tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/formula-1-8623/articlesFormula 1 – The Conversation2024-03-22T10:21:16Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2263312024-03-22T10:21:16Z2024-03-22T10:21:16ZWhat happens to F1 drivers’ bodies, and what sort of training do they do?<p>Various forms of motorsport are passionately followed around the world, and the pinnacle of the sport is Formula 1 – a fast-paced battle between drivers and teams with some of the most finely engineered vehicles in the world. </p>
<p>Despite the impressive speeds and engineering of their machines, race car drivers have sometimes <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-013-0040-2">battled the stereotype</a> that they are not truly elite athletes. However, the recent advent of television series such as Drive to Survive has given the public an insight into the demands of driving in Formula 1. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-netflix-show-has-become-a-key-driver-behind-f1s-rising-popularity-221924">How a Netflix show has become a key driver behind F1's rising popularity</a>
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<h2>Formula 1 drivers: elite athletes?</h2>
<p>Drivers use split-second judgements to perform precision steering while travelling at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour. All the while, drivers need to concentrate on the track, their opponents, and feedback provided through their radio or steering wheel.</p>
<p>As the vehicles have developed over time, so too have the drivers. Nowadays, drivers are considered athletes who must undergo immense preparation and training to ensure their physical and mental abilities can manage the <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/abstract/9900/a_scoping_review_of_the_physiological_profiles_of.97.aspx">ever-increasing limits</a> of their machines and environmental demands. </p>
<h2>What forces are Formula 1 drivers exposed to?</h2>
<p>During a typical race, Formula 1 drivers are subjected to a <a href="https://europepmc.org/article/med/12471320">barrage of physical and psychological demands</a> that test their strength, endurance and mental fortitude at high speeds. </p>
<p>Not only is a driver required to have sufficient strength to perform, they must also stabilise themselves to withstand gravitational forces (G-force) in multiple different directions.</p>
<p>During cornering and braking, drivers experience forces upwards of 5Gs. In addition, each application of a brake pedal requires between 600–700 newtons of force which, during a 90-minute race, would equate to a total load of 57,940kg (based on the 14 turns and 58 laps of Melbourne’s Albert Park track).</p>
<p>However, when things go wrong, the forces experienced by drivers are even more extreme. In a crash, drivers can experience deceleration forces of <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2006/02000/an_analysis_of_maximum_vehicle_g_forces_and_brain.8.aspx">up to 100G</a>]</p>
<p>As you can imagine, such forces place incredible strain on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31246718/">a driver’s head and neck</a>.</p>
<p>The forces experienced by Formula 1 drivers are like those of military pilots. Unsurprisingly, this can result in neck and back pain or a loss of peripheral vision (often called grey-out) when forces are endured for <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/20/13413">an extended period</a>. </p>
<p>Fortunately, F1 drivers aren’t typically subject to extended G-force loading. Rather, they are challenged repeatedly through acceleration, deceleration and cornering. </p>
<p>To combat the effects of these forces, drivers train their trunk and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpFbv0KUK40">neck strength</a> against high loads to be able to counteract the forces pulling their head and neck around their cockpit. Drivers also train their <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2019/12000/v_o2peak,_body_composition,_and_neck_strength_of.18.aspx">aerobic capacity</a> to assist with handling these demands, resulting in high heart rates and physiological stress. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Formula 1 drivers push themselves to the limit during races, and training.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Trying to beat the heat</h2>
<p>Beyond the incredible forces experienced by driver-athletes, cabin temperatures can <a href="https://europepmc.org/article/med/33416270">exceed 50°C</a>, and extensive heat generated from the vehicle (through the close proximity of the transmission and engine to the driver) via convective heat transfer can result in more than 3% <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2018/07000/hydration_status_and_thermoregulatory_responses_in.34.aspx?casa_token=Upgf3HdNoGgAAAAA:Kfn2LsHVPDeHOvqwkFDTg5Xjr8OEM7UglO6twga--0yaeakNpm4-PU6K4NQ9gxveKJnYvlJjKcn3O7YdFbEKVYJzgw">bodyweight loss</a> during a race. </p>
<p>Drivers therefore need to stay hydrated to maintain their health, safety and performance. This process is made harder by the mandated safety equipment – under the <a href="https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/regulation/file/Driver-Guide-2011.pdf">Federation Internationale de l’Automobile guidelines</a>, drivers must wear fire-retardant boots, under- and over-garments, balaclavas, gloves and helmets that <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/2/2/article-p182.xml">limit their capacity to cool down</a> via evaporation and convection.</p>
<h2>Every kilogram counts</h2>
<p>In preparation for these ever-increasing demands, F1 drivers maintain very low body-fat percentages (around 8%) compared with IndyCar drivers (around 17%) and maintain greater levels of fitness than their counterparts from IndyCar and NASCAR, allowing them to meet the design demands of the vehicle. </p>
<p>Similarly, F1 drivers are <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/abstract/9900/a_scoping_review_of_the_physiological_profiles_of.97.aspx">typically stronger and more powerful</a> than their counterparts from other racing series. </p>
<p>Because of the demands of the F1 racing calendar, drivers need to get the most bang for their buck through efficient training methods that improve strength, power and fitness. </p>
<p>Nutritionally, they should consume a balanced diet that maintains weight and optimal body composition so they don’t become too heavy or large for their limited cockpit space. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/women-in-formula-one-how-the-sport-is-trying-to-redress-its-longstanding-lack-of-support-for-female-drivers-and-staff-225230">Women in Formula One: how the sport is trying to redress its longstanding lack of support for female drivers and staff</a>
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<h2>What else do drivers do to prepare?</h2>
<p>Of course, racing at speeds of more than 300km per hour with millimetres between rivals requires more than strength, fitness and fearlessness. There is substantial skill required to control a machine that is being pushed to its limits.</p>
<p>Beyond their athleticism, F1 drivers develop skills from a very young age and typically progress from go-karting through to the elite level.</p>
<p>So, it’s not just about a fast car and being fit and strong enough to control it – if you want to make it as an elite driver in the top tier, years of practice and devotion to the art of driving are required too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226331/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Haines has previously worked for Toro Rosso F1 Team, and am now currently consulting with various V8 Supercars Teams & Drivers.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dan van den Hoek and Justin Holland do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Formula 1 drivers endure a barrage of physical and psychological demands - but what exactly do their bodies go through during a race?Dan van den Hoek, Senior Lecturer, Clinical Exercise Physiology, University of the Sunshine CoastJustin Holland, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology, Queensland University of TechnologyPaul Haines, Manager, Sport Engagement (Performance), Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2252302024-03-11T17:18:43Z2024-03-11T17:18:43ZWomen in Formula One: how the sport is trying to redress its longstanding lack of support for female drivers and staff<p>In the high-speed world of Formula One, women’s presence has been increasing at a snail’s pace, both on and off the track. While the sport has seen some remarkable female drivers, managers and engineers over the years, their visibility has often been sporadic and overshadowed by the dominance of men.</p>
<p>As F1 continues to evolve, there is a growing awareness of the need for greater gender equality and visibility within the sport. This is not just a matter of improving fairness, but a <a href="https://theconversation.com/formula-ones-women-problem-is-bad-for-business-53317">missed business opportunity</a>. A larger presence of women in F1, particularly at the wheel, would attract new fans and sponsors, and inspire more women to pursue a motorsport career – in turn offering a broader supply of engineers, executives and drivers.</p>
<p>Historically, women in F1 have faced significant barriers to entry, and then more once they are in the sport. Only <a href="https://racingnews365.com/woman-in-f1">five female racing drivers</a> have entered world championship grands prix – of whom just two qualified and actually raced.</p>
<h2>Too many false starts</h2>
<p>The first woman to compete in an F1 grand prix was Italy’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/observer/osm/story/0,,1720870,00.html">Maria Teresa de Filippis</a>. She participated in five races in 1958 and 1959, qualifying for three. Her best race finish was tenth. Another Italian, Lella Lombardi, took part in 17 grands prix between 1974 and 1976. She remains the only woman to score a world championship point – well, half a point – after finishing sixth in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix in a rain-shortened race.</p>
<p>In 1976, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-1/2019/05/18/meet-divina-galica-fearless-british-f1-driver-proved-women-can/">British Olympic ski racer Divina Galica</a> switched sports and tried to secure a spot in the British Grand Prix. This marked the only time more than one female driver (Lombardi and Galica) has participated in qualifying for a grand prix – unfortunately, both failed to make the race grid.</p>
<p>Four years later, South African <a href="https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/drivers/desire-wilson/">Desiré Wilson</a> also tried to qualify for the British Grand Prix, and again fell short. But the same year, she achieved another milestone by becoming the only woman to clinch victory in any type of F1 race, triumphing at Brands Hatch in the British Formula One Championship.</p>
<p>The most recent female driver to take part in the F1 world championship was Italy’s <a href="https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/opinions/30-years-after-giovanna-amati-were-no-closer-to-another-female-f1-driver/">Giovanna Amati</a>, who, at the start of the 1992 season, joined the British Brabham team. However, she encountered difficulties in qualifying and was unable to secure a spot in any of the three races she entered, before being replaced by male drivers.</p>
<p>After that, a further two decades would pass before <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/british-grand-prix-2014-susie-wolff-the-first-woman-to-take-part-in-a-formula-one-race-weekend-in-22-years-9584247.html">Britain’s Susie Wolff</a> became the most recent female driver to participate in F1 during the 2014 season, but only in some practice sessions.</p>
<h2>Investment in female drivers</h2>
<p>Beyond the driver’s seat, women have held <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/31038834/the-women-power-formula-one-engineers-mechanics-directors-their-role-changing-man-world">various leading roles in F1</a>. Most notably, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/oct/11/sauber-monisha-kaltenborn-f1">Monisha Kaltenborn</a> served as team principal for Swiss team Sauber in 2012 until 2017, and <a href="https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/claire-williams-is-back-at-williams-but-not-the-f1-team/">Claire Williams</a> was deputy team principal of Williams Racing from 2013-2020.</p>
<p>Female engineers and technicians can also play crucial roles in the development and performance of F1 cars. For example, <a href="https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/hannah-schmitz-oracle-red-bull-racing-strategist">Hannah Schmitz</a> is the trailblazing principal strategy engineer of current F1 world champion, Max Verstappen.</p>
<p>The public image of women within the sport has certainly changed over time. The so-called “grid girls” – women tasked with parading on the starting grid during race weekends, purely for promotional purposes – <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/formula-1-f1-grid-girls-banned-get-rid-women-grand-prix-darts-ban-pdc-walk-on-eddie-hearn-a8187161.html">were banned by Liberty Media</a>, the current F1 commercial rights holder, at the start of the 2018 season. Liberty stated that the practice did not resonate with its brand values, and was considered at odds with modern societal norms – particularly as the sport is increasingly targeting family and female audiences.</p>
<p>But despite some remarkable improvements, women remain underrepresented in F1, with few opportunities to showcase their talents on the track or in leadership positions. In 2023, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/josephwolkin/2023/10/04/red-bull-racing-highlights-female-engineers-in-formula-1/?sh=44b4668b24b0">women made up 13%</a> of people working for Mercedes and 6% for Red Bull – two of the sport’s leading teams. Overall that season, F1’s <a href="https://www.formula1.com/content/dam/fom-website/manual/Misc/GenderPay/F1GenderPayGapReport2023.pdf">gender pay gap report</a> found that women represented 31% of the sport’s staff. </p>
<p>Several factors contribute to this gender disparity, including societal stereotypes, lack of access to resources and opportunities, and an inferior number of women studying engineering and related technical subjects. </p>
<p>However, research suggests the absence of successful female drivers <a href="https://www.topgear.com/car-news/motorsport/no-reason-why-women-cant-compete-f1-says-major-study">isn’t due to biological differences</a>. Concerns regarding strength, size and weight differences, while relevant in some sports where men and women compete separately, are less significant in F1, and can even be advantageous. Being smaller and lighter is important for drivers, as it leaves engineers more adjustable ballast to reach the minimum car weight allowed. </p>
<p>More crucial is the need for excellent cognitive abilities to maintain focus during races, something women are not short of. If given proper training, women possess the same potential as men to excel as F1 drivers.</p>
<h2>Societal biases</h2>
<p>The lack of women in the driver seat is shaped <a href="https://sportsgazette.co.uk/the-idea-that-women-cant-be-as-good-as-a-man-at-driving-a-formula-one-car-is-purely-socially-constructed-dr-paolo-aversa-about/">by statistics and societal biases</a>. The path to becoming a professional driver typically begins with karting at a very young age, around four or five, necessitating continuous training and financial backing from sponsors. </p>
<p>However, few families encourage young girls to pursue driving at such an early age, and young girls are also exposed to fewer female racing champions that can inspire them. Consequently, there are significantly fewer girls engaged early enough in professional racing compared with boys, diminishing the likelihood of discovering the next major F1 talent among them.</p>
<p>Several initiatives have been established to address gender inequality within the sport. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/jun/25/trailblazing-w-series-has-created-opportunities-for-women-in-motor-sport">W Series</a>, launched in 2019, offered financial support, training and exposure to create a pathway for women to reach F1. But it <a href="https://jalopnik.com/f1-academy-is-thriving-where-w-series-failed-1850962490">went into administration in 2022</a> due to lack of funding, popularity, and the structure to guarantee successful rookies could move up the ladder. </p>
<p>In 2022, the <a href="https://www.f1academy.com/">F1 Academy</a> marked a new effort to increase diversity in the sport. By being directly endorsed and supported by F1, its teams and governing body the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), the F1 Academy aims to identify and develop talented individuals from underrepresented groups including women through mentoring, training and access to resources, creating a clear and structured pathaway towards major series and F1.</p>
<p>But the prospect of more women racing in F1 still looks some way off. True gender parity in the sport will only be achieved through the sustained effort and commitment of all its stakeholders, including teams, sponsors and governing bodies. </p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paolo Aversa does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Only five female racing drivers have ever entered a world championship grand prix – of whom just two qualified and raced.Paolo Aversa, Professor of Strategy, King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2217062024-02-14T13:23:27Z2024-02-14T13:23:27ZRevving up tourism: Formula One and other big events look set to drive growth in the hospitality industry<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570748/original/file-20240122-21-hh4b9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=95%2C59%2C7871%2C5160&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sergio Perez of Oracle Red Bull Racing, right, and Charles Leclerc of the Scuderia Ferrari team compete in the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 19, 2023.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sergio-perez-of-oracle-red-bull-racing-f1-team-and-charles-news-photo/1790416613">Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In late 2023, I embarked on my first Formula One race experience, attending the first-ever <a href="https://www.f1lasvegasgp.com">Las Vegas Grand Prix</a>. I had never been to an F1 race; my interest was sparked during the pandemic, largely through the Netflix series “<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80204890">Formula 1: Drive to Survive</a>.”</p>
<p>But I wasn’t just attending as a fan. As <a href="http://hhp.ufl.edu/about/faculty-staff/rachel_fu/">the inaugural chair</a> of the University of Florida’s <a href="https://hhp.ufl.edu/about/departments/them/">department of tourism, hospitality and event management</a>, I saw this as an opportunity. Big events and festivals represent <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJEFM-10-2019-080/full/pdf?title=event-and-festival-research-a-review-and-research-directions">a growing share</a> of the tourism market – as an educator, I want to prepare future leaders to manage them. </p>
<p>And what better place to learn how to do that than in the stands of the Las Vegas Grand Prix? </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574695/original/file-20240209-30-b8vl6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A smiling professor is illuminated by bright lights in a nighttime photo taken at a Formula 1 event in Nevada." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574695/original/file-20240209-30-b8vl6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574695/original/file-20240209-30-b8vl6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574695/original/file-20240209-30-b8vl6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574695/original/file-20240209-30-b8vl6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574695/original/file-20240209-30-b8vl6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574695/original/file-20240209-30-b8vl6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574695/original/file-20240209-30-b8vl6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The author at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katherine Fu</span></span>
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<h2>The future of tourism is in events and experiences</h2>
