US GP "Finacially devastating" for Organiser

[Stormy]

Upwards of 50% of the fans were from Mexico in 2012. Ticket sales have declined each year since from what I have been told.. Last year it wasn't full and due to weather, well this year it definitely wasn't full.

50%?! WOW, that is a lot. And i thought Americans are beginning to show interest in F1...

[TigerKing]

50%?! WOW, that is a lot. And i thought Americans are beginning to show interest in F1...

Most Americans don't even know what F1 is. Just the other day i saw a guy wearing a McLaren jacket at university and we spoke to each other like long lost friends. F1 is more of a cult sport if anything here.

[GrndLkNatv]

Things are changing... Looks to be for the better..

http://autoweek.com/article/formula-...t-americas-out

Jason Dial is out, former head of marketing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.. You would think they would have at least hired someone from the Cowboys...

Looks to be replaced by this gent, who has a reputation for making things happen!!!

https://twitter.com/JMRittenberry

Most Americans don't even know what F1 is. Just the other day i saw a guy wearing a McLaren jacket at university and we spoke to each other like long lost friends. F1 is more of a cult sport if anything here.

[TigerKing]

Inclement weather would not have affected races in Italy, Spa or the UK. Close proximity races in Italy (Imola and Monza) and Spain (Catalunya and Valencia) havent affected tickets sales there. The truth is, Americans have short attention spans. If it is slightly inconvenient, they will avoid watching/going. This is why motorsport is such a niche sport in the US besides NASCAR (meant for shorter attention spans).
Of course this makes it wonderful for those who have long attention spans because most people in the US that watch F1 are super knowledgeable and passionate!
Also, the V10s are more marketable than V6 hybrids.

[Rob]

Inclement weather would not have affected races in Italy, Spa or the UK. Close proximity races in Italy (Imola and Monza) and Spain (Catalunya and Valencia) havent affected tickets sales there. The truth is, Americans have short attention spans. If it is slightly inconvenient, they will avoid watching/going. This is why motorsport is such a niche sport in the US besides NASCAR (meant for shorter attention spans).
Of course this makes it wonderful for those who have long attention spans because most people in the US that watch F1 are super knowledgeable and passionate!
Also, the V10s are more marketable than V6 hybrids.

A NASCAR race last about 2 and half hours, or so. So really they last longer than F1 race. Their fans are super passionate aswell, same as NFL fans, NBA, well all sports fans are passionate.

I think the years we had Barcelona and Valencia the the sales were down at Barcelona.

[Tony]

Seems kind of like a no-brainer that the Mexican GP would have affected US GP sales... the organizers of the US GP should have at the very least petitioned Ecclestone to not have the 2 races so close to each other...

In the long-run, the US GP may have to be moved to a site farther north if Austin can't generate enough local spectators... (or maybe farther west, like near Lou ;))...

[WS6TransAm01]

NASCAR is not for short attention spans. Those races are like 3+ hours long. However, you can fall asleep on Lap 18, wake up on Lap 239 and not miss much, pick up right where you left off.

The other problem with F1 is that most of the races are 7 or 8am Eastern, NASCAR races are 2 or 3pm in the afternoon. Who the hell wants to wake up that early? I mean, I do, but not many people are every going to be attracted to it at that time in the morning. I cam across F1 by accident. I was a kid and woke up early on a Sunday by accident. Turned on SPEED Channel and was like, is this? Boom, Hooked. But how often does that happen? As a series centered around Europe, the times in the US are super inconvenient.

As others have said, placing it a week before the Mexico race sucked as well. It should be the week after Canada like the USGP in Indy used to be.

[Stormy]

The other problem with F1 is that most of the races are 7 or 8am Eastern, NASCAR races are 2 or 3pm in the afternoon.

I guess a lot of Mexicans tend to wake up early in order to watch F1 :D
You Americans are not really into international stuff, you are very prideful in your national championships i guess, that is another issue beside not wanting to wake up early, which i totally get.
In Europe for example a lot of people are staying late and going to work all sleepy in order to watch NBA.

