What F1 Could Learn From MotoGP

What F1 Could Learn From MotoGP

Whilst Formula One teams discuss potential new rules to improve the sport's entertainment value, such as tweaks to the points system, it might be a good time to consider a few things that F1 could learn from its competition.

The biggest international rival to Formula One is the MotoGP Championship and the two-wheeled series is popular for more reasons than just its close racing. The sport's organisers are very good at engaging with their fans and that's a philosophy that F1 should seriously adopt.

There are a number of simple ideas that Bernie Ecclestone could implement very cheaply without ruining the balance between sport and entertainment. Here are a few:

• Make testing fun
• Let drivers celebrate on the warm down lap
• Give the World Champion a podium
• Package old races for television

Make testing fun

During the final test of the MotoGP preseason, organisers hold a special 45-minute qualifying session and reward the fastest rider with a BMW sports car. The session is televised live and draws a massive crowd of 35,000 fans to the circuit. To a casual sports fan an F1 test is not all that much different to a Grand Prix anyway, so why not market the sessions into something special? At the final preseason test in Barcelona, FOM should televise one hour of the action and give the fastest driver during that time a brand new Ducati. Throw in a thousand dollars for each mechanic as well and the teams will be encouraged to get involved.

Also, MotoGP teams test at Grand Prix venues on the Monday after a race. This is a great idea that could easily be adopted into F1. It saves the cost of mid season testing and gives local fans an extra chance to see their heroes in action.

Something else F1 could look at is the test day held by MotoGP teams immediately after the final race of the season. The day is reserved for journalists and former riders to sample the current-spec machinery. This is how Michael Schumacher and Gerhard Berger got to ride the bikes in 2007. Wouldn't it be great it F1 did the same thing? I'd love to see the drivers of yesteryear having a blast in the modern cars, and keeping big names involved in the sport after they've retired is a great way to maintain the interest of casual sports fans.

MotoGP organisers have announced major reductions to testing in 2010, and some of their cool initiatives might be lost in the name of cost cutting. However, that doesn't mean they can't be re-instated in the future and it doesn't mean that F1 can't beat them to it.

Let drivers celebrate on the warm down lap

Valentino Rossi is famous for his post-race victory celebrations but he isn't the only MotoGP rider who does something special to mark a special win. For example, Jorge Lorenzo will plant his own flag in a gravel trap somewhere around the circuit and proclaim it "Lorenzo Land". Although it may be impractical for F1 drivers to climb out of their cars and participate in such madness (and they're probably not as crazy as their two wheeled counterparts anyway) there are still plenty of tarmac run off areas begging for some donuts. However, the F1 rules forbid it. They also forbid drivers from picking up a flag or banner on the warm down lap, which is somewhat ridiculous. This rule exists to stop an underweight car being tampered with on its way back to the pits, but the chances of a team actually doing that in front of the world's cameras are remarkably slim. It surely isn't enough of a risk to stop fans from seeing the winner celebrate in style.

Give the World Champion a podium

Casey Stoner won the 2007 Moto GP World Championship by finishing sixth in the Japanese Grand Prix. At the end of that race when the prize giving ceremony for the top three was over, Casey got his own turn on the podium to celebrate his championship victory. Jenson Button should have been able to do the same thing at Brazil when he won the title last year. It's such a simple thing that makes a significant difference. What other sport does not allow fans to see the winner's celebration?

Package old races for television

Dorna, the MotoGP equivalent of FOM, have prepared footage from old races and packaged them onto the internet. The 'classic' races can be viewed in full, for free, and have also been picked up by some TV networks. Earlier this week I watched the 1992 Dutch TT in my living room and spent most of the time thinking "why can't F1 do this as well". FOM are insanely protective of their TV rights (which is a result of the income they generate) but surely Bernie can release some footage from older races. FOM could even sell DVD's that feature past events they're still keen to make some cash out of them. Since Dorna prepare the footage themselves, and not the TV networks, it can be packaged with the modern day screen graphics that make the earlier races much easier to follow. It's a great idea and F1 should follow suit.

Do you agree? Is there anything else F1 could learn from MotoGP?

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Last Comment Posted »

• For me, this point is just incredible:

  Give the World Champion a podium

  Can you believe that the pinnacle of motorsport doesn't give a trophy to crown the world champion at the moment they win it. Rather... they wait until they are behind closed doors at a Gala ceremony.

  I can honestly say that each year at best, I see one little pic on autosport.com of the world champ holding a trophy.

  Now is that engaging enough?

  
  by Jimmy
  [ click here to read all and post ]