<p>Tourism is fun, but it’s also big business: In the <a href="https://www.ustravel.org/research/industry-impact">U.S.</a> alone, it’s a US$2.6 trillion industry employing 15 million people. And with travelers increasingly planning their trips around events rather than places, both <a href="https://www.ifea.com">industry leaders</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.07.017">academics are paying attention</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2015/07/25/from-lollapalooza-to-nfl-draft-high-profile-events-paying-off-for-chicago/">Event tourism is also key</a> to many cities’ economic development strategies – think Chicago and its annual Lollapalooza music festival, which has been hosted in Grant Park since 2005. In 2023, Lollapalooza generated <a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics/lollapalooza-boosts-chicago-economy-422-million-2023-impact-study-says">an estimated $422 million</a> for the local economy and drew <a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/tourism/lollapalooza-2023-attendance-pays-hotels-restaurants">record-breaking crowds</a> to the city’s hotels.</p>
<p>That’s why when Formula One announced it would be <a href="https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/35612895/las-vegas-approves-plan-hold-f1-race-2032">making a 10-year commitment</a> to host races in Las Vegas, the region’s tourism agency was <a href="https://press.lvcva.com/news-releases/formula-1-will-race-in-las-vegas-from-2023/s/766a27f9-57f8-48a2-a369-74ffeaf98e0f">eager to spread the news</a>. The 2023 grand prix eventually generated <a href="https://theathletic.com/5081391/2023/11/22/las-vegas-grand-prix-attendance-viewership-numbers/#">$100 million in tax revenue</a>, the head of that agency later announced.</p>
<h2>Why Formula One?</h2>
<p>Formula One offers a prime example of the economic importance of event tourism. In 2022, Formula One generated <a href="https://www.libertymedia.com/news/detail/485/liberty-media-corporation-reports-fourth-quarter-and-year">about $2.6 billion</a> in total revenues, according to the latest full-year data from its parent company. That’s up 20% from 2021 and <a href="https://www.libertymedia.com/investors/news-events/press-releases/detail/42/liberty-media-corporation-reports-fourth-quarter-and-year">27% from 2019</a>, the last pre-COVID year. A record 5.7 million fans attended Formula One races in 2022, up 36% from 2019. </p>
<p>This surge in interest can be attributed to expanded broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals and a growing global fan base. And, of course, the in-person events make a lot of money – the cheapest tickets to the Las Vegas Grand Prix were $500. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570745/original/file-20240122-25-xaj1jo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two brightly colored race cars are seen speeding down a track in a blur." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570745/original/file-20240122-25-xaj1jo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570745/original/file-20240122-25-xaj1jo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=326&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570745/original/file-20240122-25-xaj1jo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=326&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570745/original/file-20240122-25-xaj1jo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=326&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570745/original/file-20240122-25-xaj1jo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570745/original/file-20240122-25-xaj1jo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570745/original/file-20240122-25-xaj1jo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Turn 1 at the first Las Vegas Grand Prix.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rachel Fu</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That’s why I think of Formula One as more than just a pastime: It’s emblematic of a major shift in the tourism industry that offers substantial job opportunities. And it takes more than drivers and pit crews to make Formula One run – it takes a diverse range of professionals in fields such as event management, marketing, engineering and beyond. </p>
<p>This rapid industry growth indicates an opportune moment for universities to adapt their hospitality and business curricula and prepare students for careers in this profitable field.</p>
<h2>How hospitality and business programs should prepare students</h2>
<p>To align with the evolving landscape of mega-events like Formula One races, hospitality schools should, I believe, integrate specialized training in event management, luxury hospitality and international business. Courses focusing on large-scale event planning, VIP client management and cross-cultural communication are essential. </p>
<p>Another area for curriculum enhancement is sustainability and innovation in hospitality. Formula One, like many other companies, has increased its emphasis on <a href="https://theathletic.com/4950077/2023/10/11/f1-sustainability-climate-change/">environmental responsibility</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/26/climate-emergency-accelerates-f1-efforts-to-clean-up-image">in recent years</a>. While some critics <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/21/after-the-flood-storms-lie-ahead-for-formula-one-in-race-to-hit-carbon-zero">have been skeptical</a> of this push, I think it makes sense. After all, the event tourism industry both <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2021.100393">contributes to climate change and is threatened by it</a>. So, programs may consider incorporating courses in sustainable event management, eco-friendly hospitality practices and innovations in sustainable event and tourism. </p>
<p>Additionally, business programs may consider emphasizing strategic marketing, brand management and digital media strategies for F1 and for the larger event-tourism space. As both continue to evolve, understanding how to leverage digital platforms, engage global audiences and create compelling brand narratives becomes increasingly important. </p>
<p>Beyond hospitality and business, other disciplines such as material sciences, engineering and data analytics can also integrate F1 into their curricula. Given the <a href="https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-fans-becoming-younger-and-more-diverse-say-global-survey-results-/6696732/">younger generation’s growing interest</a> in motor sports, embedding F1 case studies and projects in these programs can enhance student engagement and provide practical applications of theoretical concepts. </p>
<h2>Racing into the future: Formula One today and tomorrow</h2>
<p>F1 has boosted its outreach to younger audiences in recent years and has also acted to strengthen its presence in the U.S., a market with major potential for the sport. The 2023 Las Vegas race was a <a href="https://www.ktnv.com/news/vegas-grand-prix/las-vegas-grand-prix-ceo-boasts-attendance-of-315k-claims-race-will-have-1-2b-economic-impact">strategic move</a> in this direction. These decisions, along with the continued growth of the sport’s fan base and sponsorship deals, underscore F1’s economic significance and future potential.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2024.html">Looking ahead in 2024</a>, Formula One seems ripe for further expansion. New races, continued advancements in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/26/sports/autoracing/formula-1-broadcast-technology.html">broadcasting technology</a> and <a href="https://formulapedia.com/the-evolution-of-f1-sponsorship-deals-a-historic-overview/">evolving sponsorship models</a> are expected to drive revenue growth. And Season 6 of “Drive to Survive” will be released on <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.drive-to-survive-season-6-release-date-announced-by-netflix.6ZS1GdHlVRpNc9dxA9kZ8F.html">Feb. 23</a>, 2024. We already know that was effective marketing – after all, it inspired me to check out the Las Vegas Grand Prix.</p>
<p>I’m more sure than ever that big events like this will play a major role in the future of tourism – a message I’ll be imparting to my students. And in my free time, I’m planning to enhance my quality of life in 2024 by synchronizing my vacations with the F1 calendar. After all, nothing says “relaxing getaway” quite like the roar of engines and excitement of the racetrack.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221706/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel J.C. Fu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>With big events drawing a growing share of of tourism dollars, F1 offers a potential glimpse of the travel industry’s future.Rachel J.C. Fu, Chair & Professor of Dept. of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management | Director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute | Affiliate Professor of Dept. of Information Systems and Operations Management, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1914972022-10-31T19:02:23Z2022-10-31T19:02:23ZThis Melbourne Cup, alcohol and sport collide. We need to watch out for domestic violence<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490762/original/file-20221020-25-1bq09z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2%2C0%2C1914%2C1279&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-squeezing-a-woman-s-shoulder-4379914/">Karolina Grabowska/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Not everyone looks forward to the Melbourne Cup. Domestic violence and emergency services ready themselves for a <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/%7E/media/resourcecentre/publicationsandresources/alcohol%20misuse/drinkingcultures-sportingevents/fullreport_drinkingcultures-sportingevents_vichealth-turningpoint.ashx">potential increase</a> in calls, call-outs and admissions.</p>
<p>But as our recent <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hsc.14028">review shows</a>, the Melbourne Cup isn’t the only major sporting event around the world linked to a rise in domestic violence. </p>
<p>Not everyone agrees on why this is happening. We show alcohol is just one factor.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-the-melbourne-cup-still-the-race-that-stops-the-nation-or-are-we-saying-nuptothecup-170801">Is the Melbourne Cup still the race that stops the nation – or are we saying #nuptothecup?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s going on?</h2>
<p>Police-recorded assaults and emergency department presentations for assault <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/%7E/media/resourcecentre/publicationsandresources/alcohol%20misuse/drinkingcultures-sportingevents/fullreport_drinkingcultures-sportingevents_vichealth-turningpoint.ashx">increase</a> on or around the major sporting events in Victoria – the AFL grand final, Melbourne Cup and Formula 1.</p>
<p>In particular, domestic violence assaults <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/%7E/media/resourcecentre/publicationsandresources/alcohol%20misuse/drinkingcultures-sportingevents/fullreport_drinkingcultures-sportingevents_vichealth-turningpoint.ashx">rise significantly</a> on the day of the Melbourne Cup.</p>
<p>In New South Wales, police data across six years shows domestic violence assaults increased <a href="http://fare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/The-association-between-State-of-Origin-and-assaults-in-two-Australian-states-noEM.pdf">by more than 40%</a> following State of Origin rugby league games compared with non-State of Origin nights.</p>
<p>Our review also shows domestic violence <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hsc.14028">increases</a> on days of, and around, major sporting events around the world. This includes major National Football League games in the United States and Canada, and soccer matches in Scotland.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whether-teams-win-or-lose-sporting-events-lead-to-spikes-in-violence-against-women-and-children-99686">Whether teams win or lose, sporting events lead to spikes in violence against women and children</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why is this happening?</h2>
<p>Not everyone agrees on why domestic violence is linked with major sporting events. We know perpetrators are more likely to use violence or become more violent <a href="https://web.archive.org.au/awa/20090129005223mp_/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/93593/20090129-1148/Stakeholder+paper_2.pdf">during public holidays</a> in Australia. Both the AFL grand final and the Melbourne Cup receive a dedicated public holiday in Victoria on or around the event.</p>
<p>Alcohol is certainly a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/add.15485">risk factor</a> for increased frequency and severity of domestic violence. The use of alcohol during major sports events and over holidays is <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/%7E/media/resourcecentre/publicationsandresources/alcohol%20misuse/drinkingcultures-sportingevents/fullreport_drinkingcultures-sportingevents_vichealth-turningpoint.ashx">well documented</a>.</p>
<p>Similarly, <a href="https://www.anrows.org.au/publication/the-relationship-between-gambling-and-intimate-partner-violence-against-women/">gambling</a> and stress over income loss is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/1524838014561269">also linked to </a> the increased use and escalation of domestic violence. These too can occur around the time of events, such as the Melbourne Cup.</p>
<p>But focusing on alcohol and gambling alone runs the risk of such violence <a href="https://media-cdn.ourwatch.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/11/18101814/Change-the-story-Our-Watch-AA.pdf">being excused</a>. This focus can send the message that men cannot be held entirely responsible for their behaviour.</p>
<h2>A sport’s culture</h2>
<p>A sport’s culture can also be a <a href="https://xyonline.net/sites/xyonline.net/files/Flood%20Dyson%2C%20Sport%20and%20violence%20against%20women%2007.pdf">contributing factor</a> to domestic violence. Sport, violence, and what it means to be a man have long been recognised as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29338922/">connected</a>. For instance, coaches <a href="https://cgscholar.com/bookstore/works/boys-will-be-boys-assessing-attitudes-of-athletic-officials-on-sexism-and-violence-against-women">promote aggression</a> for performance.</p>
<p>There’s also an <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hsc.14028">emotive connection</a> to sport. Sport fans display “irrational passions”, maintain “blind optimism”, have “highly charged” memories and passion that mimic “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.smr.2009.07.002">addiction</a>”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/toughen-up-snowflake-sports-coaches-can-be-emotionally-abusive-heres-how-to-recognise-it-110267">Toughen up snowflake! Sports coaches can be emotionally abusive – here's how to recognise it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>However, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hsc.14028">our review</a> also showed that not all sports or their events are associated with domestic violence. Each sits within a culture that differs from sport to sport and country to country. </p>
<p>Some studies we reviewed showed that contact sports, such as <a href="https://academic.oup.com/qje/article/126/1/103/1903433?login=true">American football</a>, were associated with increases in domestic violence. Meanwhile, other contact sports, for instance, rugby union in the United Kingdom, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953620306766?via%3Dihub">were not</a>. </p>
<p>Soccer is a non-contact sport but was linked to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022427813494843">increased rates</a> of domestic violence in the UK. Traditional rivalry between opposing soccer teams had a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obes.12105">significant impact</a> on domestic violence rates.</p>
<p>Perhaps emotionally charged games may best indicate whether an increased rate in domestic violence is likely. Examples include finals, or when a team is close to winning or losing a league. Frustrating or controversial outcomes, such as poor play or refereeing decisions, may also predict a rise in domestic violence.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Soccer fan raising fist while watching soccer match" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490823/original/file-20221020-18-n71vxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/490823/original/file-20221020-18-n71vxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490823/original/file-20221020-18-n71vxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490823/original/file-20221020-18-n71vxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490823/original/file-20221020-18-n71vxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490823/original/file-20221020-18-n71vxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/490823/original/file-20221020-18-n71vxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Frustrating or controversial outcomes, such as poor play or refereeing decisions, may also predict a rise in domestic violence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-in-red-and-blue-top-raising-left-hand-54308/">Pixabay</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>An unexpected loss, for example, is connected with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjr001">increased domestic violence</a> rates, more so if that game is also considered important, for example during finals or potentially exiting a World Cup. </p>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953620306766?via%3Dihub">a UK study</a> found that alcohol-related domestic violence significantly increased only when England won, not when they lost or drew. So losing is not necessarily the key factor.</p>
<p>Drinking motives may come into play here, with different supporters drinking (more) <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-four-types-of-drinker-which-one-are-you-89377">to celebrate or to cope</a>.</p>
<p>When taken together, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.15485?af=R">we can conclude</a> it’s the culture of a particular sport in a particular country, exaggerated by keen rivalry, how emotionally charged a game might be, and when the game is played, that can predict a rise in domestic violence. That’s in addition to increased gambling or alcohol use linked to these events.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-sport-can-tackle-violence-against-women-and-girls-107886">How sport can tackle violence against women and girls</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What can we do about it?</h2>
<p>Policies to address domestic violence associated with sport need to be tailored to the places where an event is taking place and how a country’s, or even state’s, culture influences sporting fans’ behaviour. </p>
<p>We need to think about:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>when major sporting events are scheduled (ideally away from public holidays)</p></li>
<li><p>limiting alcohol availability and increased prices, particularly during major events</p></li>
<li><p>joint planning across police, health and specialist domestic violence services ahead of major sporting events</p></li>
<li><p>developing social marketing campaigns for fans to coincide with
with sporting events, such as the AFL grand final’s #liftyourgame. Such campaigns need to be free of alcohol and gambling sponsorship.</p></li>
</ul>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1573099860437385223"}"></div></p>
<p>Initiatives need to be developed with support from policy makers, state, and national sports organisations, as well as specialist domestic violence and emergency services. </p>
<p>They need to be effectively tailored to the sport, its fans, and the cultural context being targeted. They need to happen now and be evaluated.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>If this article raises issues for you or someone you know, contact: <a href="https://1800respect.org.au">1800 RESPECT</a> (1800 737 732), <a href="https://www.safesteps.org.au">Safe Steps</a> (1800 015 188), <a href="https://ntv.org.au">Men’s Referral Service</a> (1300 766 491) or <a href="https://mensline.org.au">Mensline</a> (1300 78 99 78). In an emergency, call 000.</em></p>
<hr>
