‘You only sing while you’re winning’ Dietrich Mateschitz, has launched a new attack on Formula One.
Red Bull Motorsports is part of the RedBull.com website, and produces content covering Formula 1, Moto GP, The World Rally championships and something it loosely calls MotoSoul. Each category has a menu option at the top of the page.
Across all these four broad categories Red Bull has serious involvement, though interestingly the WEC is not something the fizzy drinks company has previously expressed much interest in – and there is no category for the WEC like the other four, where regular articles are posted.
In what may be seen as a cynical move, the feature article for the past 24 hours on the home page across all the series has been.
“Hot Topics: Could the WEC become as big as F1? – Can the World Endurance Championship hold its own against F1? Our panel of experts argue the case”.
And argue the case they do.
3 of the four panel members run or write for independent internet and social media based Formula One sites. Each of them make observations which are critical of Formula One, but nothing you wouldn’t see on TJ13.
“It’s [the WEC] rising profile makes a stark contrast with a directionless, leaderless F1,” concludes one writer.
TJ13 says amen to that.
However, this is a Red Bull promotion and is clearly designed to have a swipe at those in F1 who won’t play Red Bull’s games any more. In exchange for supporting Red Bull’s new polemic – each of the panel members gets access to the global Red Bull readership and their 30 pieces of silver which includes the global promotions of their individual twitter accounts.
TJ13 has a suggestion for Dietrich and his lackeys.
Stop whining about Formula One and threatening to leave the sport because you can’t get the rule changes you wish. Formula One was cool for your marketing company so long as you were winning.
F1 is about more than this; and at times it takes years of effort to get to the top
Further, if your analysis of Formula One means the cost-benefit is no longer worth the annual spend – bugger off and buy a cheap GT car and race in the WEC. After all, despite your $6bn a year global revenues – you can’t actually build a car from start to finish.
Is Adrian Newey going to build them WEC car, and design an engine for them?
No.
What about boats, anything in boats they can do? 😆
To Dietrich M.: OK, so, F1 is bigger than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?
wec may be growing, but i dont think it will reach the top. most people dont have 6 hours to sit in front of the tv. thats almost a full workday! jeez. if they did sprint races @1.5-2 hours that would work.
And how much time does Sky devote to F1 coverage over the course of a weekend?
If you watch qualy and race and both pre and post shows – about 7 hours
On two different days. wec is on one day six hours. Qualifications are an other day. No less than an hour. And le mans is different hour sessions all together, quali, night quali and a 24 hour race…
You need to double that at least! Driver press conference, practice 1&2, Team Principal Press conference, practice 3 and engineers pretty race info thingy 🙂
Fake Charlie watches the F1 race a day later… Apparently… So 6 hour race … Couple of nights entertainment 😉
Enjoying all the provocative articles. 😉
WEC vs F1 seems to be a hot topic, even on the more respectable sites.
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/race/sports-cars/wec-vs-f1/
http://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/can-wec-ever-reach-f1-s-level-of-popularity
The major problem for WEC is the lack of TV coverage. Though I understand that is being addressed. More manufacturers involved and looking to join WEC than F1. We are really in the early days of the current WEC. When LMP 2 and 3 come on stream, it will be time to get a real promotions company on board. Somebody like IMG would give a big boost.
Thanks for this article, Judge. Well done!
Two things: First, some readers / commentators of this article may be overlooking the point of this article, (and apparently of the RB PR campaign), which is NOT whether WEC is better than F1, but instead the point is F1 should change to RB’s / Newey’s aero heavy, engine neutral prescription for F1’s future (aka the good ol’ days!).
Second, on a somewhat related note, Pirelli has been doing something similar, with Paul Hembery. Pirelli is floating ideas to make F1 more attractive to Pirelli in anticipation of renewing their supplier contract. There is a long interview of Paul recently published in a tire industry periodical, here: http://www.moderntiredealer.com/news/story/2015/04/pirelli-s-paul-hembery-on-formula-one.aspx
When Ferrari struggled with their engine, they worked at it.
When Mercedes struggled with their chassis, they worked at it.
Honda are struggling with their engine, they are working at it.
Red Bull struggling – complain complain complain. A brand for a whining spoilt rich entitled people.
Red Bull are insufferable, please leave already and I can guarantee, you really will not be missed.