i would stop watching, no ferrari in F1 is like KFC with no chicken :(
Hello All, This is a good discussion. One thing to remember as one has said Ferrari and Luca have a lot of influence not just in F1 but with other manufacturers. So it isn't just a matter of Ferrari leaving F1, we would see other manufacturers leave too. Renault has said they would consider leaving, Toyota has too and I wouldn't be surprised to see BMW and Mercedes think the same way. It may be that Ferrari has needed F1 and F1 has needed Ferrari and that is a different discussion. F1 used to be about the best. The best drivers, the best designers etc. So if F1 has a cap the best aren't going to want to come to F1. FIA always tried to find ways to slow the cars down it has been a topic for not years but decades and the designers and engineers found ways to get back the speed and go faster. None of that is possible with a cap. For F1 to be the best single seater racing series it needs innovation, which require talented innovative people. I certainly do not want to watch a homogenous form of F1 racing. If you want that watch something else like NASCAR or Porsche's Supercup etc. F1 is about technology and creativity and innovation and shooting for the stars. Other thing about Ferrari and it's involvement with F1 is that every team on the grid cares about beating one team, Ferrari. When Ferrari was dominate with Michael every team wanted to beat them and when Ferrari is doing badly like now all the teams are looking over their shoulder and saying well Ferrari might have difficulties now but they will come back to a winning forum. Whatever team is on top is one of the teams to beat but because of Ferrari's mystique they are the team everyone wants to beat. So without Ferrari being in F1 it would be very different and I think many teams would leave F1 and either go to the series that Ferrari chooses or stop some of their racing programs. Personally I would watch F1 a lot less and I think you would see less and less attendance at the races. Thanks
Wrong. Ferrari without F1 is just another Lamborghini, Pagani, Saleen without the gullwing doors. That worldwide brand would soon become an also-run. You might not care about F1, but it is the vehicle that gives Ferrari its global presence and charisma. What do they have to show for without F1? Some rich lawyers and doctors duking it out on a Sunday afternoon in the Challenge series? Great...
Hmmmmm? How about taking their butts back to LE MANS!!! Would LOVE to see the FXX cars (Enzo/599) running down the Mulsane straight in REAL racing, instead of being wanna-be race cars for guys with money to burn. Let's see what the FXX cars can do in real life against the rest of the world in a 24hr sprint race!!! That right there is what Ferrari could do for a show without F1. Back to the OLD SCHOOL.
Personally I'm sick of getting up that early for a go kart race... Time for Ferrari to move in LM/ALMS
Those gokarts beat any LM/ALMS car around a track in a heart beat. And in case you haven't noticed: Ferrari is already in ALMS with 2 teams. In fact they won last year's 24hours of Le Mans. But who cares? I dont have the TV numbers, but LM and ALMS viewership has to be absolutely dismal compared to F1. Not just on TV, btw. Also at the races: I was at ALMS Road America race last year and the grandstands were basically empty. I'd love to see that too, but would the FXX cars actually be allowed at Le Mans? I don't know the rules enough, so I can't say. And even if they were allowed, would they stand a chance? After all Le Mans is not about the fastest car anymore, but the best fuel economy, which means Diesel. A Ferrari with a Diesel engine? YUCK!
If F1 IS because of Ferrari, then why is anyonelse there? Plenty of seasons when the red cars were also rans but never to be ignored. remember Ferrari tried to bring FOCA down and failed.
300 votes in.. hmm.. If it's any indication and assuming Ferrari fans make up 50% of spectators/viewers then, on occasion, you've got a 33% drop. I wonder what will be the financial/marketing consequences?
If Ferrari goes LM/ALMS.. I hope they stick to the GT1 and GT2 classes. The prototypes are ruled by diesels. Ferrari might as well as stay in F1 with the stupid rules if they are forced to run their cars with pump-boat fuel.
This is FerrariChat, remember. So, not only will you get skewed results, you'll get arrogant and outlandish statements like "Ferrari is F1".