[abbottcostello]

Funny to read all the opinions on what Americans & Europeans are like.

Makes for some good fiction reading

[Brembo]

Here in the USA we have Tivo ! You buy a tivo box hook it up and everything becomes available when you want it. With out knowing any results I turn on the race or quali and watch when covinient, you now can stop, replay, slow mo over and over like you own the network. And FF past all the commercials. Add a hr. and get the post race gossip. Then come here and listen to all the race comments and be able to go back and check it out. Also one can save the whole yrs. F1 so you can again come here and argue about a past race or agree. If you get bombed drinking during a tough watch, just hit pause and when sober continue t watch.

[Stormy]

Here in the USA we have Tivo ! You buy a tivo box hook it up and everything becomes available when you want it. With out knowing any results I turn on the race or quali and watch when covinient, you now can stop, replay, slow mo over and over like you own the network. And FF past all the commercials. Add a hr. and get the post race gossip. Then come here and listen to all the race comments and be able to go back and check it out. Also one can save the whole yrs. F1 so you can again come here and argue about a past race or agree. If you get bombed drinking during a tough watch, just hit pause and when sober continue t watch.

We can record races in Europe to, hahaha :D I record races sometimes when i can't get up early in the morning because being drunk Saturday night, for example China and do the same thing you are doing :D

[WS6TransAm01]

Here in the USA we have Tivo ! You buy a tivo box hook it up and everything becomes available when you want it. With out knowing any results I turn on the race or quali and watch when covinient, you now can stop, replay, slow mo over and over like you own the network. And FF past all the commercials. Add a hr. and get the post race gossip. Then come here and listen to all the race comments and be able to go back and check it out. Also one can save the whole yrs. F1 so you can again come here and argue about a past race or agree. If you get bombed drinking during a tough watch, just hit pause and when sober continue t watch.

I have a DVR. You know how hard it is not to have the results spoiled for you with Social Media now-a-days!

[GrndLkNatv]

Funny to read all the opinions on what Americans & Europeans are like.

Makes for some good fiction reading

So being a curious guy, with family in Europe and of course here, which part do you think is fiction?

[Stormy]

I have a DVR. You know how hard it is not to have the results spoiled for you with Social Media now-a-days!

No need to go to any Social Media site before you watch the race. I think its pretty easy to be isolated for a short time.

[TigerKing]

No need to go to any Social Media site before you watch the race. I think its pretty easy to be isolated for a short time.

I did it for Malaysia this year (2am local) until 10:30pm that day. Very hard but definitly worth it when I watched it!

[abbottcostello]

So being a curious guy, with family in Europe and of course here, which part do you think is fiction?

Was referring to the generalisations, like... 'Americans have a short attention span' 'you Americans are not really into international stuff'
I just meant that you can't paint us all with the same brush, we are just people, most of us having roots that go back to somewhere other than USA.

PS Hope that Rittenberry fellow works out & COTA ups their game, hard to believe someone was so insensitive to tell you that it's your problem the tickets were for the wrong time

[Nand0Nand0]

Was referring to the generalisations, like... 'Americans have a short attention span'

I'm a proud American and I want to refute this bunkum that we have short attentio.......... Look, a squirrel.

[Stormy]

Was referring to the generalisations, like... 'Americans have a short attention span' 'you Americans are not really into international stuff'
I just meant that you can't paint us all with the same brush, we are just people, most of us having roots that go back to somewhere other than USA.

PS Hope that Rittenberry fellow works out & COTA ups their game, hard to believe someone was so insensitive to tell you that it's your problem the tickets were for the wrong time

Oh come on, its a fact that Americans are not into foreign stuff. Foreign films, music, sport...you are not into, which i don't have anything against.
About the attention span problem, low IQ or whatever, of course is just an idiotic stereotype.

[Brembo]

Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Geisele Bunchen, Heidi Klum, who says Americans aren't into foreign stuff? Il Volo, Nino D'Angelo, Caetano Veloso, music at it's best. Elvis !!

[Stormy]

Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Geisele Bunchen, Heidi Klum, who says Americans aren't into foreign stuff? Il Volo, Nino D'Angelo, Caetano Veloso, music at it's best. Elvis !!