<p><em>William Douglas, policy and projects officer at <a href="https://ntv.org.au">No to Violence</a> co-authored this article and is a partner in the research mentioned in it.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191497/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kirsty Forsdike currently receives funding from the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions of the Victorian Government to research the prevention of violence against women through sport and has previously received funding from the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation to explore violence against women in sport. She also receives funding from the Victorian State Government Crime Prevention Innovation Fund and has previously received funding from the Department of Social Services, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Respect Victoria and Department of Social Services.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne-Marie Laslett receives funding from the
Australian Research Council and
*veski
*The Victorian Near-miss Award Pilot is being administered by veski for the Victorian Health and Medical Research Workforce Project on behalf of the Victorian Government and the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes. Funding for the Pilot has been provided by the Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions. The Victorian Near-miss Awards are provided to eligible individuals who narrowly missed out on the 2021 NHMRC Investigator Grant funding in the Emerging Leaders 2 stream.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Associate Professor Leesa Hooker currently receives funding from a Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions Crime Prevention grant. She does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no other relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.</span></em></p>For years, we’ve taken major sporting events, a public holiday, added alcohol and gambling, then watched domestic violence rates rise. It’s time we did something different.Kirsty Forsdike, Senior Lecturer, La Trobe Business School and Senior Researcher in Centre for Sport & Social Impact, La Trobe UniversityAnne-Marie Laslett, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe UniversityLeesa Hooker, Research Director, Rural Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1736052021-12-22T14:27:57Z2021-12-22T14:27:57ZF1: is the race now on for a new owner?<p>The Formula One duel between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59628024">was resolved</a> in sensational – and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-59645658">controversial</a> – style on the final lap of the last race of 2021. The Dutch driver snatched victory and the world title from his British rival at the end of what was widely considered <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/racing/top-stories/thrilling-2021-season-among-best-in-formula-one-history/articleshow/88234313.cms">one of the best</a> seasons in the sport’s history. </p>
<p>It seems clear from the close finish that Formula One is in rude health on the track. It is also attracting large viewing figures – which could in turn attract fresh financial interest in owning the sport. </p>
<p>Currently at the wheel is the US media giant Liberty Media, which also has interests in baseball, broadcasting, film production and sport management. It <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.liberty-completes-f1-acquisition.3zzGTfOwC4OkEc8EAKMKKw.html">bought Formula One</a> for US$4.6 billion (£3.4 billion) in 2017 from the previous owners, CVC Capital Partners.</p>
<p>But just two years later, in 2019, there <a href="https://www.pitpass.com/71095/Las-Vegas-F1-return-a-step-closer">were rumours</a> that Liberty was already <a href="https://www.grandprix.com/news/red-bull-denies-wanting-to-buy-f1.html">considering selling</a> up. The rumours, denied by Liberty, came amid concerns about falling fan numbers and the challenge of increasing the appeal of Formula One to a younger audience. </p>
<p>But things have changed – very fast.</p>
<p>After a <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-announces-tv-and-digital-audience-figures-for-2020.3sbRmZm4u5Jf8pagvPoPUQ.html">recent decline</a> in TV audience figures (they dropped from 1.9 billion to 1.5 billion from 2019 to 2020), Formula One’s profile has been significantly enhanced. </p>
<p>During the 2021 season, the global TV audience for the first nine races <a href="https://frontofficesports.com/formula-1-viewership-surges-in-2021-season/">increased by 36%</a> compared to 2019. And in 2020 there was a <a href="https://frontofficesports.com/formula-1-viewership-surges-in-2021-season/">99% increase</a> in social media engagements recorded across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube – the largest increase for any professional sport, and a clear indication that younger fans were showing interest.</p>
<p>This marked increase in popularity – especially <a href="https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ricciardo-drive-to-survive-helped-put-f1-on-the-map-in-the-us-4984263/4984263/">in the US</a> – is likely to be at least in part down to the success of the Netflix documentary series <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80204890">Drive to Survive</a>, which has become one of the streaming giant’s most-watched shows. </p>
<p>Netflix CEO Reed Hastings also counts himself a fan of Formula One, suggesting that if Liberty were considering selling, he would be willing to make an offer. He explained in an <a href="https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/09/23/netflix-would-consider-buying-f1-it-were-for-sale/">interview in September</a>: “A few years back, the Formula 1 rights were sold. At that time we were not among the bidders, but today we would definitely consider that now.”</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aViLtXEtgqs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>There may be other jostling for position too, not least the bidders who <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2015/06/24/qatars-f1-bid-is-like-buying-the-restaurant-if-it-wont-give-you-a-table/?sh=20cd940369e0">lost out</a> to Liberty five years ago. That bid was submitted by Qatar (through the Qatari Sports Investment fund, a part of the country’s sovereign wealth fund) in partnership with the American billionaire Stephen Ross, who owns the Miami Dolphins American football team.</p>
<h2>Pole position?</h2>
<p>Far from losing their appetite for Formula One after they lost out to Liberty, both parties are now firmly embedded in the sport. Qatar staged its first race in November 2021, and has signed up for <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/58748178#:%7E:text=Qatar%20will%20make%20its%20debut%20on%20the%20Formula,at%20its%20Losail%20circuit%2C%20known%20for%20hosting%20MotoGP.">nine more</a> (with a break in 2022 while it hosts the Fifa World Cup). </p>
<p>Next season will also see the first <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/58668716">Miami Grand Prix</a> in May, which will be held at the Miami International Autodrome. The Floridian track weaves around the Hard Rock Stadium’s real estate, which just happens to be the home of the Miami Dolphins.</p>
<p>So could Qatar, Ross or Netflix be tempted to pounce? Certainly the numbers look enticing too. </p>
<p>Earlier this year Liberty’s shares were reported <a href="https://frontofficesports.com/formula-1-viewership-surges-in-2021-season/">to be up 113%</a> since they acquired the sport, and revenue was <a href="https://f1i.com/news/404631-formula-1-results-improve-in-q1-2021-as-recovery-continues.html">up at US$180 million</a> for the first quarter of 2021, from just US$39 million in 2020. </p>
<p>Confidence in the financial value of the sport is high with McLaren Racing’s CEO Zak Brown <a href="https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/71545/f1-value-uncorked-by-liberty-media-ownership-brown/">recemtly pointing out</a>: “Liberty are sports investors in amongst investing in lots of businesses … they could really uncork the potential value of the sport.”</p>
<p>Back in 2020, Bernie Ecclestone, former chief executive of CVC’s Formula One Group, had cautioned that a business that gives the impression that it is doing well might be creating the right climate for a profitable sale. <a href="https://www.f1-fansite.com/f1-news/ecclestone-liberty-shaping-up-to-sell-formula-1/">He said</a>: “I would do the same if I wanted to sell.” </p>
<p>Whether they do intend to sell after one of Formula One’s most exciting seasons in recent years remains to be seen. Interest is up, viewing figures are up, and the start of the 2022 season is already an enticing prospect. For Liberty, that will surely already be classed as a big win – for the business and the sport itself.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173605/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce Grant-Braham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There may be no shortage of offers after such a dramatic season.Bruce Grant-Braham, Senior Lecturer, Bournemouth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1609562021-05-20T14:54:50Z2021-05-20T14:54:50ZIntense training – why F1 is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports on the planet<p>Imagine driving a car at speeds approaching 112 mph for around two hours, while at the same time having to negotiate twisting circuits and finding ways to overtake opponents. This is what a Formula 1 (F1) driver will experience when they race around the streets of Monaco. It might sound thrilling and exciting, but now imagine doing this with your heart beating close to its maximum for the whole race. </p>
<p>Research shows that heart rates can <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1260/1747-9541.5.4.543?casa_token=rmRR19l1kloAAAAA:ErurKR7FR4R4tdFrsM3-ahneclb7rCZwx2s9atIbeEfi4ZNS8YIaVuR0_ePrkmJZwQhpKHW9wQ">average 182 beats</a> per minute over the course of a race while experiencing cardiorespiratory responses and energy costs which are similar to that seen in <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Veronique-Billat/publication/11616940_Physical_and_training_characteristics_of_top-class_marathon_runners/links/5ddd3a3b92851c83644a6f7e/Physical-and-training-characteristics-of-top-class-marathon-runners.pdf">elite marathon runners and soccer players</a>. </p>
<p>Quite simply this is not just about driving, this is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports on the planet. </p>
<h2>Physical demands</h2>
<p>Drivers experience such extreme physical demands for two reasons. First, the car generates an enormous amount of heat from the engine so the driver experiences temperatures in their cockpit of around <a href="http://f1framework.blogspot.com/">50C (122F)</a>. They are also wearing specialist race suits that are designed to protect them from fire but also end up preventing them from keeping cool. Not surprising, then, that a driver can <a href="http://f1framework.blogspot.com/">lose close to 5% of their body weight</a> through sweat during a race, potentially leading to hyperthermia. </p>
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<p>Second, there are the dreaded G-forces. During a race a driver is exposed to up to five times gravity pushing down on them, <a href="https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a9146/dario-franchitti-so-you-think-driving-an-indy-car-is-easy-try-breathing-part-3-37966/">making it harder to breathe</a>, pump blood around their body and move their arms and legs. Oh, and to top it all off, they are sitting in a position which means that the feet are raised up in line with the chest. </p>
<p>So not only must they be exceptional drivers but clearly, they must be exceptionally fit. </p>
<h2>Complex training</h2>
<p>Drivers train to develop their cardiorespiratory fitness. Just as the physical responses are similar to those in marathon runners so is the training they undertake. </p>
<p>To cope with the high temperatures and G-forces, both of <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.325.6379&rep=rep1&type=pdf">which reduce the amount of blood that goes to the skin for cooling</a>, drivers must train to make their heart and cardiovascular systems stronger and more efficient. Training is driver specific but will involve long periods of exercising to help increase heart size and capillary density in the muscles, both of which are needed to get oxygen to the working muscles. </p>
<p>However, the high energy demands and amount of work being done by the cardiovascular system mean that the muscles will start to use energy from sources other than the oxygen dependent ones. Trough this <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zm6rd2p/revision/2">anaerobic respiration</a> (without oxygen), a small amount of energy is released by the breakdown of food substances in the absence of oxygen. These alternate sources provide energy but at a cost. They lead to local muscular fatigue and so make it harder to control the car. </p>
<p>But it is not just about the cardiorespiratory fitness, there are those G-forces which act across the whole body that need to be trained for. To do this, drivers undertake <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/Fulltext/2012/07000/Resistance_Training_is_Medicine___Effects_of.13.aspx?casa_token=9SFotdtWProAAAAA:P44iKRTLIovalEXBKbNMGtoIf4mDcNyDcrbGsJMlj8D0YKQsidwi7fXPtbJzcUHo906acQfWDIxhFJHLXz19x3zLS9Q">strength training</a>. </p>
<p>Strength training will be used to increase the size of the muscle fibres but also the speed at which the muscles can be recruited. This is not like training to be a weight-lifter though, this is about trying to stop the muscle becoming tired as the race goes on, increasing the speed the muscles contract and making them more efficient. An F1 driver needs <a href="https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a9143/dario-franchitti-so-you-think-driving-an-indy-car-is-easy-try-steering-part-2-37917/">strength to keep the car on the road</a>. </p>
<p>One area of the body that has to be strengthened are the muscles of the neck. With the G-forces pushing on the body it becomes harder for drivers to hold their heads upright. So, drivers adopt a form of training called <a href="https://holmesplace20prod.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/%5Bobject%20Promise%5D_Art_Brief%20Review_Effects%20of%20Isometric%20Strength%20Training%20on%20Strength.pdf">isometrics</a> where the muscles are working against a resistance, but do not change length. </p>
<p>Imagine trying to push as hard as you can against a wall. The wall doesn’t move but you feel the muscles working. This is an isometric exercise. So, to develop the neck muscles drivers will perhaps use resistance bands like you see in the gym but attached to their head or special helmets which have weight added to them while trying to keep their head in a fixed position. </p>
<p>In addition, all drivers will need to work on their core strength, again using a combination of conventional strength training and isometrics to help them maintain their body position in the cockpit whilst working against the G-forces.</p>
<p>This is a physically demanding sport that requires the drivers to train like Olympic athletes throughout the season while also having to do all of the work with the car and race. It might, to the casual onlooker, seem like an easy sport with cars just going round and round a track but hopefully now you realise that it takes a lot of work to be able to do, making F1 one of the toughest sports in the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160956/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dan Gordon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It might look easy driving a car around a track but it takes a lot of targeted training to be a good F1 driver.Dan Gordon, Associate Professor, Cardiorespiratory Exercise Physiology, Anglia Ruskin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1334722020-03-15T18:32:25Z2020-03-15T18:32:25ZCancelled matches and growing turmoil: the impact of Covid-19 on the sports industry<p>In recent weeks, sports organisations around the world have been forced to confront the reality that the coronavirus Covid-19 is likely to have a significant impact on the industry – not just in the short term, but also the long term. </p>
<p>As the virus has spread, an increasing number of matches and events have either been staged behind closed doors, postponed or, increasingly, cancelled outright. Among the most recent developments was the suspension of the entire NBA basketball season in the United States after Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/11/us/nba-season-suspended-spt-trnd/index.html">tested positive for the virus</a>. For the foreseeable future, such decisions may well be the “new normal” for the sporting world.</p>
<p>The process started in Asia, the epicentre of the epidemic. Chinese football’s Super League, which was supposed to start at the end of February, <a href="https://www.livesportasia.com/football/china/chinese-super-league-set-to-return-in-april-lsa2337">won’t begin until at least April</a>. UEFA Champions League matches have become ghost games, staged in stadiums bereft of people and atmosphere. The virus has even risen to top management – Evangelos Marinakis, owner of Greek team Olympiakos, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/51814887">tested positive</a>, giving rise to responses from across European football.</p>
<p>In tennis, the Indian Wells tournament in the United States <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/08/sports/coronavirus-indian-wells-canceled.html">has been cancelled</a>, and more tournements could follow. When members of F1 team crews at the Australian Grand Prix tested positive for Covid-19, the <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-fia-and-agpc-announce-cancellation-of-the-2020-australian-grand.KKpXZDcd77WbO6T0MGoO7.html">race was cancelled</a>, and the Bahrain and Vietnam F1 races <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1254724/Bahrain-Grand-Prix-Cancelled-F1-React-Coronavirus-Crisis-Australian-Grand-Prix-Farce-News">won’t take place anytime soon</a>. The Tokyo Marathon took place as scheduled on March 1, but <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/51695612">amateur runners did not participate and there were few spectators</a>. </p>
<h2>Reason for caution – with heavy consequences</h2>
<p>There are obvious reasons for the caution, as the Covid-19 virus can easily be transmitted between large numbers of people congregated in close proximity to one another – yet that is the very heart of the experience of mass sporting events. </p>
<p>The suspension of the NBA season is just the first of what are no doubt many more significant decisions – more leagues, matches and races will affected. Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, believes that rather than playing matches behind close doors, authorities should <a href="https://www.mancity.com/citytv/mens/pep-guardiola-man-city-arsenal-press-conference-63719441">postpone or cancel them</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“You have to ask is it worse to play football without the spectators. We do our job for the people and if the people cannot come to watch us, there is no sense.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But postponements would take us deeper into a year that is already crowded, with the Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as the UEFA European Championships. Scheduling and venue congestion will become an issue, as will the impact upon the start of next season’s competitions. Cancellation would be ground zero for many, as there would be all manner of ramifications: In essence, competitions would have to designed and implemented from scratch in a matter of days and weeks in order to draw this season’s competitions to a close.</p>
<p>Options for ending seasons early are <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c36e2f6c-646e-11ea-b3f3-fe4680ea68b5">already being considered</a>, ranging from special play-off games to the use of current points scores or league positions as the basis for identifying winners and losers, and those who are or aren’t promoted.</p>
<p>Sporting officials and leaders are in a difficult position. Faced with a global pandemic and major public health issue, they have to take action. At the same time, broadcasters and commercial partners will be watching carefully to ensure they still get what they paid for. Individual players as well as teams will also strive to ensure they do not suffer the adverse consequences of decisions over which they have little control.</p>
<h2>Olympic-sized headaches</h2>
