Is Hockenheim's Poorly Attended Crowds A Sign?

[Apples127 0]

Questions are being asked as to why Hockenheim has been poorly attended thus far for the weekend. Is it that after some well attended Grands Prix in Britain & Austria that the Europeans have now had a taste of the hideously boring sound of this years engines & simply not prepared to pay to be bitterly disappointed? As I've said before, I expect this to be a regular occurrence in 2015 when people won't bother going back to be underwhelmed. R.I.P. F1

[Medilloni 6]

Questions are being asked as to why Hockenheim has been poorly attended thus far for the weekend. Is it that after some well attended Grands Prix in Britain & Austria that the Europeans have now had a taste of the hideously boring sound of this years engines & simply not prepared to pay to be bitterly disappointed? As I've said before, I expect this to be a regular occurrence in 2015 when people won't bother going back to be underwhelmed. R.I.P. F1

You may be right about the sound and the look of the cars Apples, and I wonder too if there's been so many years of predictable winners now; Redbull the last few years and now Mercedes.

The hard core fans might have the attitude that 'the best wins, tough for the rest', but Bernie, the teams and the FIA wanted a 'wider appeal'... so the 'soft core' fans now leave 'cos their fave driver or team doesn't have a chance (and don't understand they probably wouldn't have anyway).

They built a monster ;-)

[Emmcee 0]

I love watching the cars slids around more now without the Fric, looks awesome, was watching a lap in qualify of Jean-Eric Vergne and he was having a torrid time holding onto the TR, reminded me of the old days. Brilliant.

[BrisbaneAndy 0]

I agree, much more wild, for some teams in particular.

Regarding fan attendance, other than ticket cost, MGP dominance, stupid rules e.g. DRS, inconsistent Stewardship, ugly cars, lack of sound, rule tinkering, emphasis on fuel economy, the nose, pay drivers, Tilke circuit design, I cannot think of any reason why fans would not be attending Grand Prix in 2014.

I know this was specifically about Hockenheim, but I think the problems are fundamental to both circuit attendance and TV audiences.

[rodders47 2]

I watched the qualy live for the first time for a long time, and I sure won't do that again. ADDS bloody ADDS and then BORING qualy, wasn't worth staying up for. Got the race on record :-(

[SwingOnTheSpiral 0]

Yes, its a sign jesus is returning soon,

[Apples127 0]

I agree, much more wild, for some teams in particular.

Regarding fan attendance, other than ticket cost, MGP dominance, stupid rules e.g. DRS, inconsistent Stewardship, ugly cars, lack of sound, rule tinkering, emphasis on fuel economy, the nose, pay drivers, Tilke circuit design, I cannot think of any reason why fans would not be attending Grand Prix in 2014.

I know this was specifically about Hockenheim, but I think the problems are fundamental to both circuit attendance and TV audiences.

Well summed up. I don't understand what was wrong with the original designs of both Hockemheim & the Österreichring - two classic tracks that if they needed work to comply with safety standards surely that could've been done as they're both around forests

[monza gorilla 1]

Thing is, Schumi was an icon, a hero. Seb and Nico just don't seem to inspire the level of fandom that Michael did. And just how German is Nico, anyway? So they just don't bother to turn up. I really don't think it has anything to do with the sound.

[Medilloni 6]

Thing is, Schumi was an icon, a hero. Seb and Nico just don't seem to inspire the level of fandom that Michael did. And just how German is Nico, anyway? So they just don't bother to turn up. I really don't think it has anything to do with the sound.

Well putted Russ. Michael fed his fans on a single fish and a bread crumb - and I often think there's something boy-bandy about Seb and t'others; nothing to get your blood boiling one way or the other.

I'm having mamary memory problems.... didn't it used to be that you took on the nationality of your father wherever you were born many moons ago? 'Cos I've always thought of Nico being Scandahooligan. I'll Finnish at that

[Emmcee 0]

Thing is, Schumi was an icon, a hero. Seb and Nico just don't seem to inspire the level of fandom that Michael did. And just how German is Nico, anyway? So they just don't bother to turn up. I really don't think it has anything to do with the sound.

See the difference there I Beleive is Schumi took us all on a journey, we went through the highs and lows with Schumi, felt what he felt when he failed yet again to deliver a world title to Ferrari. The day he did though at Suzuka 2000, he took us all on a even better journey to what would be another 4 titles on the trot. So IMO that's the difference, he involved everyone, seb an nico, just don't have the same appeal.

[forza111 0]

F1 has become a joke...no sound..no fuel (I mean the limit)..no one can drive on the limit anymore...fans hate it. I am one of them.

Sport sucks right now...pinnacle of motoracing really?...not to mention the ugliest cars with penis nose (most of them)

It is hard to watch how they are destroying the sport...

[Emmcee 0]

F1 has become a joke...no sound..no fuel (I mean the limit)..no one can drive on the limit anymore...fans hate it. I am one of them.

Sport sucks right now...pinnacle of motoracing really?...not to mention the ugliest cars with penis nose (most of them)

It is hard to watch how they are destroying the sport...

That's the problem, it's not about the sport any more, it's about cutting the costs as much as possible so Bernie can picket the whole lot. It's a sad state of affairs, will it keep getting worse or will someone step in by then and intervene and try bring it back to how it was. It's lost all its prestige and glamour IMO. Drivers own ability are now downplayed by driving cars at 70% instead of flatout. All it's integrity has been lost. And it's easy to see, Bernie said monza might not have a spot soon. Who in there right mind would even concider axing monza? It along with silverstone are the backbone of this sport. Goes to show it means diddly squat if more money can be made elsewhere. But it's not about that, it's about maintaining integrity,honor,tradition, to how this great sport WAS run. So sad.

