Montreal F1 update - 11-14-08

If we all keep watching and going, it will continue as is. The only way to hit Bernie where it counts is in the wallet, and that means not giving him a nickel. This does blow. I still have not cancelled my hotel, holding out hope.

I for one noticed that Audi is pulling the wraps off the R15 at Sebring. LeMans and ALMS look to be great next year, with GT2 a real impressive mix. And F1 is moving to crappy looking cars. So Bernie can eat a sack of sh*t for all I care.

Too bad Ferrari don't head back to endurance racing as a factory. Were there enough Enzos sold to make some version of the FXX a GT car

 

Viewership of F1 is already way low in the US and let's be realistic, how many of us actually travel abroad for a F1 race? We (the F1 fans in the US) won't make a dent one way or the other.

If the European fans stop watching, yes, that would change things.

Realistically our (US) only way to make some kind of impact is to write to the Euro car manufacturers. Tell BMW, Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, Toyota USA that you are pissed off about the loss of the US and Canadian GP and the general direction F1 is going.

 

Doesn't the "Middle East" own a good chunk of Ferrari and also fill the Big sponsor position? So if Ferrari doesn't care about all of the dropped races and all of the new races, what other teams wouldn't really care?

 

We have met the enemy, and it is us, in more ways than just racing. Just petrodollars looking for a home.

 

The new world is based in Asia, not Europe or the Americas. Asia has the fastest growing economies and will have the largest middle class in less than a decade. So where would you want your cars to race if you were in the car manufacturing business?

 

BE and co. probably kick back money to these govt. officials too. So, it's the most corrupt that win the prize on the people's yuan or Arab Emirate Dirham or whatever?? Montreal probably isn't willing to play that game?

 

It's obvious the auto industry doesn't hold much sway in determining race locations. If so, a USGP would have been run uninterrupted since the 60s. And already the Asian races have shown a tepid response at best. The Asian economies that are growing are doing so on the backs of Western demand and local workforces. The sectors that can afford new cars crave the same high-end products available in the West. Running 5 Grand Prix races won't change that too much when the majority of 2 billion people can barely afford a television, let alone tickets to the race.

 

If so, that would be brilliant on Bernie's part...he is an astute businessman that knows how to make money...I want to be just like him when I grow up...

 

I believe the part about the fastest growing economies when I see it. In the current financial crisis they were the first to sell off. A lot of that Asian tiger nations stuff came out in the early nineties, yet I'm waiting for a tiger outside of China to emerge.

And China is not where exotic cars are popular: The society's belief for wealth and success is not driving a Ferrari, but being driven by a chauffeur. Not quite the image F1 is portraying and we have already seen the effects of that in the last Chinese GP where an entire grand stand was closed because of lack of demand/interest.

Fact is, that many of these "growing economies" aren't willing nor capable of buying 100k + automobiles. The 2k Tata is going to be the VW bug of India. How interesting can that market be for Mercedes, BMW or Ferrari?

Fact is, that the US is still the biggest car market, yet doesn't have a GP.

 

Well Ferrari's market research must indicate that China is a new market for exotics as I believe they recently opened three dealerships there .

 

You are right. I am just not sure how to tell them I am pissed except to drive my Audi and not watch F1.

Actually, it's not that hard for me right now. I am not a fan of Hamilton, and Ferrari blew it for their drivers this year. It wasn't a satisfying season. By comparison, Audi's performance was something to be proud of. I got more satisfaction out of my single trip to Road Atlanta than I did from the entire year of F1.

 

Does F1 really "sell" cars?. How many BMW owners in the USA actually make a connection between the BMW Sauber team and the car they are driving to work? I wouldn't be surprised to find that 90% of BMW, Mercedes, Honda, and Toyota owners haven't the slightest idea what F1 is.

 

Yes, its all about image. Mecedes Benz hadn't won a race for almost 40 years but was able to use that image of engineering excellence to market their cars. Did anyone know that for the past 10 years MB had major quality control problems and were on a par with Adam Opel in Germany?

 

Yes, that's why they started naming their cars 230 and 320. It has nothing to do with liters of displacement. The name indicates the number of days a year the car will be in the shop.

 

I don't doubt that Ferrari will find some buyers for their cars in China, after all there are plenty of super rich folks around.

But that's not really the question. The real question is from what market do you get more profit? Does it make sense to have no race in the biggest car market of the world and have a race in an emerging market instead?

China and the USGP are both fly-away races, so costs are somewhat comparable.

PS: I suggest you read the Octane article about the trip through China with the two Scagliettis: Not only is it a fascinating read, it also shows how little interest the Chinese had towards these automobiles. That goes back to their focus on practicality and being chauffeured.