<p>The biggest challenges arguably lay ahead, with the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games looming, as well as European football. The respective governing bodies – the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) – initially appeared intent on going ahead with their events. UEFA implored governments across Europe to help protect its showcase national team competition, but is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51859548">now discussing postponement</a> of the tournament to 2021. For now the IOC has indicated that it doesn’t want to postpone the games. </p>
<p>The initial determination to forge onward is unsurprising given that both are “mega-events” – the scale, complexity and stakes are immense. For such events to be postponed or cancelled would be a logistical, legal and economic minefield. Even trying to comprehend of the consequences is mind-boggling. To cite just one example, Tokyo has spent 26 billion US dollars on its preparations and will certainly want to get the anticipated return on investment.</p>
<p>In the case of UEFA, this summer’s competition is a 60th anniversary event unusually being staged across twelve different venues. Trying to replicate this model at a later date would be very difficult, hence postponement was always going to be one of the lines of last resort.</p>
<h2>Uncharted territory</h2>
<p>In short, sport is encountering challenges that are unique and have never before been encountered. There have been natural disasters that have led to venues being changed – for example, in 1989 the Loma Prieta earthquake disrupted the World Series between the Oakland A’s and the San Francisco Giants. Yet earlier events were geographically specific, less far reaching and therefore more easily dealt with. One has to look back as far as World War II for anything remotely comparable to the currently situation. However, sport back then was entirely different – now it’s a global industry with a complex network of interrelated economic and political interests.</p>
<p>The protection of public health is of paramount importance, and should be, but sports authorities are also acutely aware of the significant costs that are likely to be incurred by any major disruption to this year’s sporting calendar. Indeed, some of the tensest sport battles this year are likely to be staged not in Tokyo or London, but in courtrooms across the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133472/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Chadwick ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>As the new coronavirus has spread around the world, sporting matches and events have been staged behind closed doors, postponed and increasingly cancelled outright.Simon Chadwick, Professor of Eurasian Sport | Director of Eurasian Sport, EM Lyon Business SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1273282020-01-15T04:32:22Z2020-01-15T04:32:22ZFormula 1 says it’s going carbon neutral but fans must demand greater detail on how<p>When Formula 1 <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-announces-plan-to-be-net-zero-carbon-by-2030.5IaX2AZHyy7jqxl6wra6CZ.html">announced</a> late last year that the sport would be carbon neutral by 2030, the organisation’s chief technical officer <a href="https://corp.formula1.com/how-formula-1-can-fuel-the-fight-against-climate-change/">spoke</a> of the transition to a lower carbon world:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>F1 could play a huge role in this transition. It has continually proven its ability to advance technology readiness levels from experimental to production and must do so again. It also has the profile to engage the public in these technologies. The difference this time is that it doesn’t have an option. Failure to reduce CO₂ emissions will leave the sport as a pariah with no place in modern society.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>F1 has promised a move to “credible offsets and breakthrough CO₂ sequestration programs”. When asked what that would entail, a spokesman for F1 told The Conversation:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We will be looking at tree planting, which is a highly effective biological way of capturing carbon from the atmosphere. We will also be working with our incredible scientists and engineers in the sport to develop breakthrough carbon sequestration innovations that are applicable not just to F1 but to the wider world. This could include technology around carbon sinkholes and materials that extract carbon from the atmosphere […]</p>
<p>We will ensure we have ultra-efficient logistics and travel and 100% renewably powered offices, facilities and factories, improve the sustainability of race events, targeting 100% reused, recycled or composted waste by 2025 and move to 100% Second Generation Advanced Sustainable Fuels in F1 cars by 2030.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We should welcome any effort to address climate change. But promises to “look at” tree-planting and develop innovations speak to a persistent lack of clear detail in the how, what and where.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/global-emissions-to-hit-36-8-billion-tonnes-beating-last-years-record-high-128113">Global emissions to hit 36.8 billion tonnes, beating last year's record high</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Formula 1’s contribution in the past – and future</h2>
<p>Much of the fuel-efficient technology developed for F1 is <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.how-f1-technology-has-supercharged-the-world.6Gtk3hBxGyUGbNH0q8vDQK.html">passed down</a> into everyday car production, contributing to cleaner vehicles that can run for longer on less. With over a billion cars on the road globally, that’s a really positive contribution.</p>
<p>Even supermarkets have benefited, reducing their <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/edgarsten/2018/09/20/formula-one-spreads-its-wings-to-the-supermarket/#291350477c7a">refrigeration energy costs</a> through tech originally developed for F1 cars. Sensor and data tools initially designed for F1 cars are also <a href="https://www.mclaren.com/appliedtechnologies/case-study/singapore-mass-rapid-transit/">transforming</a> public transport systems.</p>
<p>But despite goals to “move to F1 cars running on 100% advanced sustainable fuel” the fact remains that the F1 is committed to the internal combustion engine, a major contributor to emissions.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/formula-one-motor-firms-are-becoming-textbook-cases-in-how-to-successfully-branch-into-other-sectors-113522">Formula One motor firms are becoming textbook cases in how to successfully branch into other sectors</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It’s not just the car emissions</h2>
<p>According to its own assessment, Formula 1 emits about <a href="https://corp.formula1.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Environmental-sustainability-Corp-website-vFINAL.pdf">256,000 tonnes of CO₂e in a race season.</a></p>
<p>Readers can see a pie-chart showing the breakdown of emissions sources for F1 <a href="https://corp.formula1.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Environmental-sustainability-Corp-website-vFINAL.pdf">here</a>. You may be surprised to learn that the biggest contributor to F1’s carbon footprint is not the cars themselves. </p>
<p>“Power unit emissions” – meaning “all emissions associated with the fuel
usage of the power units across all ten teams, at all 21 Grands Prix, and
at pre-, mid- or post-season testing” comes to just 0.7% of its annual emissions.</p>
<p>Excluding power emissions, just <a href="https://corp.formula1.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Environmental-sustainability-Corp-website-vFINAL.pdf">7.3%</a> of its emissions are attributable to the operations of events (including broadcasting, support races, circuit energy use, generator use, and operation of a hospitality package known as Paddock Club).</p>
<p>In fact, international travel and logistics required to put on the race comprise 72.7% of the <a href="https://corp.formula1.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Environmental-sustainability-Corp-website-vFINAL.pdf">total F1 series carbon footprint.</a></p>
<p>Achieving net zero emission within an international Grand Prix structure that will host a record 22 races in 2020 and involve at least ten teams is a significant challenge.</p>
<p>The F1 <a href="https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/147100/f1-plan-to-offset-256551tonne-carbon-footprint">says</a> it will move to “ultra-efficient logistics and travel and 100% renewably powered offices, facilities and factories”.</p>
<p>And then there’s the <a href="https://corp.formula1.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Environmental-sustainability-Corp-website-vFINAL.pdf">promised</a> move to “credible offsets and breakthrough CO₂ sequestration programs”.</p>
<p>Critics of this approach suggest that offsets – such as tree planting – are little more than a <a href="https://theconversation.com/carbon-offsets-can-do-more-environmental-harm-than-good-26593">band aid</a> since they fail to create real change. </p>
<h2>Sport and climate action</h2>
<p>There is growing awareness among fans, sponsors and athletes about the carbon footprint of their sport. Lewis Hamilton, six-time F1 world champion champion, received both <a href="https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/25252">applause and criticism</a> when he announced plans to personally become carbon neutral by the end of 2019.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-race-to-make-formula-one-greener-65857">younger fans</a> shift to the <a href="https://www.fiaformulae.com/">Formula E</a> format which promotes electric vehicles, and revenue <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2019/02/28/f1-misses-revenue-forecast-by-200-million/#35fb3fd9195a">falls</a>, F1 must be feeling the pressure to keep up. </p>
<p>It’s good F1 is contributing to a broader conversation about ways international sporting competitions can seek to reduce the negative environmental impact they have. It is likely the move will also result in technology that will have a positive effect outside the sport.</p>
<p>However, fans, sponsors, journalists and other F1 observers must demand greater detail on how the sport plans to achieve its ambitious goal by 2030.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127328/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>F1 has promised a move to ‘credible offsets and breakthrough C02 sequestration programs’. But there’s a persistent lack of clear detail in the how, what and where.Michelle O'Shea, Senior Lecturer Sport Management, Western Sydney UniversityNeil Perry, Research Lecturer, Western Sydney UniversitySarah Duffy, Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/987162018-07-01T09:20:51Z2018-07-01T09:20:51ZHow to make a ‘place-based’ industrial strategy work<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/225463/original/file-20180629-117371-8p65r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Growing vines in Kent, part of a cluster of wineries making a success out of white and sparkling wines in southern England.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vineyar-near-lamberhurst-kent-england-145770932?src=g6uIEzIrpRDclwd1dwftzw-1-21">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Some locations become well known for the kinds of industry that have once thrived there – tin mining in Cornwall, steel in Sheffield, shipbuilding in Glasgow. But the industrial landscape is not set in stone – it changes. And in order to boost local and national economies, plans need to be made and strategies invented.</p>
<p>One idea that has become popular with politicians is what is known as a <a href="http://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/place-based-perspectives-on-the-uk-industrial-strategy/attachments/Industrial_strategy6.pdf">“place-based” industrial strategy</a>. It is a key component of the European Union’s 2020 <a href="http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/s3-guide">innovation programme</a>, and features heavily in the UK government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-building-a-britain-fit-for-the-future">plans for British industry</a>. </p>
<p>Put simply, “place-based” strategies are specifically tailored towards developing a place’s existing advantages, specialisms and capabilities, and diversifying them onto new growth trajectories. These in turn are rooted in a location’s history, culture and geography. </p>
<p>It could mean, for instance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-englands-broken-ceramics-industry-put-itself-back-together-48196">supporting the ceramics industry</a> in Stoke on Trent in the UK, to diversify into related technological fields such as <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/materials/what">materials science</a>, where new market opportunities lie. </p>
<p>With this approach, the emphasis is upon place – and knowledge – rather than particular sectors. It aims to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation that cuts across traditional sector boundaries. </p>
<p>In this sense, place-based industrial strategies are different to previous “top-down” policies, in which central governments pursue a one-size-fits all solution (such as universal training programmes or tax credits) to spur growth. Instead, policies are geared towards a place’s specific characteristics to spur local – and <a href="https://www.jrf.org.uk/blog/what-inclusive-growth-and-why-does-it-matter">inclusive</a> – growth. </p>
<h2>Local money for local people</h2>
<p>The problem is that all industrial strategies require funding. And in a global economy the benefits of publicly funded projects may end up being captured by large private firms – multinational corporations with no allegiance to specific places. </p>
<p>So how can a place-based industrial strategy ensure that the benefits of publicly funded projects are retained within a region – and shared in a way that delivers sustainable and inclusive economic growth? In a forthcoming article in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cje">Cambridge Journal of Economics</a>, we propose the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cje/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cje/bey019/5050584?guestAccessKey=478a1aa7-2089-4543-b889-4f5c6c08d3e2">following solution</a>.</p>
<p>Firstly, regional policy makers and businesses need to identify their current (and possible new) competitive advantages. New specialisms often emerge by fusing new technologies with existing expertise and capabilities. For instance in Italy, <a href="http://thepackagingvalley.com/web/">Emilia Romagna’s machine packaging industry</a> has retained its international competitive position by continually integrating new electronics, information and communication technologies with its traditional mechanical systems. This has opened up profitable opportunities in new (but related) market segments such as pharmaceutical machine packaging. </p>
<p>Regions then need to build platforms which foster growth. These could include establishing strong business and knowledge networks to drive innovation. There is a key role here for large private and public sector “<a href="https://ukces.blog.gov.uk/2015/03/19/ukces-explains-what-is-an-anchor-institution/">anchor institutions</a>” – embedded in the region – which heavily engage in research and development and can facilitate such network links. The <a href="https://www.fraunhofer.de/en/institutes/institutes-and-research-establishments-in-germany.html">Fraunhofer institutes</a> have long played this role in driving innovation within German regions – and it is hoped that similar initiatives in the UK, such as the new <a href="https://catapult.org.uk/">Catapult Centres</a> will bring similar results. </p>
<h2>The right formula</h2>
<p>It is also important for regions to develop a “place brand”. To be internationally competitive, places need to differentiate themselves and offer unique qualities and bespoke products and services. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/23048643">Motor Sport Valley</a> in Northamptonshire for instance, has established a global reputation for innovation in Formula One. And emerging clusters such as <a href="http://www.kentvineyards.com/">English sparkling wines</a> in Sussex and Kent, have begun to distinguish themselves with their high-quality award-winning wineries.</p>
<p>Regions then need to create “place specific” strengths which are not vulnerable to offshoring and low-cost competition. This may mean local firms developing niche specialisms that are difficult to imitate elsewhere. </p>
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<p>Local policy should aim to help firms identify and support the development of such expertise. Highly specialised advanced manufacturing SMEs in the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/connect/small-business/driving-growth/secrets-growth-power-of-germany-mittelstand/">German Mittelstand</a> (the German small and medium sized businesses) have long benefited from such a strategy. </p>
<p>Regional governments ought to consider supporting SME networks that cut across regional and national boundaries to build international collaboration. This is particularly important for firms in peripheral regions, especially if they can forge new relationships with innovators in more advanced parts of the world. This allows knowledge sharing and spurs innovation, which can allow lagging regions to catch up. </p>
<p>Finally, to foster sustainable regional growth, these steps should not be implemented in isolation. They need to be integrated in a long-term strategy and subject to continual review with a strong component of <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/overview_en.html">competition law</a> to ensure continued innovation and fairness. Following all these steps will make the strategy more resilient and sustainable – and keep everything firmly in place.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/98716/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Phil Tomlinson receives funding under the Regional Studies Association Expo grant scheme for a project on ‘Smart Specialisation and Industry 4.0 in peripheral regions’. He also receives funding under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to establish two business acceleration hubs in the South West of England. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Bailey receives funding under the EU Horizon 2020 project MAKERS - Smart Manufacturing for EU Growth and Prosperity, a project funded by the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Programme, under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, grant agreement number 691192: <a href="http://www.makers-rise.org/">http://www.makers-rise.org/</a> and also via the Regional Studies Association's 'MAKERS of Regions' research network.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christos Pitelis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Location counts when it comes to sustainable development.Phil Tomlinson, Associate Professor in Business Economics, Deputy Director Centre for Governance, Regulation and Industrial Strategy (CGR&IS), University of BathChristos Pitelis, Professor of Strategy and Sustainable Competitiveness, Brunel University LondonDavid Bailey, Professor of Industry, Aston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/934902018-04-03T19:43:40Z2018-04-03T19:43:40ZFormula E racing puts power in the hands of fans<p>Imagine this. You are an elite racing driver competing at a prestigious event on the streets of New York. You’re in a good position, preparing to accelerate up to 220km/h, when one of your main rivals sails past, thanks to a boost of energy fans voted to give them.</p>
<p>This is “Fanboost” in action, an <a href="https://fanboost.fiaformulae.com/info">initiative</a> of the FIA Formula E series that has the potential to radically change the way fans engage with the sports they love.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-electric-car-racing-could-one-day-challenge-the-spectacle-of-formula-one-76192">How electric car racing could one day challenge the spectacle of Formula One</a>
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<p><a href="http://www.fiaformulae.com/en">Formula E</a> is the electric vehicle counterpart to more established categories, such as Formula One, and V8 Supercars in Australia. It was established primarily to drive advances in electric car technology, and has attracted a range of top manufacturers like Jaguar, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche. </p>
