Has Bernie not learnt anything?

[tommy2k8]

The two big motorsports in the US are IndyCar and NASCAR.

Last year (I read): F1 US GP and the NASCAR finale were both on the same day - NASCAR got a lot more people attending.

F1 US GP and the NASCAR finale on the same day again this year!!!

It is all over Google again that F1 won't stand a chance against NASCAR this year, so Bernie - Listen and pay attention!

[zako85]

USA has a very busy sports scene. Besides NASCAR, F1 has to compete against basketball, pro and college football, and baseball. I doubt clashing with NASCAR will make a huge difference. The most important consideration when organizing a GP is to make sure that there are not too many local sports events for a reasonably good level of attendance. Granted, I heard originally that F1 was also clashing with UT football. I don't know if that has changed. I don't track that, and never attended any football games, even when I was in college.

I do kind of suspect that the attendance will go down this year. Last year the season was crazy, and the title fight was alive to the last race. This year, we can expect Vettel to win the race, just like the previous 7.

[steveaki13]

I don't know much about NASCAR and its fans, but surely comparing F1's fight against Football and Basketball in the US is different from comparing it to NASCAR. Surely fans of American Motorsports are more likely to watch F1, than an American Football fan.

So why clash with NASCAR or INDY Car when that is you're biggest group of fans to try and entice along.

[anfield5]

I don't think the average NAStyCAR watcher is too interested in F1, the fact that the cars can turn in two directions just gets confusing for them. So I don't think the fact that the two events being at the same time will have a monumental effect on F1. If people are going to go they will go, if not, then that would be par for the course for F1 in the U.S anyway

[555-04Q2]

I don't think Bernie really cares. He knows the US is a major market for F1 and the manufacturers competing in F1, but I really don't think he gives a toss what elese runs on the same weekend or whether or not there is a US GP at all!

[Mia 01]

Leave bernie alone, he knows what he is doing!!

[tommy2k8]

Does he? What about the decision to award Sky rights as the senior partner, which the BBC still maintain benefits the viewer?!

[555-04Q2]

Leave bernie alone, he knows what he is doing!!

That my dear is a very debatable statement!

[Zico]

I think Bernie once knew what he was doing but watching his high court entrance U-turn and battle with the revolving door does raise a few questions..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy1UPrYyO8s

[philipbain]

Does he? What about the decision to award Sky rights as the senior partner, which the BBC still maintain benefits the viewer?!

Reading between the lines you could say that the Sky / BBC deal benefits the BBC! The BBC desperately wanted to keep F1 but couldn't afford it so rather than letting their contract expire and a open tender being offered they came to an arrangement with Sky to give themselves 10 live races a season with Sky carrying the lot with the Beeb paying less than half of what they previously did!

Oddly, despite viewers being deprived of half of the races being free to air, I actually agree with the BBC on this one! If F1 went to Channel 4 (which was mentioned as a possibility at the time) it would have meant a return to races interrupted by advert breaks (some sources saying as many breaks as the ITV coverage had), which was the one thing about ITV's otherwise great coverage that really ground my gears as F1 interrupted by ads simply doesn't work. With the Sky coverage there are no ad breaks during the race, so in terms of the viewer experience I would say it has benefited the viewer... those with access to the frankly excellent Sky Sports coverage anyway!