Loving F1, Warts And All

Following one of the most entertaining seasons - on and off the track - it’s ironic that F1 finds itself desperately seeking ways to become more popular with more people. Cynics say the hastily formed Popularity Working Group (PWG), comprised of individuals from the top teams and those who run the sport, should be well-equipped for its task since these are the same people who created the new regulations that at first prompted negative comment from many within the F1 establishment (the media, team bosses, even drivers) and, most vociferously, the fans. But following a series of thrilling races nearly everyone has come to praise the latest version of F1, a development that makes the PWG seem an unnecessary panic response to a manufactured popularity crisis.

Critics claim F1 is already so artificially controlled that it’s become too predictable, little more than a glorified technical contest intended to eliminate the unexpected. In fact the most compelling competition this year has come when outside control is lost (in wet weather, for instance) and the sport is reduced to its essence: the barely restrained chaos of raw racing. However such volatility makes the powers-that-be uncomfortable and having cleverly masterminded the sport into an engineering exercise they now seek to exert control over public opinion.

Clever people thinking outside their area of expertise often make unwise decisions and perhaps in recognition of this the PWG is considering asking the fans what they would like to see. In turn, the PWG needs to fully comprehend the role F1 plays in the hearts and minds of F1 fans.

These fans, and thanks to social media there are more of them now than ever before, embrace the sport with a passion that includes the full spectrum of human emotion. They praise the good, criticise the bad and continue to support F1 through thick and thin.

And this is the real power at the pinnacle of motorsport where it is said the highs are higher and the lows are lower than anywhere else. Throughout its seven decades of often turbulent history the one constant is the enduring strength of the fans who love F1, warts and all.