<p>Racing on street circuits from Paris to Beijing, the series has developed a dedicated fan base, but one that is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2017/08/17/virgin-racing-reveals-e5-3-million-formula-e-title-partnership-cost/2/#7c6d8bbf523a">minuscule</a> compared to the more established racing leagues.</p>
<h2>Too slow and too quiet</h2>
<p>The problem is that compared to many conventional forms of racing, Formula E is a little too slow and a little too quiet. Formula E cars reach a top speed of around 224km/h (compared to the 350km/h Formula One can achieve) and produce an electronic whine rather than the throaty roar of petrol driven race cars.</p>
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<p>But this sport is as much about spectacle as it is about skill, so the series has struggled to lure fans away from other forms of racing.</p>
<p>Fanboost is one of the ways the sport’s administrators are trying to overcome this issue. Fans can vote for their favourite driver via either the official Formula E website, the mobile app or via social media. The three drivers who get the most votes are rewarded with a short but significant power boost they can <a href="https://youtu.be/m3hfb-J6k2w">use during the race</a>. To maintain parity between teams, the motors of Formula E cars have an electronically limited power output, which is temporarily raised for the drivers awarded with Fanboost.</p>
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<p>This gives these drivers the ability to make a crucial passing manoeuvre or block an attempted pass, and could change the outcome of the race. It is a strategy ideally suited to attracting the young and social media obsessed fan base the sport needs.</p>
<p>Fanboost is not without its detractors. Some fans see it as a gimmick that detracts from the skills of the drivers, and some drivers believe that the system can be too easily manipulated to produce <a href="https://www.autosport.com/fe/news/134279/cheating-fanboost-rivals-a-catastrophe--abt">false results</a>.</p>
<h2>How media changes the game</h2>
<p>Motor racing has always had a close relationship with the media. It’s costly to run a professional race team, so securing and promoting sponsors is vital. Top teams have gone to remarkable lengths to ensure their sponsors get good media exposure. </p>
<p>Sponsor decals now adorn every visible inch of the car – including the footwells and dashboards in some categories. Even the start time for events such as the Australian Formula One Grand Prix have been <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/melbournes-f1-gp-start-time-dangerous-20100325-qzmx.html">changed</a> to better align with European television schedules.</p>
<p>These concessions illustrate what is frequently referred to as mediatisation: the notion that the media has become so central to modern society that other social activities and institutions are forced to conform to its logic. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/electric-vehicles-are-changing-the-world-and-theyre-only-just-getting-started-90402">Electric vehicles are changing the world. And they're only just getting started</a>
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<p>While some academics feel that mediatisation overemphasises the power of the media, the basic premise is difficult to refute. From politics to dating to ordering food, the media has become an essential part of how we engage with the world. As Andreas Hepp – a German professor and one of the world’s leading mediatisation researchers – has said, the media acts as a “moulding force”, potentially altering what and how we communicate.</p>
<p>In Formula E, this moulding force has profoundly changed the way the drivers and teams communicate with fans. </p>
<p>Racing drivers are notoriously media-shy. Formula One star Kimi Räikkönen suggested during a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_fITZ7bDuw&t=1m0s">television interview</a> that the most boring part of a race weekend was “now”. </p>
<p>The potential to get a real on-track advantage by directly engaging fans means that Formula E drivers have adopted a very different approach, posting <a href="https://twitter.com/DSVirginRacing">live updates</a> and providing insights into their <a href="https://twitter.com/NickHeidfeld">personal lives</a> to boost their social media profiles. </p>
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<h2>Other sports are taking note</h2>
<p>Perhaps not surprisingly, other racing categories have begun to realise the potential of social media to broaden their fanbase and deepen their connection with existing fans. Under the new management of Liberty Media, Formula One is slowly loosening its rules on social media use by drivers and teams, and in Australia the V8 Supercars series has substantially expanded their social media presence. </p>
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<p>Sports like tennis, cricket and football are also exploring ways of using emerging media technologies to engage fans more, though none have been as bold as Formula E in letting fans actually affect the outcome of events. </p>
<p>It is, however, likely that the administrators of these sports are following the Fanboost experiment closely, and looking for ways to implement similar strategies in their sports.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93490/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Finn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Electric vehicle racing is slower and quieter than conventional car racing. To make it interesting, organisers are allowing fans to choose by popular vote to give some drivers a power boost.Mark Finn, Senior Lecturer in Media, Swinburne University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/815282017-07-26T14:55:09Z2017-07-26T14:55:09ZHere’s what a safety expert thinks of Formula One’s ‘ugly’ new head protector<p>Formula 1 drivers have the most effective safety helmets in the world. But thanks to F1 cars’ open cockpits, drivers are inevitably exposed to greater head injury risk than those in other high-speed sports. Now the body that governs F1 (the FIA) has <a href="http://www.fia.com/news/f1-strategy-group-meeting-fia-confirms-halo-system-use-2018-fia-formula-one-world-championship">decided to introduce</a> a new head-protection system into the cars known as the Halo.</p>
<p>Set to be deployed by the FIA in 2018, the Halo system consists of a large, U-shaped bar that encircles the driver’s head, attached to either side of the rear of the cockpit, and a single central support column at the front.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fia.com/news/f1-why-halo-best-solution">Its advocates argue</a> it will prevent large objects (such as wheels) from hitting the driver’s head during a crash and partially protect the driver from smaller impacting projectiles. Others, such as <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/36877774">driver Lewis Hamilton</a>, accept that a solution is needed but have criticised the Halo <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/lewis-hamilton-criticises-new-f1-halo-concept-as-the-worst-mod-in-formula-1-history-a6911546.html">for being ugly</a>. Some have also raised concerns that it will <a href="https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/lauda-halo-fia-detroys-popularity-933175/">affect F1’s popularity</a>, given how grounded the sport is in its aesthetically pleasing cars. So is this really the answer?</p>
<p>Head injuries are a serious risk in motorsport. Over the last decade, there have been fatal incidents involving head trauma caused by the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8158445.stm">impact of a wheel</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/34037413">other car debris</a>. In F1 in 2009, Felipe Massa was given a skull fracture by a spring that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/jul/25/felipe-massa-fernando-alonso-hungarian">struck his helmet</a>.</p>
<p>Direct helmet impacts probably carry the greatest risk of head injuries in F1. The drivers’ helmets contain the latest, <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/championship/inside-f1/safety/helmets-hans-clothing/Helmets.html">high-performance materials</a> that minimise the impact energy transferred to the head. A number of external shells (which are also resistant to fire) flex to partially absorb an impact and distribute its force to a crushable plastic foam liner inside.</p>
<p>This design is especially good at reducing the risk of skull fractures and associated injuries, but is only effective in impacts of up to approximately 225 joules of energy. Thanks to the open-cockpit design, there are scenarios where a direct impact could exceed this energy threshold, exposing the driver to a high risk of serious or fatal head injury.</p>
<p>Crude calculations indicate that the examples mentioned above all involved impact energies similar to or greater than the helmet design threshold. Filipe Massa’s injury arguably was caused by the lowest energy impact of the three incidents, yet it was still probably more than twice that protected by the F1 helmet performance standard. This shows the potential that a new protection system has to prevent potentially fatal accidents.</p>
<h2>Test results</h2>
<p>The Halo is made from carbon fibre, a strong, lightweight material that is ideal for this application. Its main function is to deflect larger objects away from the driver’s head, transferring the impact energy to the car’s chassis via the two rear supports. The FIA have performed extensive tests that demonstrate that this should be successful in relatively high energy impacts, <a href="http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2017/07/21/how-much-safer-will-halo-make-f1-drivers/">like striking a loose wheel</a>. </p>
<p>The research also suggests the Halo would stop smaller objects <a href="http://www.fia.com/news/fia-race-director-charlie-whiting-press-briefing-transcript-0">in 17% of possible scenarios</a>. But it doesn’t demonstrate how likely each of these scenarios would be, whether the system would prevent the most severe impacts or whether the researchers considered incidents where the Halo actually deflected an object towards the driver’s head. Given how serious we know smaller object impacts can be, it seems critical that the FIA conduct more research. </p>
<p>The Halo will also function as a roll-bar, distributing load predominantly through the central pillar. This will protect the driver from the potential of an impact to the top of head, perhaps when over-turned, or when another car rides over theirs. But the system wouldn’t be strong enough to withstand impacts into rigid structures, like the fatal accident <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-1/2016/02/16/horrific-new-details-on-formula-one-driver-jules-bianchis-tragic/">involving Jules Bianchi</a> in 2016. </p>
<p>Overall, the Halo seems a pragmatic solution that is moving F1 towards reducing serious and fatal incidents. F1 teams have been approved to further develop the Halo, meaning a more attractive version should be seen when it is used for the first time in the grands prix from March 2018. But it doesn’t address the significant risk of impacts from small objects which, as was seen with Massa, can cause severe head injury. </p>
<p>In an attempt to address this issue – and provide a more attractive solution – the FIA is also trialling a curved windscreen known as the “shield”. But further work is needed following initial tests, including one by driver Sebastian Vettel who <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2017/7/vettel-tests-_shield-frontal-protection-system-at-silverstone.html">recently reported</a> being buffeted by wind and feeling dizzy when driving with the shield, after only one lap.</p>
<p>An alternative approach would be to improve the drivers’ helmets. At Cardiff University, we are using a combination of 3D printing, mechanical testing, and advanced simulation software to produce motorcycle helmets tailored to collision scenarios and the drivers’ head measurements in order to better dissipate impacts. This research could ultimately be adapted for F1. Until then, however, fans and drivers may just have to put up with the “ugly” Halo.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81528/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Theobald receives funding from Charles Owen, and is the Principal Investigator for a collaborative project funded by the Head Health Challenge III programme. He also works alongside Champion Helmets, and receives funding from Innovate UK and from the EU via the KESS 2 scheme. </span></em></p>How much protection will the Halo system give drivers?Peter Theobald, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanical Engineering, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/809052017-07-12T15:18:56Z2017-07-12T15:18:56ZWill F1 bosses step in to save the British Grand Prix?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177855/original/file-20170712-14421-1r4ptlo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C92%2C2749%2C1815&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/formula-one-grand-prix-great-britain-303597215?src=etyYPWT-2nBOG0U9kbUapQ-1-0">BAKOUNINE/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Silverstone is playing hard to get. The venerable racing circuit <a href="http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10944415/silverstone-confirm-break-from-f1-contract-from-2019-what-does-that-mean-for-british-gp-future">signalled its withdrawal</a> from the Formula One season from 2020, citing escalating costs. It is a fascinating moment for the sport. So much of F1’s appeal is wrapped up in the sentimentality of history, but its push for a modern, glittering future risks leaving that behind.</p>
<p>So will F1’s new owners, <a href="https://theconversation.com/reasons-to-be-cheerful-as-liberty-media-era-dawns-in-formula-one-72406">Liberty Media</a>, take the bait and seek to help? The only legitimate way for everyone to save face in this scenario would be for Liberty to buy Silverstone itself and shut down any accusations that they are letting the circuit back in the game on the cheap.</p>
<p>Or might there be a new role here, perhaps, for a certain billionaire with a shock of white hair who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jan/23/bernie-ecclestone-no-longer-f1-chief-executive">only recently relinquished his grip</a> on the world’s premier motor racing competition?</p>
<h2>Street fighters</h2>
<p>The Silverstone circuit is enshrined in motor sport history. It hosted the first ever World Championship Formula One race in 1950. But now its owner, <a href="http://www.brdc.co.uk/">the British Racing Drivers Club</a> (BRDC) has reached a financial tipping point. It feels <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/Formula1/british-grand-prix-at-silverstone-faces-extinction-as-owners-activate-break-clause-with-f1-a7835571.html">unable to sustain continued losses</a> from hosting the British Grand Prix, which were £2.8m in 2015 and £4.8m in 2016. It has therefore exercised a break clause in its contract with F1/Liberty Media.</p>
<p>There has been talk about the race relocating elsewhere, but there is no other facility that could host the 350,000 spectators that annually visit the former airfield in Northamptonshire, northern England. </p>
<p>A mystery street circuit in London was <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/f1-chief-chase-carey-on-why-he-wants-less-shooting-from-the-hip-as-he-bids-to-drive-the-sport-a3585146.html">suggested as an alternative</a> by Liberty’s F1 CEO Chase Carey but no details have been aired in public. In any case it seems unlikely that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who is working with the <a href="http://www.c40.org/press_releases/press-release-mayors-of-paris-and-london-announce-car-scoring-system-to-slash-air-pollution-on-city-street">C40 Cities organisation</a> to identify real-world car emissions and their impact on air quality, would find that this fits with his agenda.</p>
<p>Politicians are sensitive to their electorate. Wherever such a circuit might be in London the local residents almost certainly would follow the lead of the <a href="http://savebatterseapark.com/issues-at-a-glance/">“Save Battersea Park” campaigners</a> who saw off the much more politically acceptable <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-electric-car-racing-could-one-day-challenge-the-spectacle-of-formula-one-76192">electric motor racing series Formula E</a> after just two seasons. </p>
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<span class="caption">No more green lights for Formula E in Battersea Park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/sheeprus/19334691668/in/photolist-vsxmdU-wkdCAM-wk6hm1-vsu7WQ-vEQq7p-wk6Ey9-wkdEcH-wkdGxe-vEGcdL-wkdeH2-wCchNn-vEFUBj-vEQQLK-wCctn8-uoZ6L2-uN6BFd-wzorZE-vEQSMi-wkdfcP-wB1shG-wk78uU-vEGnZA-wk63dw-vEGvtd-vEGqrQ-wBHH5D-vr3LW8-vsFAXZ-vJubE9-uNcT4W-JShTwu-uNf7ka-JmKP39-vJyNP5-vJtKwo-uNeHJP-vsuud9-KfmEzy-vK6WCx-JmSJ6v-vJtXcC-vKsLm4-wk76gL-vki84m-wCcr7g-wB1Se9-wBHCsH-wBHBnM-vEQJ5t-vEQFRk">Sheep</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<p>Well-known motor racing circuits such as <a href="http://www.brandshatch.co.uk/">Brands Hatch</a> and <a href="http://www.donington-park.co.uk/">Donington</a> cannot cope physically with the demands of modern grand prix racing and the huge crowds involved – Brands Hatch’s record crowd is only a <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motorcycling-fogarty-pulls-in-record-crowd-1109838.html">little more than 100,000</a>. Silverstone itself seems the only realistic solution for the British Grand Prix. If no deal is done the worst case scenario would be that the this iconic event, which was first run at Brooklands in 1926, could be lost. </p>
<p>Silverstone could be sold or leased to the right bidder. Jaguar Land Rover, which was recently keen on just such a purchase, <a href="https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/jaguar-land-rover-not-going-buy-silverstone">failed to pull it off</a>. One of their aims had been to establish a company heritage centre at the track. The BRDC has plans for <a href="http://www.silverstone.co.uk/news/silverstone-heritage-experience-secures-funding/">its own heritage experience</a> to open there in 2019 as well as for a hotel complex.</p>
<p>So, what sort of organisation might take on such an asset? Is it too far fetched to think that F1’s new owners might fit the bill perfectly? Liberty Media is well versed in the entertainment business and you only have to look at another of its sporting assets, Suntrust Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team to see the <a href="http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/atl/ballpark/">company’s existing experience</a> in establishing a major entertainment complex.</p>
<h2>Old hand, new role?</h2>
<p>Liberty is hoping to emphasise F1’s potential as an entertainment spectacle, and to bring in more and younger fans from around the world, but it still has a keen eye on the decades of glamour and stories which have defined the sport’s appeal. The company has stated its wish for the British Grand Prix to continue as one of motor sport’s historic blue-riband events, and has already <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/f1-chief-chase-carey-on-why-he-wants-less-shooting-from-the-hip-as-he-bids-to-drive-the-sport-a3585146.html">offered to run the race for the BRDC</a>. But what about buying the whole entertainment complex and developing it? Zak Brown, executive director of the McLaren Technology Group, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-motor-f1-britain-silverstone-ecclesto-idUSKBN19V0OU">thinks they should</a>.</p>
<p>The added bonus is that this would sidestep any accusations of favouritism from other race promoters if, in an alternative scenario, the BRDC were granted a reduced fee for the race.</p>
<p>The final twist could be that Bernie Ecclestone, who is just getting used to semi-retirement from a lifetime of running F1, is not without influence, knowledge and funds. Could he come up on the rails and buy Silverstone and could the BRDC work with him? He admits to having made <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-motor-f1-britain-silverstone-ecclesto-idUSKBN19V0OU">just such an offer in the past</a>, but denies he is interested right now. Is this a classic piece of posturing?</p>
