F1 does not need youngsters – Bernie

One statement from Bernie Ecclestone is guaranteed to get the wires buzzing, generally because his utterances are extremely controversial. Last week was no exception.

Following his complete about face on the smaller teams I wrote about last week, Ecclestone has thrown another nugget into the melting pot that is F1. As you are aware, the ringmaster is not in favour of using social media for Formula One in any form at all – despite the protests of all around him.

He has said he cannot see any way of monetising it, but I think his latest explanation demonstrates the real reason for his negative attitude.

In a recent interview with the trade publication Campaign Asia-Pacific he is quoted as saying: “I’m not interested in tweeting, Facebook and whatever this nonsense is. I tried to find out but in any case I’m too old-fashioned. I couldn’t see any value in it and I don’t know what the so-called young generation of today really wants. What is it?”

An interesting statement, as he consistently refers to “I” not “we” as in a management team. He calls social media nonsense, says he is too old-fashioned and can’t see any value in it. Now we are getting somewhere: value, that’s the key word. But then he dropped the bombshell that created such furore among the media.

“Young kids will see the Rolex brand, but are they going to go and buy one? They can’t afford it. Or our other sponsor, UBS – these kids don’t care about banking. They haven’t got enough money to put in the bloody banks anyway. That’s what I think. I don’t know why people want to get to the so-called young generation. Why do they want to do that? Is it to sell them something? Most of these kids haven’t got any money. I’d rather get to the 70-year-old guy who’s got plenty of cash. So, there’s no point trying to reach these kids because they won’t buy any of the products here and if marketers are aiming at this audience then maybe they should advertise with Disney.”

So there you have it straight from the horse’s mouth.

If the international audience does not have money there is no point in trying to reach them.

I can think of a very good reason.

It is called Formula One racing, an apparently insignificant sideline of the Ecclestone CVC Capital Partners business venture.

Those young people who are of no consequence due to their restricted spending power are the very ones who should be reached by whatever means possible.

It is these very people who will become the income generators of the world and the future clients of Rolex and UBS.

More importantly, they are the people whose love of F1 will keep the sport alive and guarantee its future – points Ecclestone either misses or chooses to ignore in the short-term race for greater financial returns for investors right now.

This is the same man who, in another interview regarding the double-points situation, referred to the teams as “bloody idiots”, because they failed to accept his master plan to offer double points for the last three races – not just the current one. So it appears you either agree with Ecclestone or be considered below par mentally.

I recently read the view of a respected motorsport journalist on the crisis in the sport. Formula One was “a supertanker in the world of global sport and it takes a while to turn, but it will turn. It is too valuable to fail,” he wrote.

I see his point but, with the current captain and crew at the helm, I hope they make the turn very soon – before they find themselves stranded on the rocks. Perhaps it is time for a pilot in the guise of the FIA to step up to the bridge and take control before the teams, investors, sponsors and fans all witness the loss of the ship.