The Ferrari finish in Indy. Does the US public care?

[f1manoz]

Simple fact is that Americans have NEVER cared for Formula One racing (except when it was held at Watkins Glen in the North-East where F1 always has seemed to have a small F1 following at least) and most like never will, not with the NASCAR juggernaut (even CART and the IRL are more popular!) Add to that the multitude of sports already available to the American public - NFL, NBL, NHL, MLB etc - and basically F1 comes across as a very bland, boring alternative.

Add to that there is no American driver in F1 (despite all the attempts from Bernie to the contrary) and you have a sport that the American public just won't enjoy.

Bland, boring and predictable are the three words that describe F1 in 2002.

[Valve Bounce]

Originally posted by rush1
Americans, like anyother country, enjoy watching Americans compete. Boots, If your little island had no Brits in F1 would the popularity suffer? I am sure it would.

No American drivers, and most races start around 6:AM on sunday morning (4:00 on the west coast) so its difficult to start a following.

"Maintain our feeling of superiority" boots? We are the only major power in the world boots regardless of what happens in an auto racing series. Our economic and military power is unrivaled (and thanks England, your small island is always so supportive) and that power will be unchecked for many, many years. To sum up boots, Americans already feel superior no matter what happens in F1.

I suppose if that little Island had no Brits, then the interest would depend on who else is there. If the Aussis took over, then the interest would be Aussi Rules, and if the Germans took over, then everyone would be wearing a red SchM Ferrari T-shirt. If the French took over, there would still be an interest in F1, and if the Spanish took over, there'd be bull fighting at Wembley.
The rest of the quoted post above is just too frightening for me to try to post a humourous one liner about.


Valve

[JAG]

More to the point do any Brits or traditional F1 supportors care what happened. Nothing to do with Brits or anyone else not winning but the fact that F1 seems to be more and more fixed and out of touch with the public at every race.

For the first time since about 1990 I did not watch 1 minute of the last GP despite having the opportunity to do so. And don't forget this was one of the 'Prestige' F1 races up there with Monaco, not Hungory or such like.

When the powerbrokes in F1 are threatening to scrap Spa and such great races to race in Russia and the middle east for the sake of allowing the teams to run in full tobacco livery for 4 or 5 more years, until the complete tobacco ban, you have to worry about the sports future and its priorities.