have an equal billing to F1 on the site, as though it's an equivalent series.

    It's made even more curious by the fact that there is already an "Other Racing" section that Formula E qualifies for!

    Surely it couldn't be that the owners of Fchat are trying to use the F1 forum as a starting point to help to try to promote Formula E and make it seem more popular than it really is?

    It will be interesting to see if Fchat's F1/FE section suddenly gains loads of new members out of the blue who only want to talk about Formula E and "how great it is!" ;)
     
  16. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    It is nothing so sinister. I realize there isn't much FE discussion yet and I'm not unnaturally trying to push it. None of my ownership in the company includes FE. Don't think of FE as equal to F1 on FerrariChat, we group many topics together in subforums or we would have 2,000 subforums!
     
  17. greyboxer

    greyboxer F1 World Champ

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    Exactly: this is FERRARIchat so there is no logic to combining them until there is significant input and, particularly, history from Ferrari in FE
     
  18. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    you might officially want that to happen, but I just did a scan and users naturally put F3, F4, and FE into the F1 section.
     
  19. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    In spite if the bad press, Zak Brown said that Motorsport acquisition of a shareholding in F E was driven by fans growing interest in the series.

    Electric racing is still in its infancy, but it should not be dismissed as a formula of the future.

    It may, or it may not, replace F1 one day, or maybe the 2 could merge somehow at one point, who knows?

    In between, it will be interesting to watch how it develops now that big names are in the fray.

    Like they say: Watch this space!
     
  20. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
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    You're hopeful William, the day f1 is replaced by fE, the day most will stop watching.
    Silent environmentally safe, plug in racing is for kids in their bedrooms while they are too young for gokarts and petrol power, and for recreation of racing. The real thing, it is not

    If you are going to tie several formula together, then F1/LeMans/MotoGP would make more sense, as they are the pinnacle of their respective genres. FE is barely started, has few fans, and is merely the FIA being PC and cowtowing to weak minded governments and treehuggers

    In the U.K., it is on a 4th tier free tv station, and more people probably log into fchat every hour than tune in to watch even the races, let alone (if they show it) any practice or qualifying.
     
  21. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    F1 needs to get its act together, I use to be such a big fan, but last 3-4 years have lost almost ALL interest. I've gone to Austin each year and the historic F1 races are 10x better.
     
  22. NeuroBeaker

    NeuroBeaker Advising Moderator
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    That makes sense, given that so many former F1 drivers and relatives of former F1 drivers are in FE.

    All the best,
    Andrew.
     
  23. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
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    I agree, but I haven't given up on racing completely! FE is for the bearded and the PC, not race fans
     
  24. Igor Ound

    Igor Ound F1 Veteran

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    If there was a little chance of an FE thread surviving in the "other racing" section I doubt it will here among the many F1's ones
     
  25. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #25 william, Jan 8, 2017
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2017


    Maybe for you, but the FIA and governments are supposed to plan ahead and that's what they do by pushing FE. It's not being PC to be concerned by pollution and seeking alternative to non-renewable fuel; it's just being sensible.

    I can't say I like it immensely but I see electric power as the future. People may bury their head in the sand for all they wish, but the internal combustion engine as we know it is on its way out before long.

    Motorsport will have to adapt or die; it's as simple as that. Probably not immediately, but the writing is on the wall.
     

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