Comments on: F1.com should offer more to F1 fans

By: Chaz

Chaz — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:43:52 +0000

I just tuned into A1GP today to wath the Malaysia race and am highly impressed with what the A1GP website has to offer its fans for free. They have definately upped their game from last year.

For example, from my computer I can
1) watch the GPS car track positions,
2) choose a driver whose telemetry I want to see and follow,
3) watch the race by live video stream and this is uninterupted by irritating adverts or commercials,
4) watch live timing of all the cars similar to that on F1.com

F1.com really needs to pull its finger out. I’ve been screaming about this for ages. F1.com should be embarressed and ashamed. This is how you get and keep fans in a sport. I’m glad to see that A1GP have been smart enough to build these costs in and provide these services free to fans as it should be.

WELL DONE A1GP.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:25:50 +0000

I think that its a sham that F1.com asks us what we think after showing us the different camera angles of the Fuji race and then provides us with no ‘official’ way to actually tell them. I mean, what gives? I used to go to their site for all the news, but really dont even care now. The ‘stewards’ involvement in the last number of races to keep the champioship ‘exciting’ is a sham. i am getting really sick of F1.

By: cd

cd — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:06:15 +0000

I’m in the States, but every week I’m able to keep up with Reading FC by watching or listening through the pay per view service available through World. Yet I have to pay my local cable provider almost $100/month so I can see F1 races.

I can’t believe Bernie has completely ignored selling a pay-per-view broadband option to view practice, qualifying, races and even test sessions. It’s an inconvenience to me, and for FOM, it’s money left on the table.

By: Robert McKay

Robert McKay — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:41:04 +0000

“If Bernie’s so paranoid of devaluing his TV contracts why can’t he at least upload classic races to the F1 website or sell them on DVD?”

Because Bernie/FOM sells old F1 footage for several thousand quid for about a quarter of an hour.

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:43:57 +0000

AmericanTifosi - have a look at the links in the FAQ: F1 FAQ. If they don't work then join us during the Live Blog while one of the sessions is going on, and ask what feeds everyone else is using. There's usually one available somewhere.

By: AmericanTifosi

AmericanTifosi — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:03:27 +0000

How do you hack into itv’s coverage of Qualifying and Practice? I was crushed when I found out it was only for UK residents.

By: francois

francois — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:06:12 +0000

Says it all when most of their merchandise is either generic branded posters or £225 carbon mouse mats wrapped in quality F1 tissue paper.To be fair they are offering teamwear though now.

Again , if it weren’t for live timing there’s very little there at all asides from historical race results.If Bernie’s so paranoid of devaluing his TV contracts why can’t he at least upload classic races to the F1 website or sell them on DVD? Monaco 96′ has been up on Youtube for a year and averages around 9000 views for all the parts.There are more people than ever uploading full races from 10-15 years ago.

By: Chaz

Chaz — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:19:48 +0000

It should be added that the GP2 site is not very good either especially considering this is supposed or regarded as the feeder group to F1. I often wonder why live timing wont show the GP2 times???

(P.S – for those in the UK and with sky they are showing daily a F1 retro through the 70′s on ESPN Classic)

By: Racer X

Racer X — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:41:20 +0000

Very commercial… trying to make petty money out their website…. no wonder the world’s RICHEST sport is loosing fanship…

By: Chaz

Chaz — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:49:57 +0000

Noel – thanks for the link.

I had no idea about this. I think £12 per race weekend is far to much and I’m not surprised it withered away. I would not have paid. Many of the other digital sport packages on sky are slowly falling into the basic sport package start-up.

I think people are increasingly disillusioned with F1 (and other high profile sports in general for that matter) because of what seems excessive greed. They generate and earn so much money and yet they still seem to want more at the expense of fans. Fans don’t really get value for money anymore.

I still believe F1 TV is viable and linking it with their website would seal the gap of content control that Bernie is so obsessed about. They will have to change eventually as this is called “progress”, or they will be left embarrassingly behind and continue loosing their loyal viewer audience. They should just look at the other high profile motor sports websites for an indication of whats expected. As said above, F1 is the pinnacle of motor sport and its such a shame their website does not continue this ethos.

Come on Bernie… you can do it…