FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[Jimbosupernova]

Hello everybody, I'm a college student at Bridgwater College in Somerset and I'm currently doing my A-Level in media and for the course I need to do some research on F1. I have a few questions I'd like to ask and I would really appreciate some feedback.

1) How has the media coverage of Lewis Hamilton increased the popularity of Formula 1?

2) What has this done for the wealth of the sport?

3) Has Formula 1 reached it's potential financially or does it still have a healthy future ahead of it?

4) What would F1 be like if there was no Lewis Hamilton? What would this do to the corporation?

Thanks for reading and I would also like some guidance to further my research. Does anyone know of any useful websites on these topics? Also does anyone know of any contacts in F1 or racing in general who I could talk to?

Thanks again for reading and I look forward to your replies.

James.

[certom]

I could answer to the 4th question: F1 has existed for 56 years without Lewis Hamilton, and I think that F1 wouldn't have missed him very much if he had never entered it. Well, since he has arrived, F1 has gained a bit more of popularity, but it would be the same with or without him..

[Selcouth_Feline]

Hello everybody, I'm a college student at Bridgwater College in Somerset and I'm currently doing my A-Level in media and for the course I need to do some research on F1. I have a few questions I'd like to ask and I would really appreciate some feedback.

1) How has the media coverage of Lewis Hamilton increased the popularity of Formula 1?

2) What has this done for the wealth of the sport?

3) Has Formula 1 reached it's potential financially or does it still have a healthy future ahead of it?

4) What would F1 be like if there was no Lewis Hamilton? What would this do to the corporation?

Hi James, welcome to the forum

Definitely in Britain, Hamilton has increased the popularity of F1 because he's about the only decent sportsman we have! I think a lot of them are 'fair weather' supporters though, and if Hamilton doesn't shine this season, F1 coverage will decline again (rather like the Button effect).

In terms of wealth, I'm not sure Hamilton has really brought anything extra to the mix - I think the biggest factor in terms of wealth has to be the Indian contingent - Force India has (apparently) had a massive impact in India and with an Indian GP scheduled for the future, F1 has essentially been handed a whole country full of new supporters.

McLaren without Hamilton? I think they'd do just fine. My view is a little controversial in that I don't think Hamilton is really *that* special - I think he's been given an excellent car and many of the young drivers, given the same chance, would probably have done about as well as he did. They have Kovalainen this season so it will be interesting to see how these two same-generation drivers do with the same machinery underneath them.

Good luck with the report

[Martin]

1 Only in the UK, and maybe some other countries where they do not have their own drivers and maybe have a British interest. More interest has been generated in the new countries with new circuits and their own GPs, like Bahrain for example. Interest in the Middle East has rocketed. Also we have a new team this year - Force India- not expected to do too well but will undoubtedly increase interest in India,

2. It probably has increased ticket sales a bit, but not a major effect. F1 is a worldwide sport

3. F1 is very strong financially at present and I believe that this will continue for some time. F1 teams are now largely run or supported by car manufacturers and a lot of status hangs on this for them. There is however major dissatisfaction with the FIA management structure with the hard core fans and some teams, if this is not resolved soon this could cause problems for the sport.

4. If LH were to drop out of the sport F1 would continue, there would be a new star tomorrow. Don't make the common mistake of thinking that F1 success is about the drivers, it is not. No driver can perform well without a good team of designers, marketeers, engineers and pit crew. F1 is a team sport. LH is a great driver - no doubt - but he would not be gaining such good results if he were driving for a lesser team like Toyota for example.

Look at these sites good luck:-


http://www.formula1.com/

http://www.fia.com/index_1024.html

[7UpJordan]

I'd be happy to oblige.

1. Hamilton's presence in F1 has increased it's popularity in the UK. Unlike the passionless, boring, overpaid pansies who play for the England national Football team, Hamilton fights, gives everything and has infinite potential. He has a great attitude and has all the same driving characteristics that past British F1 heroes like Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill possessed. F1 has always been a largely british based sport too.

Since Damon Hill won the Championship in 1996, there has been really no British driver capable for fighting for the title, Hill got sacked by Sir Frank, and by the time Eddie Jordan picked up Hill, he was nearly at the end of his career, Coulthard was a regular race winner, but was never able to dominate over Hakkinen and Raikkonen, and Button made the big mistake of staying with BAR/Honda.

2. Lewis's debut wasn't the only thing that has made the sport more popular again. On track action is getting better, the influx of the new generation drivers like Rosberg, Piquet, Nakajima and Kovalainen bring a new breath of fresh air to the sport, also it was good to finally see Ferraris battling for position for the first time since 1995, and long may it continue.

Things can only keep getting better with the proposed changes for 2009 taking away the emphasis of aerodynamical grip - one of the things that made overtaking become sparce.

3. Bernie has done so much for the sport to make it financially secure. It still has a long future ahead of it.

4. There's always plenty of other drivers who could be icons of the sport if Hamilton wasn't around. Schumacher was thrust into the limelight after Senna's death, even after Mansell returned because F1 needed "a big name", he didn't quite have the same impact he did in 1991 and 1992, although his win in Adelaide after the Hill/Schumacher incident helped lighten up the end of a tragic and controversial season.