Ferrari - Does F1 need them?

[raphael_2]

Does F1 need Ferrari? No, of course it doesn't. Would the sport be worse off without Ferrari? Yes, very much so. As has already been said, the sport is bigger than any team, however without a shadow of a doubt, if any team left, Ferrari would be the one that would have the greatest impact (and in a negative way).

It would be like Man Utd leaving the Premier League to play in the top Spanish flight. The Premier League would still survive, however should Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd all leave, then that would be a major blow, and not one I think it would survive. This principle applies to Formula 1, if Ferrari left, it would survive, however I don't think F1 would survive if all the top teams and drivers left to race in another series.

Bernie and co need to be careful of the threat of FOTA to set up a rival series, because Formula 1 DOES need the current teams and drivers - Formula 1 as a business would be worthless if everyone left to set up a new racing series.

[The Black Knight]

At the risk of speaking for others, I think most people need more than just the sport itself. It's why the home town football team has the support of the locals. It's why people support drivers from their own countries. People need to feel some kind of connection to those they support.
What your're talking about, watching F1 simply for the racing, sounds completely souless to me (no offense intended). I bet F1 fans in Britain were much happier than their counterparts in Germany after Canada, despite the fact that both had witnessed a great race. Why? Becuase they had the emotional high of seeing their compatriot win. It added something special to the race that wouldn't have been there had it been Webber or Rosberg who'd snatched victory on the last lap.

No offense taken. I agree it would take a certain aspect from the supporter’s perspective but should McLaren leave I’d keep watching F1. I support driver foremost than a team but the reason I would like to see McLaren do well is because of the way they run their team. They give both drivers equal opportunity and don’t censor them to the press. First of all I’m a driver supporter though. I don’t get the awe with Ferrari myself.

I'm curious. Do you follow a football player when he goes from team to team or does your support stay with the team?

Different scenario though isn’t it? I know many Man Utd supporters that still love Ronaldo despite his switch to Real Madrid. In football you never switch your team, stick with your club through thick and thin because players come and go so frequently and there are so many of them. It’s kind of hard to support a single one. I love Lionel Messi and the way Barcelona play but if he left I’d still love Messi and Barcelona. In F1 the fans tend to be more supportive of drivers because of what an individual can do with it opposed to football where the game itself is about the entire team and results are not as much about on individual.

[Hawkmoon]

Are you typical though?

I ask the question if most people follow teams or drivers and I tend to think the latter; I will follow any British driver for instance. I remember Mansell at Lotus, Williams, Ferrari back at Williams and later at McLaren. To be totally honest it bothered not a gnat's nadger which team he drove for. Likewise the Australian media tends to follow Mark Webber and they're not bothered if he drove for Minardi, Jaguar, Williams or Red Bull.

Am I typical of an F1 fan? Probably not. Am I typical of a Ferrari F1 fan? I think so. I'm talking about real Ferrari fans, not the type like a certain member of this board who's allegiance flip-flops all over the place. And perhaps that's another point of differentiation between Ferrari's fans and the other types of F1 fans. Ferrari's fans are international and stick with the team, regardless of who's driving, in greater numbers than any other single team. Personally I have no desire to see Mark Webber win. Is that strange?

I do agree that much of F1's fan base seems to fall along national lines, I just think that Ferrari are the only team that goes beyond those lines.

No offense taken. I agree it would take a certain aspect from the supporter’s perspective but should McLaren leave I’d keep watching F1. I support driver foremost than a team but the reason I would like to see McLaren do well is because of the way they run their team. They give both drivers equal opportunity and don’t censor them to the press. First of all I’m a driver supporter though. I don’t get the awe with Ferrari myself.