Holy sh:t Batman......Someone in here knows what they are talking about. All you have to do is remove yourself from the F1 fury and you can actually see what is going on. Good post Mark!
Thing is Franco, good or bad publisty constant arguing Max and his power struggles in personal battle ground F1 war of words, keeps Bernie happy, because it keeps F1 in the news. Go figure. He isn't that much of an old fool to let it die.
But it wont sell tickets nor will it sell adverts in todays climate. F1 will soon drown in its own escrement.
Newsflash: Ferrari won Le Mans last year in the GT class. If this surprises anybody, then it just goes to show, how little attention Le Mans racing gets.
I would still watch F1 but not likely to watch it live. It would not be worth the sacrifice if Ferrari wasn't competing. Friends and family don't realize the commitment required to watch certain F1 races living in Pacific time. It's either stay up all night and go through Saturday and Sunday as a zombie or waste two perfectly good weekend nights and sleep early. The only positive side about adding more races in Asia and the Middle East is the time convenience. I do believe F1 will survive without Ferrari because fans also follow individuals not just the teams. Ferrari F1 fans from Britain might switch over from Ferrari McLaren or Brawn. If Ferrari leaves F1 and a US based team enters F1 I believe many people here would start following the new US team.
I would occaisionaly watch F1 if Ferrari was gone, but I wouldn't have the passion and I wouldn't watch too many races. Ferrari is the reason I watch F1 even during the very lean 90's. Frankly I really wish Ferrari would get into ALMS and LeMans racing. I would love to see more prototype road cars, and GT cars.
So that was their very own team on the track? I should of been more clear, I wasn't talking about a 430 I meant a P1. As far as F1 goes I think its garbage this year, and not just because Ferrari is having trouble but because of what its being turned into. But again that's just my opinion. Oh and I would rather see a diesel Ferrari win over what I'm seeing now in F1.
someone I agree with!! YES a diesel Ferrari P1 car.....or perhaps a hybrid - times are changing and I totally agree with your comment about F1 being garbage this year - it's a glorified Indy series in the making with overpaid, complaining drivers and absurd rules. The one ALMS Ferrari team is the closest thing to a factory effort - they use FERRARI FACTORY DRIVERS who are superior to the current F1 drivers. Ferrari is VERY dominate in FIA-GT2, FIA-GT Open, ALMS, LMS - at least these guys are making the marque successful with the best racing around and NO political BS along the way. Carol Clarification needs to be addressed regarding ALMS or LMS races and attendance - granted they don't get the attendance of F1 (and F1 get less attendance than some of the DTM races) but the "stands aren't full" as most sportscar race going fans tend to frequent many places on the track during the racing as the races are definitely longer than F1 races.
Thanx. But, NO, I really have no idea what I am talking about. Just reporting what I see thru my lens........ I know how you are all VERY passionate about F1 as I do lurk here in this forum once in a great while. Just wanted to bring in an outsider's view and give you all something unimpassioned (is that a word? ) to consider. That was my sole point. Again, I really did not want to hurt anyone's feelings and hope I did not. Respectfully .......... P.S. I am an F1 vet having cut my teeth on attending inperson the 2004 German GP at Hockenheim; Schumi won, as usual back then (Tickets were B-Day Presents). Enjoyed it very much BUT the price was just too steep (like pro "anything") especially for a family of three on my paycheck to justify saving specifficly and going back.
I can guarantee you we would see a dramatic increase in not only attendance but TV coverage if Ferrari announced they were coming to ALMS with a P1 car. Not only that, but I think both BMW and Toyota would seriously consider the jump "back" into prototype racing and Honda is already there with Lola, and Audi. McLaren wants to get more into selling road cars as well, so it could easily fall back into place and we would have the old Camel GTP that was the pinacle of all racing before the factories pulled out.
That's a pretty sad statement for the current teams in ALMS. Audi is an established Le Mans winner, yet nobody watches them race in the US. You're saying it takes Ferrari to have people turn on their TV sets and show up at the tracks? You lost me at Diesel. Seriously.