<p>At the British grand prix this weekend, the action will be focused on a historic circuit as iconic names such as Ferrari, Mercedes and Williams fight it out. The huge crowds both at Silverstone and watching on global television will find it hard to believe that the race might be lost after 2019. Think that’s impossible? Well things do change in this sport. The French Grand Prix <a href="http://www.eurosport.com/formula-1/french-grand-prix-returns-as-part-of-austria-silverstone-triple-header_sto6223818/story.shtml">reappears on the F1 calendar</a> again next year after an absence of ten years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80905/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce Grant-Braham is a Council Member of the British Automobile Racing Club.</span></em></p>Formula One owners Liberty Media, and perhaps even old-hand Bernie Ecclestone, might hold key to saving a crucial part of the sport’s history.Bruce Grant-Braham, Senior Lecturer, Bournemouth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/761922017-05-25T10:12:40Z2017-05-25T10:12:40ZHow electric car racing could one day challenge the spectacle of Formula One<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170584/original/file-20170523-5782-4mcvzh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=45%2C58%2C1971%2C1189&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/53361872@N07/19021891769/in/photolist-uYUaHc-HLC2z1-76Mrkk-dfkExR-dVCJDD-nMsp9q-fnFby-bTFEp6-HNYwJR-qutdpc-cEMdvC-92Sv4S-92Pm1V-dfkFfc-drhN77-bBxmDu-79Yjg4-8UY4dK-8PvrMC-8V8VLf-pQ7E7R-79YzGn-8V5NdV-8V8Rbs-98Kwdc-8V1Qqj-92Pkzv-8UYccR-7arA25-qLTQ5V-pPTMM7-85Vyi4-8V5SW6-8V2dej-8UYjhZ-qJB1Bd-8UY1F2-8V2737-9epHG9-8UYhzV-bTFEgT-5XXkLp-pQ7DoB-pQ7Bcx-8UXQ6e-8UYfa8-77GxS9-8UXR5p-92PmJD-92SgH1">rollingstone64/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Motor racing’s most glamorous event, the Formula One Grand Prix in the glittering tax haven of Monaco is just around the corner. It is 67 years since drivers first took on the famous, twisty roads through the principality on the south coast of France, but is age starting to creep up on the F1 scene?</p>
<p>Since the earliest Olympic Games, racing has been used to advance wheeled transport. It was in the <a href="http://www.ancient.eu/Olympic_Games/">Tethrippon, Keles and Apene</a> events in Ancient Greece, that chariots were developed and the numbers of horses, foals and mules adjusted to provide optimum power and handling. Centuries later, in 1899, the French Renault brothers understood <a href="https://www.autoevolution.com/renault/">that city-to-city racing</a> could help harness the very different horsepower of their new combustion-engined cars.</p>
<p>Today we use many F1 technologies on the road. Ferrari’s semi-automatic gearbox and the “flappy paddle” transmissions are now standard in many road cars. Shell and Total produced friction-reducing fuel additives, and tyres made by Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone and Pirelli have all benefited from F1 research. Williams Advanced Engineering created the technology behind the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to be found in <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1816116">Volvo’s C30 Electric road car</a> and the BMW i3 electric city car is the first to be constructed from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic, a technique pioneered in F1 by McLaren. </p>
<p>But while F1 has driven innovation that has made it to the car showroom, there is a risk it may fall behind by failing to embrace the key evolving trend in road car technologies. Could Formula E (FE), the fully electric vehicle street racing competition, end up being more relevant to the world’s major motor manufacturers?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170585/original/file-20170523-5782-j0alk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170585/original/file-20170523-5782-j0alk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170585/original/file-20170523-5782-j0alk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170585/original/file-20170523-5782-j0alk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170585/original/file-20170523-5782-j0alk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=411&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170585/original/file-20170523-5782-j0alk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170585/original/file-20170523-5782-j0alk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170585/original/file-20170523-5782-j0alk1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Volvo: plugged in.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/49698805@N06/4985837129/in/photolist-8AzHF8-a1Kbzu-89ULgT-9bdJoK-8CTWqx-9Nrrwf-8MpwbA-9NoEDM-9bdEya-9sfRT7-8AzHGn-9sfRpS-9nDRNr-6fLBbP-84ce6d-8CU2CH-8CX4vW-a1GiYx-8CU1S4-84ccfA-8CX8z3-84cd3J-8zFFa2-8CU3AD-8CTWYx-85FxQ3-oZqLsa-9bipD1-byLJGe-9bdMd8-9Rpxqq-9RbxUV-9Rbxqv-9Rbx9V-9RbxC6-9S3Aqc-8496Gx-9T5qEG-85FxKb-9bgNvu-9SZTJx-9scDvB-9SZTbX-9beTe8-9RbCdn-8zkDMN-9RewFA-8FdSPB-8vwY8A-9eXk6F">One Tonne Life/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Urban planning</h2>
<p>This year, FE had its own race in Monaco, a fortnight before F1 arrived. According to Jean Todt, President of the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA), FE is the perfect showcase for new electric vehicle technologies; a device to promote the use of clean engine technology, especially in cities and towns.</p>
<p>It is in those urban settings that pollution is a major problem. Oslo banned diesel road cars for two days to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/16/oslo-temporarily-bans-diesel-cars-combat-pollution">combat rising air pollution</a> while the Norwegian government intends to ban the sale of fossil fuel-based cars <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/norway-to-ban-the-sale-of-all-fossil-fuel-based-cars-by-2025-and-replace-with-electric-vehicles-a7065616.html">by 2025</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w7qIpKL5Vao?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Others have similar intentions. India <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/auto/miscellaneous/indias-green-car-plan-prioritises-electric-vehicles-over-hybrids/articleshow/58557589.cms?from=mdr">is considering a draft report</a> recommending that all vehicles should be electric by 2032. China, where pollution in major cities <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/06/air-pollution-beijing-china-smog-britain">can be devastating</a>, is the largest electric vehicle market in the world. BYD Auto sold <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/604335/the-worlds-largest-electric-vehicle-maker-hits-a-speed-bump/">507,000 cars last year</a> and GAC Motor, another of China’s large motor manufacturers, intends to <a href="https://electrek.co/2017/05/09/china-gac-electric-vehicle-industrial-park/">build 200,000 vehicles per year</a>. Unsurprisingly, Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of FE <a href="https://www.motorsport.com/formula-e/news/formula-e-eyes-shanghai-race-in-season-four-885678/">wants to expand</a> the championship into China.</p>
<p>Agag recognised that the automobile industry’s focus on electric vehicles offered a different direction to most motor sports. He would appear to be right. FE already has an impressive line-up of contributing manufacturers, many of which have been familiar names in F1. </p>
<h2>Brand awareness</h2>
<p>FE cars currently use batteries supplied by <a href="http://www.williamsf1.com/advanced-engineering/about/capabilities/hybrid-and-ev-systems">Williams Advanced Engineering</a>, a subsidiary of the Williams F1 Team. The <a href="http://www.renaultedams.com/?lang=en">Renault e.dams team</a> has allowed Renault to demonstrate its FE pedigree with the all-electric TreZor concept car, which was one of the stars of the 2016 Paris Motor Show. <a href="http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2016/september/mclaren-to-supply-new-formula-e-battery/">McLaren Applied Technologies</a> will supply all the championship’s new batteries from 2018. Jaguar, which was formerly in F1, has backed FE’s <a href="https://www.jaguar.co.uk/jaguar-racing/index.html">Panasonic Jaguar Racing team</a> to showcase its future range of electric cars. </p>
<p>Other manufacturers, including current world F1 championship <a href="http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2016/october/mercedes-takes-option-on-season-five-entry/">winning team Mercedes-Benz</a>, are joining FE soon and even Ferrari, a cornerstone of F1 since the World championship started, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2017/04/04/marchionne-hints-at-once-obscene-idea-a-formula-e-electric-fe/">is said to be interested</a>.</p>
<p>BMW, which used to have a prominent position in F1 attained <a href="https://news.bmw.co.uk/article/bmw-increases-involvement-with-formula-e/">“Official Vehicle Partner”</a> status by supplying electric utility vehicles for FE, including Safety Cars, Medical and Support Cars and the official Rescue Car. BMW will get further involved on track in the actual racing when it joins the FE grid in 2018 with the Andretti Team.</p>
<p>In 2017, Audi, which <a href="https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/emotional-farewell-for-audi-from-the-fia-wec-7061">could have gone to F1</a>, completely realigned its motor sport strategy after being dominant in sportscar racing. It became involved in FE with a factory-backed commitment to The Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport team. This fits Audi’s business strategy to produce new electric vehicles, <a href="https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/audi-ag-and-faw-group-sign-strategic-growth-plan-for-china-7222">particularly aimed at the Chinese market</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170612/original/file-20170523-5763-1uggsvj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170612/original/file-20170523-5763-1uggsvj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170612/original/file-20170523-5763-1uggsvj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170612/original/file-20170523-5763-1uggsvj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170612/original/file-20170523-5763-1uggsvj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170612/original/file-20170523-5763-1uggsvj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170612/original/file-20170523-5763-1uggsvj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170612/original/file-20170523-5763-1uggsvj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Musk makes baby steps into racing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/PETER FOLEY</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>You might wonder why headline-grabbing US car maker Tesla hasn’t dipped its toe into FE. Well, Elon Musk’s firm has seen its Model S version P85+ chosen as the base car for the world’s <a href="http://www.electricgt.co/testanews">first Electric GT Championship</a>, which starts in a few months time.</p>
<p>So is F1 missing out? Certainly not financially. At the moment, the budgets involved in F1 remain much larger, but that should not be taken for granted if motor manufacturers continue to jump ship. The point has certainly been made that FE is attracting major companies for whom electric technology is becoming increasingly relevant, <a href="http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a30717/boring-formula-e-has-one-huge-advantage-over-f1-and-indycar/">to the detriment</a> of both F1 and Indycar. </p>
<p>It does seem unlikely that Formula e, as it stands, can truly compete with the decades of history and glamour associated with the combustion-engine machismo of F1. But in 2020, the FIA’s F1 engine rules are due to change and history shows that to justify the substantial investment, this will probably have to be for at least five seasons. The current 1.6-litre V6 600 horsepower hybrid turbo petrol engines, that gain an added 160 horsepower from their electrical recovery systems will be consigned to the scrap heap. </p>
<p>Will the FIA choose another hybrid engine configuration for F1 or could it too go more electric? Perhaps a path might even be laid for a fully electric F1 in later years? In any case, the FIA’s choice will be vital for the future of both F1 and FE. It will also be a strong signal of the pace of change which will dictate the types of cars we will all end up driving to the shops, in China, Norway and beyond.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/76192/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce Grant-Braham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When manufacturers are chasing sales and more and more customers are plugging in, is the writing on the wall for F1?Bruce Grant-Braham, Lecturer in Sport Marketing specialising in motorsport, Bournemouth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/724062017-03-21T10:24:08Z2017-03-21T10:24:08ZReasons to be cheerful as Liberty Media era dawns in Formula One<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161627/original/image-20170320-9108-1n0jm3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=56%2C27%2C1596%2C994&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pjmixer/27680698384/in/photolist-Jb3Pfq-Jb6LkR-ExrL6Q-FhRqHN-JFCaPY-HPEyby-JFCwi3-EwPVkw-EwQaFq-F9tbNS-JFCdhd-K7uHHZ-K4uL3s-Jb6is2-KCFerg-E9NJ3H-JMobaz-K4v5eY-D8F2VD-JFC7tQ-JFCeWL-K4uCNC-Jb6s3D-JFBUCW-GPA7bi-JFBP9E-Jb3ZEd-EEZkBL-K4uSHb-ESAhiE-EEZ93y-Egazy1-DKUVCX-E9PetM-KhFYfS-FrbNVU-JFCt6m-JXii7C-JFC97E-K7uXCc-K7uVFB-K7uSga-JxamAf-K4v4ad-J1X5yW-KhFYys-KhFYBd-KhFYtY-KhFYqb-KhFYmy">PJMixer/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The new Formula One season offers some reason for optimism. When the green lights flash for the opening race in Melbourne at the end of March, we will get our first glimpse of the new promised “Super Bowl-style” Grand Prix. If its recent history is any guide, Liberty Media, the group which now owns F1, should have the ability, experience and resources to revitalise the sport, and deliver on promises they’ve made.</p>
<p>John Malone’s Liberty is a vast media conglomerate, and a rival of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Both, at various times, have eyed <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/22/business/worldbusiness/22iht-murdoch.3991109.html">each other’s share holdings</a>. Liberty controls big name brands such as Virgin Media and the shopping channel QVC. It is anticipated that the organisation’s media pedigree will be used to recruit younger Formula One fans, and attempt to keep a tight hold of them through improved interaction.</p>
<p>For an idea of how this might go, we can look at Liberty’s ownership of the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball (MLB) team in the US. The former World Series Champions were <a href="http://www.timewarner.com/newsroom/press-releases/2007/05/17/liberty-media-acquires-atlanta-braves-baseball-club">bought a decade ago from Time Warner</a> in what was described rather unromantically as a “tax driven transaction”. Since then, performance on the field has not lived up to expectations. Two years ago, attendance slumped to the <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2016/03/23/how-valuable-are-the-atlanta-braves.html">lowest level in 25 years</a>, which affected revenue badly. Not good signs for Formula One you might say.</p>
<h2>Renovation</h2>
<p>However, many of the problems for the Braves were caused by essential renovations of their home ground, Turner Field. This had been the 1996 Centennial Olympic Stadium and was <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/02/sport/turner-field-last-game-atlanta-braves/">in need of substantial upgrading</a> to improve the experience for fans. There was no solution that didn’t involve a significant outlay.</p>
<p>What Atlanta is getting is a new stadium complex – <a href="http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/atl/ballpark/">Sun Trust Park</a>, which opens in April and involves a deal to bring in Comcast’s high-speed voice and video services. An agreement like this could have potential in F1 where <a href="http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/17618136/liberty-sees-virtual-reality-gambling-growth-areas-f1">Liberty has suggested</a> both virtual reality and gambling opportunities might be developed.</p>
<p>For the Atlanta Braves, the prospect of this new venue bolstered confidence and led to a sharp increase in the <a href="http://www.ajc.com/sports/baseball/forbes-braves-surpass-billion-value/SyyfBm2f2pbu8IolMExTAN">value of the MLB franchise</a>. There is fresh optimism around results on the field too if <a href="http://atlantabraves.blog.ajc.com/2017/01/30/the-farm-is-thriving-braves-future-looks-bright/">forecasts are right</a> about the good young players that Liberty has assembled.</p>
<p>Sun Trust Park is not just a sports stadium, and as such, it doesn’t have to rely entirely on MLB games for revenue. It includes a shopping mall which will have up to a million square feet of retail space, as well as a hotel and sponsorship involvement from other local blue chip companies including Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines. The prospect of year-round entertainment is a message for many Formula One tracks: investment in infrastructure could pay off. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161529/original/image-20170320-9147-riqk8j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161529/original/image-20170320-9147-riqk8j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161529/original/image-20170320-9147-riqk8j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=219&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161529/original/image-20170320-9147-riqk8j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=219&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161529/original/image-20170320-9147-riqk8j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=219&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161529/original/image-20170320-9147-riqk8j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=276&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161529/original/image-20170320-9147-riqk8j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=276&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/161529/original/image-20170320-9147-riqk8j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=276&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">MLB makeover. Turner Field in 2006.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/flc/127939608/in/photolist-ciHZj-4KBU2s-nrUsAg-6PnZCr-4QANit-5RnWUp-4QAPL6-nn2eXo-4KAZPW-d6WkJ3-6ANRF5-4PV6sY-8HwUPA-etM8Y7-aL5pD-4L7aoB-nKwn4N-8HtAwv-2y1reg-4KzBQd-fSMoor-6eGrQJ-em31uv-4HivQS-4QJi3N-4KBQ3o-4PV6s5-dwWqNU-4KzEco-88nLhL-4HivQ1-a4R9A7-3drxLe-4KwnjH-4Kwe6K-4KxgAV-8HwUeC-3Cv4G-4KBpcs-d6VUyy-mRfBwy-eAALas-ozqvia-6khpYC-8HwKRo-4KwEwx-etJjVx-uxWxJ5-4KwiGx-4KxrBk">Gregor Smith/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Liberty are well placed to advise. Another Liberty company, Live Nation Entertainment, is a partner in Sun Trust Park, and describes itself as the largest live entertainment company in the world. Billy Joel will headline the <a href="http://www.wsbtv.com/entertainment/billy-joel-to-play-atlanta-braves-new-stadium-suntrust-park/481471135">first concert at the sports stadium</a>, opening a schedule that is expected to see 40 music and comedy shows each year.</p>
<h2>Brains and Brawn</h2>
<p>The Liberty team has some strong leadership in place, but they haven’t played it flawlessly so far. CEO of the parent group Liberty Media Corporation is Greg Maffei, who also acts as Live Nation’s chairman. Maffei is a former Microsoft chief financial officer (CFO) and was once chairman and CFO of technology group Oracle. He described Liberty as “happy owners” of The Atlanta Braves but came in for criticism from loyal fans when he <a href="http://jeffschultz.blog.myajc.com/2016/04/21/comments-from-libertys-maffei-reaffirms-braves-need-new-ownership/">referred to the team as an “asset”</a> and wouldn’t give a long term commitment. </p>
<p>This is noteworthy because Liberty Media Corp chairman, <a href="http://ir.libertymedia.com/management.com">John Malone</a>, has a <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/business/21652316-what-giant-deal-says-about-americas-media-and-internet-industries-malone-wolf">reputation for building and selling</a> business empires. At the time of writing he has not yet visited a Formula One race.</p>