Different scenario though isn’t it? I know many Man Utd supporters that still love Ronaldo despite his switch to Real Madrid. In football you never switch your team, stick with your club through thick and thin because players come and go so frequently and there are so many of them. It’s kind of hard to support a single one. I love Lionel Messi and the way Barcelona play but if he left I’d still love Messi and Barcelona. In F1 the fans tend to be more supportive of drivers because of what an individual can do with it opposed to football where the game itself is about the entire team and results are not as much about on individual.

Why is it that football is different to F1, or motorsport in general? I suppose it's because, despite all evidence to the contrary, motorsport is seen as an individual sport where as football is clearly a team sport. That's something I don't understand.

[The Black Knight]

Am I typical of an F1 fan? Probably not. Am I typical of a Ferrari F1 fan? I think so. I'm talking about real Ferrari fans, not the type like a certain member of this board who's allegiance flip-flops all over the place. And perhaps that's another point of differentiation between Ferrari's fans and the other types of F1 fans. Ferrari's fans are international and stick with the team, regardless of who's driving, in greater numbers than any other single team. Personally I have no desire to see Mark Webber win. Is that strange?

I do agree that much of F1's fan base seems to fall along national lines, I just think that Ferrari are the only team that goes beyond those lines.



Why is it that football is different to F1, or motorsport in general? I suppose it's because, despite all evidence to the contrary, motorsport is seen as an individual sport where as football is clearly a team sport. That's something I don't understand.

Well that's it exactly. F1 is a team sport but that's not obvious to someone during the race especially the average punter just switching on their TV. All they see is the drivers, it's all they are exposed to mainly. They don't see the huge effort behind the scene nor realise the a brilliant car can make an average driver look great. In soccer you see the manager at the sidelines always, the coaches, the subs. They are all far more exposed to the public eye. This is what causes the main difference I would believe.

[Rollo]

Why is it that football is different to F1, or motorsport in general? I suppose it's because, despite all evidence to the contrary, motorsport is seen as an individual sport where as football is clearly a team sport. That's something I don't understand.

There is the little annoying problem that people do buy season tickets and memberships to the clubs (though with the latter, not so much in high-level football). A club membership is a case of actual ownership amongst the members of the club, whereas there's very little chance of the average punter owning part of the F1 they might follow.

[Mia 01]

Do ferrai need their fans (for now fred fans) or do they need a driver who deliver KIMI.'

They are lost, but Kimi will be back.

[mstillhere]

I think if the run away series would be created with Ferrari at the helm all F1 fans would definetly abandon the F1 to their destiny. Everyone is sick and tired of the lack of transparency and objective respect of the rules. The only sport I know of where you never know how a piot would be punished for breaking a rule. Especially this year where RB is facing a ban in the middle of the championship.
Totally unfair and a turn off. Fans are fed up with the FIA. Given the opportunity everybody would follow Ferrari &. Co.

[ioan]

I saw an interview on telly about 2 years back and Monty confirmed that they still sell road cars to fund their racing programs. I think it is slowly shifting though.

Ol' LdM will never change. Did he mention how much money Ferrari pour into their F1 operations, if any?

[Mark]

What about looking at the question in a different way. Let's say Ferrari left F1 and joined a breakaway championship, would F1 survive then?

[steveaki13]

What about looking at the question in a different way. Let's say Ferrari left F1 and joined a breakaway championship, would F1 survive then?

Don't just critise this as it is only an idea of what could potentially happen.

It would be dictated by whether other teams felt the move of Ferrari to join another series mean't they would move to the breakaway championship.

If the movement of Ferrari led to Mclaren, Renault and others to breakaway also F1 may not survive the longer term.

Imagine Ferrari, Mclaren, Mercedes and Renault all jumping away.

This could lead to the best drivers moving with the teams to the new series leaving only 6 or 7 teams in F1.
With the best teams, best drivers and most money in the new series, many fans may leave a watch the breakaway leading F1 into a dark hole from which it couldn't escape.

This is not what I think would happen, but its just a example of the worst case senerio of how F1's most prestigious teams departure could lead to a snow ball effect.

Just a fun idea, what do you think?