Mini race in qualifying on Saturday

As an observer and not in the business, it appears Liberty has tried a few things like updating the live stream available, expand to Vietnam, talking about changing the weekend. Beyond those things, I think they have to address the challenge of entertaining a younger audience that has so many other options beyond motorsport and the declining interest overall in automobiles. I don't think the Formula E is entertaining at all, so like a lot of entertainment fields, how do you get those butts in the seats or eyeballs on your digital product.

The Imagine Dragons and Pink concerts at Austin is one way to do it, but it's not aimed at most 60 year olds like me.

 

I know there are varying opinions on this, but I'm not so sure that holding on to tradition is the problem with F1. "Bring back the f*cking V-12s!" Maybe said in the frustration of the moment, and not to be taken literally, but indicative of how the hyper-esoteric technical sophistication of the modern hybrid era has added complexity while dulling the spectacle; compounded by counter-productive (at least to racing) aero regulations and cars that sound pathetic. Sometimes when something's not working, you have to examine the root of the problem, and not resort to Band-Aid fixes that just muddy the waters further. I attended the Hungarian GP two years ago and LM in their wisdom had a pop band playing during the race! Now there's a way to focus your audience's attention on the main event.

An F1 race is no longer an AWESOME spectacle. I remember speaking with some people in the subway on the way to the Canadian GP in Montreal; they weren't even racing fans, let alone F1 fans, but they were drawn by the cars and the glorious noise and the totality of that two hour window on Sunday afternoon—its like watching an eclipse.

I don't see a solution for F1 in today's environment, and it might go the way of the dodo, but you have to admire MLB; they'll hold on to those wood bats until the sun goes dark...

 

Very silly. Inverted grids are BS so I agree with Seb and Lewis. But for kicks and a good laugh, how about standing starts with drivers running from the pit wall and 1 crew to run the starter motor on the grid? A la 24 hours of Le Mans in the old days? People getting run over, crashes with damage to expensive carbon wings and floors and all those rare upgrades. Like I said, silly.

How about a family friendly kiddy car putt putt race? But with kids, not making the pros look silly (but maybe that would be fun?) The cars can be done up in all the current livery. I think Goodwood had something similar with pedal cars... Have a charity group provide the kids, or maybe F1 staff families, or track staff, or a raffle and all the legal stuff.



Boom, that'll work.

 

Half the grid should start clockwise, half anti-clockwise.

 

Guess qualifying started as an idea to get faster cars clear of much slower cars and less experienced drivers. Now we have the opposite problem where we want to see faster cars and drivers find themselves behind slower ones and overtake them.
Reverse grids though would be too extreme and gimmicky IMO and open to dodgy strategies. Why not random order starts instead then?

 

Over the last 25/30 years, qualifications have become a race in itself, and grid positions more and more important.
I still don't understand why pole position isn't rewarded.

 

Paul Ricard, Spa-Francorchamps and Sochi will be the circuits where the F1 will experiment with the qualifying in 2020.
These would be 45-minute races with an inverted grid based on the World Championship.

https://soymotor.com/noticias/la-f1-decide-en-que-circuitos-se-experimentara-con-la-clasificacion-970033

 

I welcome that.
It's brave from the FIA and Liberty to try something different at least.
No doubt, this is going to ruffle a few feathers among the traditionalists.

 

Tony Stewart used to respond to “show” questions with answers like that- and running on a figure 8 track.