Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandes wants F1 to improve its attitude to improve growth – Formula 1
Tony Fernandes believes Formula 1 needs to act proactively and change its ways according to the markets it is entering to grow as a sport.
“We need to keep the sport simple when it is introduced to new countries,” said Fernandes. “Motor racing, and specifically F1, is complicated, but the more understandable we make it, the easier it will be to get the newer countries involved.
“You can't take F1 to India for the first time and treat that audience the same way you would the hugely knowledgeable tifosi at Monza. Italy has 90 years of heritage; India is brand new. Cricket exploded when they made the sport simple and accessible -
first with the one-day game and now with Twenty20,” he further added.
Formula 1 has been branching out of Europe for the last few years, adding tracks in Korea, India and Abu Dhabi with future prospects of adding Russia and new tracks in the United States. F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone also expressed his plans of keeping only
five races in Europe in the coming years and the rest of the F1 schedule in other tracks situated in countries outside of Europe.
It is all in favour of growth for the sport. Although it is a good way to promote the sport in other countries and gain even more fans around the globe, it has been seen that not everywhere people have found it as exciting or interesting as it was previously
assumed to be.
A prime example of that was in Korea, where because of lack of people coming in to watch the grand prix event was not able to generate enough revenue to make a profit. A similar situation saw Turkey lose out on being on the schedule for 2012.
Although Indian GP was a success but it did not go without hindrances. There were constant threats by the local farmers of Noida’s suburbs where the Buddh International circuit is built. These are the kind of things that need to be tackled before hand with
a mindset that is local to the area, that is what Fernandes has emphasized on.
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