The latest Formula 1 news is that Mercedes has now joined Ferrari with a threat to leave, effective at the end of the 2020 season. The dispute is over proposed new engine rules that may or may not go into effect in 2021. In addition to the proposed engine changes is a move to limit spending by teams.
Do They Not Understand?
Both sides have a lot to lose in this dispute that is presently at the hissy-fit level. Liberty Media has been at the helm of Formula 1 for only one year and as with all new managerial changes not everyone will be thrilled at first. There are still three racing seasons to go until the proposed changes might go into effect. Essentially, it looks like Ferrari and Mercedes are trying to throw their weight around. We believe that this is a big mistake. The Formula 1 brand is too valuable to be sullied by public bickering over changes that may not even take place or may be changed en route.
Look No Further than the Hapless NFL
The fast damage that can be done to an iconic brand is clearly evident by the massive defections by fans against the NFL. The dispute there is whether players should make political protests during the presentation of the US flag and the playing of the US national anthem.
Players protest by 'taking a knee' or much worse at this singular moment before games. By not quickly coming to a resolution satisfactory to players and fans alike, the league has essentially said to its formerly rabid fan base that their patriotic bonafides are not honored by the league and that as far as the league is concerned they can take their business elsewhere.
That was not the intent, of course, but it was the effect. The league has lost far more than a few tens of thousands in attendance at games. it has lost far more than the loss of viewership on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday when games are played.
It has lost its pre-eminence in the American sporting vanguard. This is irreplaceable. The league might recover over time but it will never be the same.
A Great Marketing Brand
Why would an internal difference of opinion on possible changes in the formula this far away from the enactment of said changes be escalated into a public fight that can serve the brand no good at all?
The Formula 1 brand has been used by such diverse businesses as HerbaLife, Marlboro and other tobacco companies, Durex condom manufacturers, Nacional Bank in Brazil, Red Bull and 7-UP, many auto makers, (it's a) Rolex, (the colours of) Benetton, a full range of auto care products that market under the Formula 1 brand, and, remarkably, online casino games.
Casino Games?
Games in general tell us a lot about a nation. They tell us about national character: how people pass their time.
Sport casino games have been around seemingly forever. Casino games generally and sport games in particular give fans a chance to vicariously feel themselves taking part in the sport. A game based on a Walkabout in the Australian Outback has to elicit the sensations of danger, excitement, even loneliness. A game based on horseracing has to feature a tremendous race with thunderous music in the background.
By the same token, a game based on auto racing and one that draws on the Formula 1 series of races must give vicarious thrills to its players. Formula 1 is first and foremost about speed. It's also about the many exotic venues where the races are held. It's an expensive proposition: building cars and travelling around the globe to race. All of this has to be in a casino game themed for high speed racing.
The very existence of such games, prominent at online casinos, like Spartan Casino, and the like, means that Formula 1 has a very unique fan base. It ranges from the rich people who thrill at the money that goes into creating and racing such a car to the average person who thrills primarily at the speed and inherent danger of high speed racing.
A person who owns a Ferrari or a Mercedes might get excited by how their car can be altered for racing. A person who drives something less pricey might thrill at what a car can be engineered to do.
Really, Guys?
It's amazing that the Formula 1 management team and Ferraris and Mercedes are willing to put off their core fan base over a dispute that belongs behind closed doors. The NFL dispute began and continued in front of everyone's eyes. The damage has been enormous. Why would a dispute that began in private be made public at this time?
It's like someone at Formula 1 said less douse our name and our brand in fuel, light it, and see if we can just walk away.
