Originally Posted by
Myrvold
While I totally understand that, it doesn't show RX anywhere as good as it can be. The fields are tiny, the cost is high, and it isn't exciting to watch.
Then you get people searching up WRX, and get clips from the actual RX-tracks, and see how it can be. While that is good, it won't bring new people in to the sport.
Also, I am quite sure that it would be possible to built a proper RX-track in the US without any long-term issues (it's not like Austin is a success, very little spectators on the vast majority there, they lose money on F1, and the thing that bring in the money is concerts...). The Canadian track actually makes sense, even though WRX is sort of a support-series there.
Hockenheim when you have Estering doesn't make sense. Barcelona instead of any RX-Track in Europe with proper following doesn't make sense. Mettet was a left-field one, and while Duivelsberg is a better circuit it wasn't weird though I'd imagine Duivlesberg would've had a larger crowd. Silverstone instead of Lydden Hill, again doesn't make sense.
I can understand that you don't build an RX track in South Africa, I can understand it in Abu Dhabi, though, they have the money for it.
If they had actually kept the proper RX-tracks in the areas that have them, it would've made more sense. But they are solely going for money and showoff-facilities, while driving costs up, and racing down.
Then, in typical FIA sense, they try to cut cost by limit equipment and testing, which only hurts the racing more, while they keep moving away from where the spectators actually are, lowering the sponsorship interested for lower teams, further thinning the field, and then you have the circle going.
Also, tracks made in the natural environment tends to be a bigger success, both for spectators, tv-viewers and drivers. You don't need man-made jumps to make things "cool", make things natural, and it'll work out. It's a bit like modern F1-tracks, while some are built in to the natural ascent and descent, they lack uniqueness. The "Tilkedromes" are seemingly the same, with endless runoffs etc. Modern RX-tracks are also quite similar, very wide starts, going in to a "bottle-neck corner" to force some contact and "wow"-action, this is either a chicane, or followed by a left-right/right-left. The track is also mostly made up with the help of guardrails, concrete and tyres. A far cry from proper RX-tracks.