Originally Posted by Antony Warmbold
Hi Nigel, indeed I think it is a shame. I remember back in 03-05 sometimes we went to the press rooms of WRC events and there you could see how limited the press attendance was. The organisers were apparently obliged to provide huge press rooms with dozens of desks... that remained unused.
If you'd ask me to cite how many different reporters I had seen...Well lets see: France 3 press guys (autohebdo-echappement), Germany 2 (1 TV crew from RTL), Italy 1, Spain ?, Finland 1 TV crew, Britain 3 maybe 4, belgium 1 TV crew. The rest was photographers, maybe a dozen different ones who followed the Championship. I remember a couple from France, Japan, Czech Rep, Italy.
I am not sure why it's like that. Either it's too expensive to get accreditation, or denied because credentials are not good enough.
So most teams brought their own press guy and if you were private that was basically the only way your story was getting out.
Jean Todt would do well, in my opinion to open up the barb wired gate and let the press in. I don't think the sport is in a position where it can ignore potential extra coverage.
Think of the private drivers, for example. The more press the better for their sponsors.