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F1 is a sport that we all love. It's something that we look forward to almost every other weekend. We all have our heroes. Some love Lewis Hamilton, while others love Max Verstappen.
As a Formula 1 fan, the sport is an integral part of our lives in some way or the other, and there was something about it that attracted us to it.
In the current day and age, Formula 1 is growing rapidly. It never had this kind of following, this kind of reach, and it was never this mainstream. For a long time, other than in Europe and a few pockets across the world where racing culture is huge, F1 was an acquired taste.
It was a niche sport that wasn't followed by the masses. Well, that is changing now and the sport has never been in a better place.
Having said that, like everything else in life, the sport that we love is not perfect. It has its flaws, it has its shortcomings, and to be completely honest, it has its fair share of uncomfortable truths as well. Fans, however, either tend to ignore or forget some facets of our sport or are unaware that they exist.
In this feature, what we aim to do is throw light on the rather dark side of our sport. A side that we do not tend to address as often as we probably should, a side that is not as pleasant and not as fun as the rest of the sport is. So, which side is it? Well, let's take a look!
#1 F1 is a business first, a sport later
Yes, you heard that right. Sometimes it's hard to understand things that happen in our sport because they just don't make sense. Why don't we race in Germany? Why is the future of Spa (Belgian GP), one of the best tracks in the world, in danger? We have a great track in Turkey, why don't we race there more often? We had some spectacular races in South Korea, why don't we go there anymore?
Well, just like any other business, it all comes down to profits and revenue. While these tracks might produce fantastic racing and are amazing in their sporting aspect, they do not generate as much revenue as the ones that are currently on the calendar.
This is precisely why F1 will have as many as three races in the United States of America in 2023. This is also why in 2023 we will have as many as four races in the Middle East.
At the end of the day, F1 is a business and will always focus on making the most profit every year. If that means we have to give up some great tracks on the calendar for a street track in Jeddah or Las Vegas, then so be it.
#2 The sport is governed by an inefficient body
The regularity with which the FIA gets called out for its inefficiency throughout an F1 season is hilarious and disappointing at the same time. In just the last two years, there have been far too many moments when the FIA's actions have raised alarms.
The number of leaks seen from the FIA in the Red Bull cost cap breach saga was just comical. Even before the organization had released its official report, everybody already knew everything. It is a major indictment of the credibility of an organization if sensitive information like this gets leaked.
Even before the whole cost cap incident, the FIA did not paint itself in glory all season. The way the Lewis Hamilton jewelry saga was handled was very disappointing. If we go back even further, then the way the whole Michael Masi situation amidst the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP scandal was handled was not satisfactory on any level.
All of this despite not even mentioning how Ferrari got away after a secret deal with the FIA in 2020 for its controversial power unit. Or how Mercedes got away with just a slap on the wrist after its illegal and secret tire test in 2013.
The FIA, as an organization, does not give the impression of being the most reliable governing body and for F1, that certainly hurts the image of the sport.
#3 "IT IS THE CAR" and the team, not the driver!
Lewis Hamilton would have won the F1 title this season if he was in Max Verstappen's car at Red Bull. Similarly, elite drivers like Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Max Verstappen would be champions, not Lewis Hamilton, if they drove for Mercedes in the Turbo-Hybrid era.
In 2016, when Nico Rosberg won the title, he was not the best driver on the grid. It's just that drivers like Alonso, Vettel, and Daniel Ricciardo simply did not have machinery strong enough to compete. Similarly, in 2009, when Jenson Button won the title, many F1 pundits felt Alonso, Hamilton, or Vettel would have beaten him with a more competitive car under them.
In F1, a driver is considered the biggest star and the highest-paid resource within a team. Having said that, is he the most important part of the entire process? There are occasions when the driver is. For instance, in the 2021 F1 title battle, Hamilton and Verstappen made a difference in their respective cars.
Having said that, the car underneath the driver and the entire team behind him often make a huge difference as well. Hence, whenever an F1 fan claims that a driver is winning "because of the car", there is certainly some truth to that!
#4 You have to drive a Ferrari/Red Bull/Mercedes to win/challenge for titles
Since 2009, when Brawn GP stole the march on the entire grid, there have only been three teams that have either fought or won the title. Red Bull won the title from 2010-13 with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso being the sole challenger in 2010 and 2012. Mercedes won the drivers' title from 2014-2020 with Sebastian Vettel in Ferrari putting up some sort of fight in 2017 and 2018. Finally, Red Bull again won the title in 2021 and 2022 with challenges from Mercedes and Ferrari in the two seasons.
For more than a decade, these three teams have had a monopoly over title battles. Although teams like Alpine/Renault, McLaren, and Aston Martin have prepared to launch an attack to the front, they've failed. The reality of F1, unless the new regulations bring a drastic change in 2023, is that the top three teams have developed such great foundations that crossing that hurdle from midfield to the front is very tough at this stage. What this also means is that as an F1 driver, you need to be in these three teams if you want to win, otherwise you just have to settle for a midfield role.
#5 F1 fan toxicity and fan abuse are at an all-time high
In the last couple of years, ever since Max Verstappen gained prominence and Lewis Hamilton found competition, there's been a jump in F1 fan toxicity and abuse. The two drivers were involved in a heated title battle that did get out of control on occasion. What was not expected, however, was the resulting social media toxicity and fan abuse.
These days, it has become very common for any remotely known F1 personality to get dragged through the mud if he or she makes a statement that a fanbase does not agree with. Ted Kravitz was recently a victim when Verstappen and Red Bull decided to boycott Sky Sports. Earlier in the season, Hannah Schmitz was subject to abuse after the race in Zandvoort and how can we forget the distasteful boos received by both Hamilton and Verstappen on certain tracks this season.
F1 fan toxicity is a huge problem right now and while certain steps have been spoken about by the FIA as well as the Formula One Management, we'll have to wait and see what kind of impact those steps have on the final product.
Formula 1, as a sport, is loved by fans all across the globe. Its impact can be measured by the fact that thousands of people devote their lives to it. The sport can inspire fans and even act as a uniting force for people from different walks of life. Having said that, it's not perfect and it has its rather dark side that as F1 fans we need to be aware of.
