Attendance has dropped for each of the four U.S. Grand Prix events at Circuit of the Americas, and chairman Bobby Epstein offfered suggestions to a British newspaper for improving Formula One’s visibility in the United States.
Clik here to view.
Bobby Epstein, Circuit of the Americas co-founder, atop the observation tower. American-Statesman file photo
“If you make it too complicated, it becomes intimidating for some,” Epstein told the Guardian. “No one wants to feel like the idiot in the room. And people want to see competition, not technology. Competition trumps technology.
“It should be easier to follow. We must make better use of technology to communicate with the people on site. And it’s difficult to tell the drivers apart on the circuit – which one is Lewis out there, and which one is Nico Rosberg?”
Epstein said COTA would benefit if there were more F1 races in America. Mexico will have one next week, and many people suspected that race pulled potential ticket buyers from the Austin race.
“Two races wouldn’t help much. But six could,” the Austinite told the Guardian. “I’m talking about building an audience. You have to get up very early in the morning to watch F1 in America. So if you had six races in this time zone, it would make a big difference.
“We’re living in the age of instant data. When you wake up and you know the result of a race, why would you want to watch it? No one wants to go to a movie when they know how it ends. Five or six races would help. It would mean frequency and give people habits. And this is a big country. We really could stage that many events.”
Epstein also suggested F1 needs to do a better job marketing its drivers in the States, along the lines of what NASCAR does.
“Hollywood is based in America,” he said. “This is the center of the entertainment business. Formula One has some great personalities, and we shouldn’t hold them back. They are the people who sell tickets.
“Lewis (Hamilton) has recognized that, and he’s got outside the traditional comfort zone for some people in F1. I think it’s great. We need more of that. He’s a personality. Cars don’t have the same personality. Fans relate to human beings, not metal.
“We also like winners over here, and Lewis is the biggest winner out there. We don’t like rooting for the guy who comes in 20th.”
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