<p>Liberty’s Formula One Group, however, is being led by Chase Carey – a former executive vice-chairman at 21st Century Fox. He <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/sports/autoracing/chase-carey-formula-1-bernie-ecclestone.html?_r=0">claimed to be “awed”</a> when he visited the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix and was impressed that the race managed to captivate the whole city. He drew that comparison with the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>But the really crucial part of the leadership team must be Ross Brawn. He was hired by Liberty to act as managing director for motor sports and called the Formula One deal an “almost unprecedented opportunity to work together with the teams and promoters for a better F1.”</p>
<p>There is little that Brawn doesn’t know about Formula One having delivered no less than 20 world titles. He has worked with Williams, Benetton and Ferrari, notably with Michael Schumacher. In 2009 he won one title with his own team’s Brawn GP Formula One car <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/oct/18/jenson-button-wins-f1-world-title-brazil">driven by Jenson Button</a>. And Brawn has many educated opinions about the competitiveness of the racing and the show expected by spectators.</p>
<p>These were no doubt expressed during his time as a consultant to Liberty before the company purchased Formula One. Brawn also introduced Virgin Media to Formula One in 2009, a company now absorbed in to Liberty. He too knows the media ropes and the expectations of such sponsors.</p>
<p>Brawn’s involvement, alongside the long-term game played with the Atlanta Braves, offers every indication that Liberty has the potential to improve Formula One for all concerned – and to do so not just with an accountant’s eye, but with some understanding of the glorious romance attached to this global sport.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72406/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruce Grant-Braham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An F1 insider could give the US media group an edge in its effort to reinvigorate the world’s fastest motor sport.Bruce Grant-Braham, Lecturer in Sport Marketing specialising in motorsport, Bournemouth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/718272017-01-26T15:04:09Z2017-01-26T15:04:09ZEnd of the Ecclestone era gives F1 hope of a turbo-charged future<p>Bernie Ecclestone’s <a href="http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ecclestone-confirms-chase-carey-has-replaced-him-as-ceo-of-f1-868019/">removal</a> from the head of Formula 1 is almost hard to believe. Despite a rollercoaster life, a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28656050">costly bribery trial</a>, and a triple coronary bypass, the 86-year-old F1 supremo has never showed any sign of relinquishing his dominion over the sport. </p>
<p>It is, after all, an industry that he created and transformed from a grassroots racing hobby for a few adrenaline junky mechanics, into the <a href="http://www.raconteur.net/business-of-f1-2016">most-watched sport series in the world</a>. So, as US giant Liberty Media takes over F1’s parent company Delta Topco, the decision not to keep Ecclestone as CEO marks a major change to F1’s business model. </p>
<h2>From the ground up</h2>
<p>Ecclestone has often made the news for the wrong reasons (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jan/05/future-f1-british-grand-prix-silverstone-in-doubt-hosting-costs">questionable commercial strategies</a>) , <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28656050">allegations of bribery</a>, a colourful array of politically incorrect statements which included praising Adolf Hitler <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/jul/04/bernie-ecclestone-interview-hitler-saddam">for “getting things done”</a>). But loved or loathed, nobody denies his critical role in building Formula 1 over the last 40 years.</p>
<p>Having started his career as a second-hand car and motorcycle salesman, Ecclestone began racing as an amateur driver in 1949. After some stints managing drivers, he became the owner of a small Australian team, Brabham, in 1972. This was instrumental in transforming his own fortunes and that of the sport.</p>
<p>Back in the 70s, the business of F1 was made up of an unstructured, unfair and inefficient system of one-to-one deals. Each team would independently negotiate with the track owners a fee for their participation in races. This granted higher bargaining power (and richer deals) to prestigious teams, which were considered a “must-have” to attract spectators. Smaller ones got next to nothing. At the same time, the track owners would sell broadcasting rights to TV and radio channels on a race-by-race basis. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154397/original/image-20170126-30413-706id5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154397/original/image-20170126-30413-706id5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154397/original/image-20170126-30413-706id5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154397/original/image-20170126-30413-706id5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154397/original/image-20170126-30413-706id5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154397/original/image-20170126-30413-706id5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154397/original/image-20170126-30413-706id5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">F1 in the 1970s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jochen_Rindt#/media/File:Rindt_at_1970_Dutch_Grand_Prix.jpg">Joost Evers</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ecclestone was the first to realise this system was unsustainable and advanced a solution. In 1978 he become the president of the Formula One Constructors’ Association, the F1 teams body, and offered to represent all teams’ interests in a centralized system of negotiation. This granted returns to all parties (including the smaller teams) and higher profits across the board from the direct negotiation with broadcasters. </p>
<p>This central arrangement transformed F1 into the extremely profitable industry it is today. Audiences – and sponsorship – skyrocketed around the globe.</p>
<p>Ecclestone’s ability to make money seems to be second to none. He brought races to locations such as <a href="http://f1destinations.com/introducing-baku-f1s-newest-destination/">Bahrain, Russia and Azerbaijan</a> where national governments were willing to pay multi-million fees. At the same time all TV rights were progressively sold to pay-tv channels through costly multi-year contracts. Revenue for the ten teams competing in F1 in 2015 <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2016/03/05/f1-teams-race-off-with-1-5-billion-revenue/#208b711450e1">was US$1.5 billion</a>. </p>
<h2>Hit some road bumps</h2>
<p>The sport has, in recent years, however, witnessed a dramatic <a href="http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2016/01/17/how-do-you-explain-f1s-falling-popularity-since-2008/">plunge in its audience and overall traction</a>. Excessive regulation has limited the development of car technology, prohibiting the appeal of races. A small number of teams dominate and the result of races is often predictable. Ticket prices are so high that only the very wealthy (or die-hard fans) can afford to watch the sport live.</p>
<p>Ecclestone’s tight grip on the sport is a big reason it hasn’t evolved. Despite dwindling audiences, he preferred to perpetuate the idea of F1 as a glittering world of golden gates and VIP passes, where ordinary fans are kept at a distance from their heroes and the show is conceived to target older, deep-pocketed, nostalgic motor-heads. </p>
<p>Necessary reinvestment was reduced to the very minimum. For example any sort of significant engagement with the internet and social media <a href="http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/319016/ecclestone-no-point-trying-to-reach-young-fans/">were dismissed</a> and were instead promptly and successfully adopted by <a href="http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/10/07/rise-formula-e-f1-facing-relevance-crisis/">Formula E</a>, F1’s sister series. </p>
<p>The complacence of teams in this was bought by establishing a governance system where top teams (namely Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull) <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-save-formula-1-without-overhauling-the-business-model-39205">have higher powers</a>. They can basically veto any changes to the sport that do not work in their interest. This includes proposals like a cost cap for technology, or a more fair redistribution of revenues to help minor teams “stay in the game” – and make the sport more competitive. </p>
<p>It did not take long for Liberty Media to realise that the way Ecclestone set the business up is not geared towards making any radical changes. The decision to appoint a new managing team and dismiss him with a pompous but token title of “chairman emeritus” shows a desire to take the sport in a new direction.</p>
<h2>Turbo boost</h2>
<p>So those hopeful of a rejuvenation of the sport have welcomed the news. The sport’s new chairman, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-4151382/5-things-new-Formula-One-chief-Chase-Carey.html">Chase Carey</a>, a former 21st Century Fox executive, has said that Formula 1 will be run differently.</p>
<p>Top priorities will be expanding into the US (while maintaining its presence in Europe), and greater effort will be made to engage younger generations. Carey has talked of introducing <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/38731760">“21 Super Bowls”</a> to the F1 race calendar. Inspired by the American sport series format (familiar to American football and baseball fans), it will be a more engaging show for fans to follow. It’s a promising recipe. </p>
<p>Crucially, Carey will have a strong new team around him. The experienced <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/38734708">Ross Brawn</a> returns to the sport as managing director, to lead the technical and sporting side of things. As former Mercedes team boss and technical director of Ferrari, overseeing Michael Schumacher’s seven world titles, he is one of the sport’s best. His task will be changing race regulations to bring back exciting races that can be enjoyed by even occasional viewers. To bring in the revenue, he is joined by ESPN veteran <a href="http://formulaspy.com/formula-1/ross-brawn-sean-bratches-join-formula-one-managing-directors-30810">Sean Bratches</a> as commercial managing director, focusing on sponsorship and broadcasting deals. </p>
<p>Having been in the hands of Ecclestone for so long, this new trio will have a tough job of implementing the revolution that fans have been longing for. Still, <a href="http://proceedings.aom.org/content/2015/1/18407.abstract?sid=8733df04-3af5-4b9e-8704-ca2b5fb73c3c">a study</a> I recently conducted with colleagues Simone Santoni, Luiz Mesquita and Alessandro Marino shows that this change to F1’s management bodes well. Our research found that when top management teams in F1 are made up of members with more diverse background and experiences, they will be more effective and efficient in embracing innovative solutions and making bolder decisions. </p>
<p>If this is the case, Liberty Media’s F1 takeover might not be the sport’s last lap, but perhaps just a useful turbo boost to revamp the industry.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71827/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Paolo Aversa received funding from the European Commission’s Marie-Curie Actions (Project nr. 301688 - Project Acronym AJ86RH5GYM - FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF) and the EPSRC UK Research Council (EP/K039695/1 Building Better Business Models) to conduct F1-related research.</span></em></p>Ecclestone made F1 the success it is today. But the sport needs rejuvenating if it’s to continue to prosper.Paolo Aversa, Lecturer in Strategy, Cass Business School, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/699032016-12-06T14:42:35Z2016-12-06T14:42:35ZF1 champ Rosberg swaps winning for retirement but it shouldn’t be a shock<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/148904/original/image-20161206-25738-qr0q9s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C22%2C1849%2C1251&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeboudreaux/30859550411/in/photolist-AG2F2S-NG6mJY-AG2EUY-P6yEay-NYs9SA-P6yC75-EyJkyt-P9LZQH-EyJiYV-P9LZq4-P1XgcZ-NG6dMW-P1Xeua-EyJdvR-EyJcpH-NG6cDJ-P1XcoX-EyJbbv-AG2qwQ-EyJahX-EyJ9Pc-EyJ9wP-AG2jRG-P1X6qe-P6ynVj-P1X4Z8-P6ymnE-P1X3RM-P6yk85-P1X2bx-AG2dnQ-P9LFu4-AsVC7s-NaTdWU-Jb3VJN-JFCdhd-HYY1ud-J8QxWg-BHvTgc-zuqcV7-pY3Vsu-pFuemK-pFue4k-pFww3q-pFzxPY-pXUZpg-p28w4h-pFxQA4-p28vUu-pVPp8J">Mike Boudreaux/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nico Rosberg’s reign as Formula One world champion will be a short one. The German driver shocked the world with his decision to retire from the sport just after clinching the title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It was a jaw-dropping decision – but at its heart is a clear rationale that makes perfect sense.</p>
<p>It’s not only the chance to defend his title that Rosberg is turning his back on. He also had the chance to outdo his father, Keke, who won his sole title in 1982. Rosberg also leaves open a seat in undoubtedly the best performing car on the grid. German marque Mercedes was no doubt looking forward to placing the champion’s race number on a supposedly German car (made in Brackley, UK) driven by a supposedly German driver (who also holds Finnish passport). </p>
<p>His decision leaves Mercedes with the thorny and costly task of filling an empty seat at a time when the strongest drivers are already under contract with competing teams. The <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/fernando-alonso-50-percent-chance-9395100">most recent rumours</a> point to two-time champion Fernando Alonso – which would represent a puzzling outcome for many as he affirmed to be committed to McLaren-Honda.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/148905/original/image-20161206-25749-1ywepak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/148905/original/image-20161206-25749-1ywepak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/148905/original/image-20161206-25749-1ywepak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148905/original/image-20161206-25749-1ywepak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148905/original/image-20161206-25749-1ywepak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148905/original/image-20161206-25749-1ywepak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148905/original/image-20161206-25749-1ywepak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/148905/original/image-20161206-25749-1ywepak.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rosberg leads Hamilton at qualifying for the British Grand Prix.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kartingnord/30065815480/in/photolist-PSTkrT-NEcL3w-NzTzJL-MNPasY-xFbq4z-JSiH3y-JUDtDM-J68V6y-J68UKd-JYwQ1o-Mimf5f-MNP6BS-Ng4864-Mim6Ps-KqPL4R-KuQNvo-HzuHVz-Hzwbj5-HpXHPG-H3CurY-HsY4MZ-Gxkinf-HjpQ7m-HsXfuc-Hjpm2U-EXEqrb-EZYacp-EZY6CF-E3fGPq-EXEess-E3zYLX-ERLShi-ERLPsv-E3fukC-E3fseo-Erua5c-EPtYx1-E3zNLM-GgMh1Q-EPupEf-EXEkYJ-E3fLdQ-EZY3GF-ERLWRi-E3fBEY-ErugfZ-EZXQTa-ExQMwL-ERLG78-Eru68V">Martin Lee/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Cornered</h2>
<p>Rosberg <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/02/motorsport/nico-rosberg-retires-formula-one-mercedes-world-champion/">has publicly explained</a> that he now needs to prioritise his personal life and the family that supported him through a painful struggle to achieve a childhood dream. But still the shock has been palpable. Most <a href="http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24207/10681153/fleet-street-lewis-hamilton-made-nico-rosberg-retire-from-formula-1">speculation</a> after his announcement has focused on the bruising tussle with his team mate and rival Lewis Hamilton, who was progressively eroding the points gap as the season drew to a close.</p>
<p>In the midst of all this soul searching, research I am conducting at Cass Business School with <a href="http://bunhill.city.ac.uk/research/cassexperts.nsf/(smarturl)/S.Santoni">Simone Santoni</a>, <a href="http://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/gino-cattani">Gino Cattani</a> and <a href="http://docenti.luiss.it/marino/">Alessandro Marino</a> shows Rosberg’s decision should not be surprising at all. </p>
<p>Organisations increasingly believe that equipping talented employees with comparable means and setting them into an internal fight will enhance their individual performance and thus increase returns for the entire organisation. But this might be true only in the short term. Such a strategy will offer long-term return only with drivers who can cope with such pressure, while it might push the other to move to another team with less pressuring conditions and internal fights. </p>
<p>In our study we are exploring the conflict arising in teams with high-status individuals – we identified their effects on individual performance and inter-team mobility (that is, the probability of a driver to move to another team).</p>
<h2>Road hogs</h2>
<p>As it turns out, Formula One is a pretty good source of evidence in this area, thanks to the fairly common practice of fuelling antagonism between two high-status drivers in the same team. Data from 1981-2015 show that this can backfire.</p>
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<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/104256018" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>Besides the most egregious situations, when teammates stop collaborating and occasionally drive each other off the track (such as between Rosberg and Hamilton in the Belgian Grand Prix of 2014, putting drivers into direct competition can significantly increase the chances of the drivers leaving the team. Rosberg’s decision to leave F1 after a championship represents an extreme case. Yet, there are precedents. Before him, Mike Hawthorn, Jackie Stewart and Alain Prost retired immediately after securing a world title (not necessarily for the same reasons as Rosbeg). Nigel Mansell also left F1 after winning, but <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/15/sport/motorsport/f1-nigel-mansell-indycar-motorsport/">continued racing in Indycar</a>. </p>
<p>However, the most common effect of intra-team conflict (no matter who comes out on top or the car’s ability to compete) is that one of the two drivers will move to another team where chances of intra-team conflict will be lower. The head-to-head conflict between <a href="http://autoweek.com/article/formula-one/alain-prost-ayrton-senna-between-us-we-can-screw-all-others">Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna at McLaren</a> (1988-1989), or more recently between MotoGP drivers <a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/126154">Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo</a> at Yamaha (2013-2016), offers the most likely explanation for one of the two walking away from the team. In both cases, this happened despite having a competitive vehicle. This is further proven by the fact that in 1993 Prost, for example, placed a <a href="http://www.ayrton-senna.net/ayrton-senna-alain-prosts-legendary-rivalry/">contractual veto on Williams</a> to stop them hiring Senna as his teammate.</p>
<h2>Braking point</h2>
<p>Fans struggle to understand why Rosberg would go for retirement now, turning down the most competitive car in F1 and the chance to defend the title. But these factors can work in the opposite direction to that which you might expect. </p>
<p>First, in organisations pressure for future performance is usually determined by prior performance expectations. Through our F1 research we infer that, by winning the world championship, expectations on Rosberg would increase rather than decrease, and so would job pressure – he can’t improve his ranking, only match it, after all.</p>
<p>Secondly, higher stakes correspond to higher stress. By competing with the best car, Rosberg is effectively forced to fight for the championship again – there can be no honourable failures or plucky 5th places in such a dominant Mercedes. In other words, the likelihood of facing another incredibly stressful season is higher, particularly when the other teammate is likely to continue as a direct and powerful competitor. When both top drivers race in the same car <a href="http://www.grandprixtimes.com/news/id/12793">the skill gap between drivers is more evident</a>, which sharpens criticism of the laggard.</p>