I'm saying the majority of Americans are not into foreign stuff. There are exceptions to every rule.

[TigerKing]

I'm American and yes, Americans (in general) are not into foreign stuff. We tend to feel that the world is very far from us (perhaps due to our geographic isolation). The only foreign culture we can grasp is Mexican culture. And at least my generation (late teens-early 20s) have extremely short attention spans.

[REDARMYSOJA]

I'm a proud American and I want to refute this bunkum that we have short attentio.......... Look, a squirrel.

Well played.

[REDARMYSOJA]

I'm American and yes, Americans (in general) are not into foreign stuff. We tend to feel that the world is very far from us (perhaps due to our geographic isolation). The only foreign culture we can grasp is Mexican culture. And at least my generation (late teens-early 20s) have extremely short attention spans.

The competition for the entertainment dollar is very stiff here in the US. Most folks don't want to wake up at daylight on Sunday morning to watch a race. NASCAR has had some success but generally auto racing is a third tier sport here, not covered well by the main stream media. American Football is king here, both pro and college, that the USGP is scheduled at the height of the football season doesn't help. No real US involvement in F1 to speak of. All these things factor into the difficulty of promoting a race here.

[GrndLkNatv]

Not only did it screw up our plans for out pit visit, it also put the screws to Massimo Rivola who is our world wide president of the clubs.. He was trying to work around his FIA meetings in order to meet with us and when the times changed on Friday before the race.. Well, it was a mess!!

Was referring to the generalisations, like... 'Americans have a short attention span' 'you Americans are not really into international stuff'
I just meant that you can't paint us all with the same brush, we are just people, most of us having roots that go back to somewhere other than USA.

PS Hope that Rittenberry fellow works out & COTA ups their game, hard to believe someone was so insensitive to tell you that it's your problem the tickets were for the wrong time

[Brembo]

I'm American and yes, Americans (in general) are not into foreign stuff. We tend to feel that the world is very far from us (perhaps due to our geographic isolation). The only foreign culture we can grasp is Mexican culture. And at least my generation (late teens-early 20s) have extremely short attention spans.

Tigre Re, I remember one US friend wanting to learn Italiano!

[GrndLkNatv]

Tigre Re, I remember one US friend wanting to learn Italiano!

Tu parle Italiano?

[TigerKing]

Tu parle Italiano?

Si! Parliamo Italiano. E tu?
And Brembo, i did say "in general!" Since we watch F1 in the US i dont see us being the "general Americans!"

[Stormy]

No real US involvement in F1 to speak of. All these things factor into the difficulty of promoting a race here.

Maybe things will change a bit with Haas now involving?

[Brembo]

Si! Parliamo Italiano. E tu?
And Brembo, i did say "in general!" Since we watch F1 in the US i dont see us being the "general Americans!"

Tigre, Per essere sicuro che non vi siano ulteriari malintesi, continuero in inglese:
To be sure I'm understood correctly, I'll continue in english:
In general is correct for sure. Just keep in mind here in the USA, but for the native indians, everyone here has a foreign backround, esp. european. And most Ferrari's are bought here in the USA ! BTW the first F1 race at Indy I was at had 200,000 + fans in attendance. When the Ferraris came out it sounded like an earth quake !! The fans went crazy. I can only hope Haas/Ferrari has success!

[TigerKing]

Tigre, Per essere sicuro che non vi siano ulteriari malintesi, continuero in inglese:
To be sure I'm understood correctly, I'll continue in english:
In general is correct for sure. Just keep in mind here in the USA, but for the native indians, everyone here has a foreign backround, esp. european. And most Ferrari's are bought here in the USA ! BTW the first F1 race at Indy I was at had 200,000 + fans in attendance. When the Ferraris came out it sounded like an earth quake !! The fans went crazy. I can only hope Haas/Ferrari has success!

Percentage-wise, 200,000 people in a country of 300,000,000+ is not saying much when Italy can gather 100,000 people in a country of about 60,000,000.
It's the same case with India and China.