Integrity or Entertainment: The Important Question F1 Faces
Formula One is now at a crossroads: Entertain at all costs or maintain the integrity
A month since Max Verstappen's maiden World Championship win and Formula One has been a sport buried in deep-rooted controversy and bitterness.
A title decider that was meant to celebrate one of the greatest years in the sports' history has instead left people divided, questioning their love for a sport long held so dear.
We are all too familiar with the events that proceeded in Abu Dhabi on the 12th of December so there is no need for them to be explained further.
Though whether you are a fan of Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, or Pierre Gasly, it was clear to see that Race Director, Micheal Masi, did not follow Safety Car procedure in an attempt to buy a more entertaining finish.
In terms of entertainment it was spectacular; two title contenders, one lap, winner takes all.
The emotion was at its highest, the tension palpable, both drivers with so much to lose in just one lap.
Mix this all together and you have drama that leaves everyone across the globe talking about the beauty of Formula.
However, poison that with the horrific decisions that Masi made and that beauty turned sour.
The conversation is still going, most demanding an explanation from the FIA and answers, in the form of change, so that it won't happen again.
Some ask why people are still angry at what happened four weeks ago but this is more than just anger about Lewis Hamilton losing his 8th World Championship.
This is about a sport people love and that its integrity has been tarnished to a level not seen before.
The reason why people are addicted to sport is because of its unpredictability. It gives you an escape from day-to-day life, and lets you enter a world where anything could happen.
The chance of anything is the reason why everyone tunes in, it is what makes sports so entertaining.
This is no more true than for F1 and for Sunday 12th December, when the entertainment experience was at the highest capacity.
Yet the key to this all was that it was manufactured entertainment.
Max Verstappen's win didn't happen naturally, it was forced in an attempt to deliver Formula One the dream, drama filled ending.
If things had taken course naturally, either the race would have finished behind the safety car or there would have been multiple cars between Hamilton and Verstappen.
Yet to Formula One that would have been boring, it wouldn't have been entertaining.
So in turn, Micheal Masi chose entertainment over integrity.
He went for the last lap wheel to wheel drama, instead of the correct and therefore professional finish.
People can point to the thousands of examples of big sporting moments that have been decided due to questionable decisions by the officials.
It's a valid point but this was different, it was forced.
This is like a last-minute goal, being awarded when it shouldn't count, all because it's what will get the people and the media talking.
With that decision, Formula One is now at a crossroads.
The success of Drive to Survive has seen the sport explode into the stratosphere, reaching people and places never thought imaginable.
It's been huge for the sport, yet it seems to create a worrying pattern of Formula One being defined by its drama, instead of its racing.
Sometimes it feels like it's becoming ever reliant on the big moments and the storyline, instead of fair racing on the track.
This is good because the drama and the narrative are what make F1 so special but integrity should never be sacrificed to achieve that.
Drama and entertainment aren't any good when it's not legitimate and if Formula One continues down the path the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has laid, then the sport could do itself more harm than good come to the end.
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Comments (21)
F1 has irreparably tarnished its reputation for me!
Very interesting point. What Masi did was in the rules, but only because of Article 15.3 which allowed him to bypass the rules layed out. Article 15.3 allows for entertainment to be favoured over integrity. It also allows for a lack of consistency. I can almost guarantee that something such as this would not happen if the race was at Spa or Monaco, earlier on in the season, but all races should be treated equally as far as the rules are concerned. I personally believe as a neutral that Article 15.3 should be abolished with immediate effect after this, as should communication from teams with the race director.
Yep Liberty and the FIA are doing a great job of turning F1 into NASCAR, where rubbin is racin and if y’all ain’t cheatin y’all gets beatin.
Can’t wait till they start offering buckets of chicken in the stands at Monaco.
In all seriousness what happened at Abu Dhabi reminded me very much of when Senna was disqualified in Suzuka handing Prost the WDC in 1990.
Once again the FIA and it’s vague rulebook was instrumental (through Jean Marie Balestre this time ) in robbing Senna of possible further WDC.
Agree, not much has changed, it's a sport after all for entertainment as #1.
Expect more of this with F1 owned by American’s. They only want the entertainment not the integrity, as that is what will draw the viewers (and these viewers don’t care about the details)
Should have stopped the race with remaining laps and restarted with both on fresh tyres with the 5 laps to go. Great to watch but winning by a poor marshalling decision is not really winning on merit.