How to fix Formula 1 launches
F1 launch season has huge potential, but the sport is not capitalising on this. Here's how Liberty Media can put things right.
For many fans, Formula 1 launch season ranks among the most exciting times of the year.
It’s hard to put your finger on just what it is that appeals to us so much, but perhaps it taps into a sense of childhood nostalgia. Seeing a new Formula 1 car for the first time is a bit like unwrapping a present on Christmas morning – there’s anticipation, expectation and finally realisation.
But despite their obvious appeal, modern F1 launches are usually drab affairs. They take various forms: an unveiling in the pit-lane ahead of testing, on the stage of a poorly-lit room filled with corporate guests, or the dreaded online reveal with CGI images.
CGI launches are no way to reveal a new grand prix car. (Pic: Sutton Images)
What do these things have in common? None of them take advantage of the interest that launches generate – particularly the CGI launch, which should surely be punishable by a points deduction.
But there is hope for a brighter future. With Liberty Media now stamping their (distinctly American) mark on the sport this is an area with significant potential for improvement.
So what needs to happen? Though it goes against every fibre of their being, it is time for the teams to embrace unity. F1 needs a single headline event at which every car is launched.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
From Liberty’s perspective, a group launch is a good way to keep F1 fans engaged and provide value for money.
The sport has gone to pay TV in most of its key European markets – the UK, Italy, France and Spain all require a subscription to follow the full season. People pay a lot of money for these channels, but between late November and mid March there is precious little in the way of actual entertainment.
F1 testing is televised in some countries, but it is not especially watchable. (Pic: Sutton Images)
A group launch would create a major televised event in the middle of February. It could be staged on the Sunday afternoon before the first test, at around the time European F1 races begin, and feature a few stars of the past as talking heads.
The launch event itself could consists of five-minute slots for each team, running in reverse championship order from the previous season. So first Sauber pull the covers off and we get a quick line from their drivers, right through to Mercedes revealing their new machine and Lewis Hamilton fielding questions about how he spent his holidays.
Between pre-launch build-up, the event itself and a series of interviews afterwards, you could be looking at up to two hours of coverage. And, after a long break since the previous grand prix, fans are going to want to watch.
It would be simulcast online via a world feed, of course, but individual TV broadcasters could tailor their coverage to their national audience.
It's not exactly how you'd expect four-time world champions to launch... (Pic: Sutton Images)
For teams, this would be about exposure. Everyone gets the same amount of time to launch their car and give their sponsors value for money. Haas should get the same time and space as Ferrari, and the Sauber drivers should be interviewed just as the Mercedes boys are.
In theory it makes sense. The current situation is too mix-and-match, and it tends to look incredibly basic for a sport that prides itself on innovation.
So what’s the problem? Crucially, this is a concept that has already failed to get off the ground once before.
LAUNCH ABORTED
In December 2009 F1 teams were said to be “putting the finishing touches” on plans for a single launch event. This was to take place in Valencia the following February, ahead of pre-season testing at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Speaking to Autosport, Nick Fry, then CEO at Mercedes, said: “It is going to be a clear demonstration of how we are going to be working together. We are not all going off and doing our own individual launches.”
Nick Fry's comments should be filed under "wildly optimistic". (Pic: Sutton Images)
Nick probably came to regret those words. Predictably enough, each team went on to conduct their own individual launch in a crystal clear demonstration that they were absolutely not working together.
The plan was supposed to be revisited for 2011, but instead it was forgotten altogether. As such, F1 teams continue to launch individually and sporadically over a 10-day period in February.
What scuppered the common launch back in 2010? Two major concerns were cited. The first was that some teams were simply not going to be ready.
This would not be a problem today. In 2010 there were four new teams joining the gird, two of whom were struggling badly. Hispania eventually made it, but USF1 (remember them?) didn’t even manage to produce a car. Clearly, that was going to pose a major problem.
This is about as close as USF1 got to a launch. (Pic: Sutton Images)
But in 2018 the grid is far more stable, albeit smaller. We can safely say that all 10 teams will be at the first test with their new cars and two drivers signed up to race them. So let’s conclude that this is no longer a major sticking point.
The second concern was that a few big outfits would dominate the post-launch coverage, leaving the smaller teams with scraps.
This is a reasonable point. It is inevitable that Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull will take the limelight, while the likes of Sauber and Haas are not going to get a great deal of love.
Then again, this is exactly the same problem that these teams face on a Sunday afternoon. Taking the idea to its extreme, you could argue that Sauber should pull out of Formula 1, because they’re never going to attract the same level of interest as Ferrari.
Given Ferrari's popularity, it is inevitable that their new car will receive the most attention. (Pic: Sutton Images)
But the fact of the matter is that they will still be seen more competing in F1 than they would running at the front in the WEC. Being part of a group launch event that also features Ferrari, Mercedes and the other big hitters will attract attention.
It’s understandable that coverage is a concern for these teams, but a group launch could ensure quality over mere quantity. After all, what do they really want: a million fans clicking on a news story to glance at their livery, or a comparatively small number of potential sponsors seeing them lined up next to the biggest names in the sport?
A WORTHWHILE EXPERIMENT
Admittedly, there is something fun about the current situation. For just over a week in February new F1 cars seem to be popping up daily.
But the appeal of a major event would trump this. It would represent the highlight of the F1 off-season, something that fans would come to see as the official start of the grand prix racing year.
Liberty have explored a number of changes aimed at improving the fan experience. If they’re looking for the next area that could be overhauled, launch season should be high on the list.
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Comments (3)
Hi congratulations - your post has been selected by DriveTribe F1 Ambassador for promotion on the DriveTribe homepage.
One issue is that the car doesn't come together until the last minute, and if they release images of the cars too soon before testing other teams might steal some things that they can't hide.
The teams also want to display the car to their investors first, to make them feel like it was worth the money.
One launch might be good, but for most people who can't make it to the location it wouldn't be any different.
Personally, I like the idea of having the track test be the first time. Unveil the cars and have them do a few laps by themselves a couple of hours before the actual testing starts. It would make testing worth attending.
I remember a time when they were so over the top. I quite like the no nonsense reveal. The actual first time of seeing the car is at the first day of testing anyway. These reveals are more for the liveries.