[BrisbaneAndy 0]

This is fairly damning. Germans are more interested in truck racing.

"On the same day as the German Grand Prix, the Nurburgring hosted an event called the Truck Grand Prix. Watching the cumbersome trucks from the grandstands were about 100,000 excited spectators – about twice the size of the crowd that gathered at Hockenheim."

http://www.grandprix247.com/2014/07/21/why-did-the-crowds-stay-away-from-hockenheim/

[Emmcee 0]

That's what f1 has done I guess, made second,third,fourth,fifth tier racing more exciting. Who wouldn't want to see trucks barging there way around the circuit?

[BrisbaneAndy 0]

I guess it shows people in Germany still go to watch motorsport, just not so keen on F1. The only time truck racing got my interest was when Barry Sheene was doing it.

[Emmcee 0]

Lol classic. Don't get much Motorsport wise here in aus on tv do we?

[BrisbaneAndy 0]

Not at reasonable times of day and only if you pay with an arm and a leg for Foxtel.

[Emmcee 0]

Motormate usually has some pretty sweet nostalgic events on tv from time to time.

[BrisbaneAndy 0]

Yes, I check that every day, but a lot of it is a little dull, with some real highlights.

Meanwhile, it is all Vettel's fault, apparently.

http://gptoday.com/full_story/view/495135/Vettel_blamed_for_turning_off_Hockenheim_crowd/

[Emmcee 0]

Lol classic, attitude wouldn't have anything to do with it would it?

[Apples127 0]

That's the problem, it's not about the sport any more, it's about cutting the costs as much as possible so Bernie can picket the whole lot. It's a sad state of affairs, will it keep getting worse or will someone step in by then and intervene and try bring it back to how it was. It's lost all its prestige and glamour IMO. Drivers own ability are now downplayed by driving cars at 70% instead of flatout. All it's integrity has been lost. And it's easy to see, Bernie said monza might not have a spot soon. Who in there right mind would even concider axing monza? It along with silverstone are the backbone of this sport. Goes to show it means diddly squat if more money can be made elsewhere. But it's not about that, it's about maintaining integrity,honor,tradition, to how this great sport WAS run. So sad.

The thing is Bernie is not a fan of the current regulations & formula either as he's publicly stated earlier this year. He's a purist when it comes to racing, practical regulations, gladiator drivers & the whole spectacle. Yes he is commercial in his approach to running F1 & the threat of discontinuing Monza is just a negotiation ploy of his to give the Italians a shake up & not become complacent so that certain standards with circuit facilities are kept to a premium.

[Emmcee 0]

Course he would say that, takes the heat of this money laundering operation.

[Apples127 0]

Course he would say that, takes the heat of this money laundering operation.

Webric I don't really understand your hostility toward Bernie. Firstly he hasn't screwed all the regulations up we have the FIA to thank for that. Secondly you seem to have an adverse impression of his commercial "astuteness". Had F1 been in the hands of a communist or someone with less of a business brain than Bernie for the past 30 years do you really think the sport would have the prestige global prescence & glamour status it has or had to this day? In my opinion it would've be viewed by the world at large as not much more than a European single seater series had it been mismanaged for all these Bernie years.

Indulge me for a moment and picture it - imagine no pressure from Bernie on countries & circuits to continuously have to raise their game on circuit & pit facilities and of course safety. We'd possibly be seeing cars thrashing around on decrepit dangerous circuits with crude pit & grand stand facilities year after year bringing the image of the sport in to disrepute. Whilst the only silver lining in that scenario is great tracks like Hockenheim & Austria would still be in their original configuration, I think the image Bernie has built F1 to have all these years outweighs some of the more boring modern circuits currently on the calendar.

My point is the F1 world at large including its fans has been used to watching a sport grow internationally & continue to increase in prestige under the commercial smarts of one man for so long nobody knows any different. I'm hoping for all our sakes that Bernie's successor doesn't leave everyone who was critical of Bernie eating their words should he or she **** it all up!

[Emmcee 0]

It's a clear as day my friend. This clown consistanly cut costs which are killing the sport. Now if he re-invested this profit he made back into the sport, these cost cutting shenanigans would not have to continue. Think about it, like I said, if the money is being re-invested,why the more and more frequent cost cutting measures are supposidely put into place, yet we keep building new engine formats. That's the issue there, constant re figuring of the sport and pocketing the cash, simple as that, poor old innocent Bernie is trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes, iam not buying it, I think he is a crook and a fraud. Always have, formula one would be much better of without him. You do make a good point but you honestly thinks he hasn't done any damage, easy to blame someone else, you don't think Bernie would have a say on what the FIA does? Give me a break, it's all a scam.

[SwingOnTheSpiral 0]

It's a clear as day my friend. This clown consistanly cut costs which are killing the sport. Now if he re-invested this profit he made back into the sport, these cost cutting shenanigans would not have to continue. Think about it, like I said, if the money is being re-invested,why the more and more frequent cost cutting measures are supposidely put into place, yet we keep building new engine formats. That's the issue there, constant re figuring of the sport and pocketing the cash, simple as that, poor old innocent Bernie is trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes, iam not buying it, I think he is a crook and a fraud. Always have, formula one would be much better of without him. You do make a good point but you honestly thinks he hasn't done any damage, easy to blame someone else, you don't think Bernie would have a say on what the FIA does? Give me a break, it's all a scam.

Its not the cost cutting that is destroying the sport per se, its the way they are doing it. No testing, wtf? I reckon ban cost cutting altogether or put a massive limit on it like 500 million euro and let teams do whatever they want with their money.

I think Bernie has done an ok job, I dont buy the conspiracy theories that its all a scam as you say.