<p>There is one final and important point. Much has been made of Hamilton’s tactic of slowing up the final race of the season in an attempt to engineer a more difficult race for Rosberg. There are questions of the ethics in that, but for our purposes it showed something more worrying for Rosberg. When his team mate felt able to <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/motor/formula1/2016/11/27/hamiltons-decision-to-defy-team-orders-upsets-management/94516756/">openly ignore team orders</a> it demonstrated that the team has little or no real control over his conduct. </p>
<p>It meant that Rosberg would be heading into the 2017 season with little or no confidence in the ability of Mercedes management to soften the internal competition he fears. Whoever is going to squeeze in the Mercedes seat next year had better have broad shoulders.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/69903/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paolo Aversa received funding from the European Commission’s Marie-Curie Actions (Project nr. 301688 - Project Acronym AJ86RH5GYM - FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF) for the research mentioned in this article.</span></em></p>Fuelling direct competition between talented colleagues can backfire.Paolo Aversa, Lecturer in Strategy, Cass Business School, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/658572016-09-29T14:38:23Z2016-09-29T14:38:23ZThe race to make Formula One greener<p>Formula One racing has been the subject of a massive takeover by US cable tycoon <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-malone-formula-one-why-924618">John Malone</a>, driven by the desire to add subscribers to his channels and diversify his holdings. Malone paid <a href="http://www.wsj.com/video/john-malone-buys-formula-one-for-44-billion/3AB3908F-5ABB-4E9C-834D-4C2A5651A3B3.html">US$4.4 billion for a 35% stake</a>, with the remaining interest held by race teams. </p>
<p>One of the new owner’s first tasks is to modernise the sport.</p>
<p>To a certain extent, such matters take care of themselves in motor racing. Innovation is constant as different teams compete to take advantage of new rules, aerodynamics, materials and techniques. Formula One is regularly dominated by manufacturers that take their latest cars as close to the margin as possible in terms of performance.</p>
<p>But there are two other ways in which the competition needs an upgrade. First, it has an ageing audience, in part due to the previous regime’s distaste for marketing the sport to youth. TV ratings are <a href="http://www.wsj.com/video/john-malone-buys-formula-one-for-44-billion/3AB3908F-5ABB-4E9C-834D-4C2A5651A3B3.html">down everywhere other than the US</a>, which is showing renewed interest.</p>
<p>Second, its environmental status remains a problem. In the words of one academic overview of sustainability in sports, motor racing faces “<a href="http://sproc.org/archives/index.php/paas/article/viewArticle/3296">increasing pressure</a> to reduce resource consumption and to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner”. This is hardly a surprise, but in my research on “greenwashed sports” I found some <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17524032.2015.1127850?journalCode=renc20">evidence supporting both sides</a> of the debate about race cars and carbon footprints.</p>
<p>Formula One is heavily reliant on fossil fuels to build the cars and the circuits, while a race causes lots of local pollution and involves a “major transformation of the landscape <a href="http://jss.sagepub.com/content/33/2/150.short">wherever it is held</a>”. Back in 2007, each race car emitted around 1.5kg of CO₂ for every kilometre it drove, about nine times that of <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/may/14/formula-1-greenwash">a family car</a> (more recent data is hard to find). You might expect fast cars to burn lots of fuel of course, and these <a href="http://www.mclaren.com/formula1/inside-the-mtc/formula-one-teams-drive-carbon-reduction-1/">emissions have been reduced</a> in the years since. </p>
<p>But the racing itself is responsible for just 0.3% of the sport’s carbon emissions, which mostly derive from raw materials, manufacturing, and electricity usage, especially via <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/innovation-formula-one-sustainable-technology">wind tunnels</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/10456984">computing</a>. In addition, Formula One teams fly <a href="http://www.rtcc.org/2013/03/11/formula-one-the-petrolheads-driving-the-green-economy/">160,000 km</a> a year to test cars and compete.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/139756/original/image-20160929-27022-1rfid6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/139756/original/image-20160929-27022-1rfid6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/139756/original/image-20160929-27022-1rfid6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139756/original/image-20160929-27022-1rfid6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139756/original/image-20160929-27022-1rfid6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139756/original/image-20160929-27022-1rfid6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139756/original/image-20160929-27022-1rfid6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139756/original/image-20160929-27022-1rfid6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">F1 says its technology eventually filters through to the domestic car market.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">EvrenKalinbacak / Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Against that, boosters claim the sport provides regular road cars with a “high-speed <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/89d16362-3bd7-11e3-b85f-00144feab7de,Authorised=false.html?siteedition=intl&_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F89d16362-3bd7-11e3-b85f-00144feab7de.html%3Fsiteedition%3Dintl&_i_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fduckduc">research and development laboratory</a>”, as competition between manufacturers spurs advanced engineering and ever-greater fuel efficiency. These innovations are then <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ceed5302-a446-11e3-9cb0-00144feab7de.html#axzz3JRQ4BBbX">passed on</a> to everyday business and domestic motoring, supposedly <a href="http://www.racecar-engineering.com/technology-explained/formula-1-and-the-environment/">diminishing</a> the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/innovation-formula-one-sustainable-technology">carbon footprint</a> of normal traffic.</p>
<p>These supposed benefits are often highlighted in conventional <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/mar/23/solve-global-warming-pension-champagne-formula-1">press reporting</a>. Some even argue that cyclists are “<a href="http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Cyclists-miles-Formula-1-environmental-race/story-21460343-detail/story.html">miles behind Formula 1</a> in the environmental race” due to the massive impact of travel on events such as the Tour de France, weighed against motor sport’s “cutting-edge technology”.</p>
<p>That said, some senior figures in the sport are horrified by changes to emissions regulations that have reduced the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/mar/25/bernie-ecclestone-formula-one-cars-volume">noise pollution</a> that some think adds to the atmosphere. Fans <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/sports/autoracing/quiet-formula-one-cars-spark-a-noisy-debate.html?_r=0">complained in unprecedented numbers</a> about the quieter engines that came in 2014 with a mandatory shift from 2.4 litre V8s to 1.6 litre V6 turbo-power units. And regulations in favour of greener practices, such as kinetic energy recovery from braking and thermal energy recovery from emissions, were long delayed because of <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/bd7a7462-8690-11e2-b907-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?siteedition=intl&_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fbd7a7462-8690-11e2-b907-00144feabdc0.html%3Fsiteedition%3Dintl&_i_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fduckduc">lobbying by corporate teams</a>.</p>
<p>But the <a href="http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/feature/2252124/case-study-mclaren-accelerates-towards-sustainable-racing">McLaren Racing team</a> became a carbon-neutral company in 2011, partly through offsets to counter the amount of flying required, but largely through emissions controls. It recycles two-thirds of its waste, sends nothing to landfill, and has an energy-efficient headquarters at its McLaren Technology Centre, a “smart” building that is warmed by a thermal buffer, cooled by a lake, and roofed with recycled tyres. And in 2014, Formula E for electric vehicles appeared, funded by established racing firms and Leonardo DiCaprio and staffed by <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/07/-sp-formula-e-electric-car-racing-motor-sport">escapees from Formula One</a> sickened by its opposition to significant action against climate change.</p>
<p>Environmental activists have been <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07053436.2004.10707642">largely ineffective</a> in their opposition to the sport, despite mounting some <a href="http://www.ecolarge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Blowout-A-cost-benefit-analysis-of-the-Australian-Grand-Prix-Ecolarge-Final.pdf">very solid</a> arguments. Greenpeace, one of few environmental organisations large enough to battle Formula One worldwide, has tried to <a href="http://www.racecar-engineering.com/blogs/gravel-trap-why-greenpeace-should-do-what-shell-does/">disrupt</a> Grand Prix events through a now-familiar tactic: people dressed up in bright colours climbing onto buildings owned by others.</p>
<p>But such practices are not contra the sport itself, nor are they even focused on its environmental record – in fact, Greenpeace has said very positive things about Formula One, and its former executive director <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/its-time-to-separate-the-sponsor-from-the-spo/blog/46356/">is a fan</a>. Rather, they represent a kind of secondary boycott strategy directed at particular event sponsors.</p>
<p>Thankfully, <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ceed5302-a446-11e3-9cb0-00144feab7de.html#axzz3JRQ4BBbX">major sponsors</a> of Formula One include companies that want to expand sales while cutting carbon emissions, such as Unilever, GSK, and SAP. They have lobbied hard for teams to adapt to ecological reality in the interests of a mutual desire for a <a href="http://socialicense.com/definition.html">social license to operate</a>.</p>
<p>The likely outcome is that Formula One will expand its reach under its new owner Malone. Teams will seek efficiency gains for competitive rather than ecological reasons. Activists will complain, if not as noisily as the cars that irk them. And the real carbon footprint of the sport – its air miles – will remain a sideshow.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/65857/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Toby Miller is a donor to Greenpeace</span></em></p>A takeover by an American media mogul provides the perfect opportunity.Toby Miller, Director of the Institute for Media and Creative Industries, Loughborough UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/579332016-06-10T10:09:48Z2016-06-10T10:09:48ZHow might drone racing drive innovation?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125978/original/image-20160609-7083-yuvc0p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Racing drones in flight.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://thedroneracingleague.com/">The Drone Racing League</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Over the past 15 years, drones have progressed from laboratory demonstrations to widely available toys. Technological improvements have brought ever-smaller components required for flight stabilization and control, as well as significant improvements in battery technology. Capabilities once restricted to military vehicles are now found on toys that can be purchased at Wal-Mart. </p>
<p>Small cameras and transmitters mounted on a drone even allow real-time video to be sent back to the pilot. For a few hundred dollars, anyone can buy a “first person view” (FPV) system that puts the pilot of a small drone in a virtual cockpit. The result is an immersive experience: Flying an FPV drone is like Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia flying a speeder bike through the forests of Endor.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4wSG3m4VNlo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">First-person viewing puts you in the virtual cockpit of a drone, like flying a speeder on Endor.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Perhaps inevitably, hobbyists started racing drones soon after FPV rigs became available. Now several <a href="http://thedroneracingleague.com/">drone racing leagues</a> have begun, both <a href="http://dronenationals.com/">in the U.S.</a> <a href="http://droneworlds.com/">and internationally</a>. If, like auto racing, drone racing becomes a long-lasting sport <a href="http://www.worlddroneprix.com/award.php">yielding financial rewards</a> for backers of winning teams, might technologies developed in the new sport of drone racing find their way into commercial and consumer products?</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0gYkZGOTdM0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A drone race, as a spectator and on board the drones.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>An example from history</h2>
<p>Auto racing has a long history of <a href="http://fleetowner.com/blog/racing-world-s-impact-vehicle-development">developing and demonstrating new technologies</a> that find their way into passenger cars, buses and trucks. Formula 1 racing teams developed many innovations that are now standard in commercially available vehicles. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=287&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125788/original/image-20160608-3513-hnmrtc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Racing for innovation: Formula 1 teams.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2010_Malaysian_GP_opening_lap.jpg">Morio</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These include disk brakes, tire design and materials, electronic engine control and monitoring systems, the sequential gearbox and paddle shifters, <a href="http://www.f1-grandprix.com/?page_id=1742">active suspension systems</a> and traction control (so successful that both were banned from Formula 1 competition), and automotive use of composite materials such as <a href="http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/nascar-nation/nascar-edu/mobil1-technology-hub/nascar-carbon-fiber-hoods-mobil-1-tech-center1.html">carbon fiber reinforced plastics</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pZ0viMxYDA4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A look inside the World Drone Prix.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Starting with the basics</h2>
<p>Aerodynamically, the multi-rotor drones that are used for racing are not sophisticated: A racing drone is essentially a brick (the battery and flight electronics) with four rotors attached. A rectangular block has a drag coefficient of roughly 1, while a carefully streamlined body with about the same proportions has a drag coefficient of about 0.05. Reducing the drag force means a drone needs less power to fly at high speed. That in turn allows a smaller battery to be carried, which means lighter weight and greater maneuverability. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125976/original/image-20160609-7086-d052j1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A brick with rotors, ripe for aerodynamic improvement.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-426308953/stock-photo-drone-racing-fpv-quadrotors-in-black-color.html">Drone image via shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is a case where technologies from aircraft and helicopter aerodynamics will find their way to the smaller vehicles. Commercial drone manufacturers have begun working on aerodynamic optimization, using techniques such as wind tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamics originally developed for analysis and design of full-scale aircraft and helicopters. </p>
<p>That may be able to enable longer flight times. If so, it would give drone operators more time to take money-making photos and video in flight. It could also boost drones’ ability to assist missions such as searching for lost hikers. If drone racing becomes a billion-dollar per year sport – <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/30/sport/motorsport/f1-money-billion-dollar-business/">like auto racing</a> – teams will deploy well-funded research labs to eke out every last bit of performance. That additional incentive – and spending – could be poured into racing advances that will push drone technology farther and faster than might otherwise be the case. </p>
<p>Organized competition isn’t the only way to innovate, of course: Drone development has accelerated even without it. Today, the cheapest drones cost under US$50, though they can fly only indoors and have very limited flight capabilities. Hobby drones costing hundreds of dollars can perform stunning aerobatic feats in the hands of a skilled pilot. Drones capable of autonomous flight are also available, though they cost thousands of dollars and are used for more specialized purposes like scientific research, cinematography, law enforcement, and search and rescue.</p>
<h2>Advancing control and awareness</h2>
<p>The drones used in racing (and indeed, all current multi-rotor drones) contain hardware and software to improve stability. This is essentially a low-level autopilot responsible for “balancing” the vehicle. The human pilot controls the vehicle’s front/back and left/right tilt angles and the magnitude of the total thrust, as well as how fast the vehicle turns and changes direction.</p>
<p>There is no reason why this must be done via control sticks, as is currently common: Pilots could use a smartphone to control the drone instead. There is, in fact, no reason why drone control needs to be done using a physical interface: recently the University of Florida hosted a (very basic) drone race using <a href="http://www.braindronerace.com">brain-machine interfaces to control the drones</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U08ma8KNOnY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Racing drones steered by brain signals.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Aside from flight control, situation awareness is a key problem in drone operations. It is all too easy to crash a remotely operated vehicle into a pillar on the left when the cameras are all pointed forwards. In addition, the pilot of the lead drone in a race has no way of knowing where the competitors are: They could all be a long way behind, or one could be in a position to pass.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125787/original/image-20160608-3475-movs3h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=581&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Robots need multiple camera angles to see themselves and their surroundings, like this mosaic self-portrait of NASA’s Curiosity Rover on Mars.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16763">NASA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Solving this problem could have payoffs for other telepresence robotics operations, such as remotely operated underwater vehicles and even planetary rovers. Vision systems consisting of several cameras and a computer to stitch together the different views could help, or a haptic system could vibrate to alert a pilot to the presence of a drone or other obstacle nearby. Those sorts of technologies to improve the pilot’s awareness during a race could also be used to assist a remote-control robot pilot operating a vehicle at an oil drilling platform or near a hydrothermal vent in the deep ocean.</p>
<p>This is of course still very speculative: Drone racing is a sport still in its infancy. It is not yet clear whether it will become a massively popular sport. If it does, we could see very exciting advances coming from drone racing into both the toys that we fly in our living rooms and parks and into the drones used by professional videographers, engineers and scientists.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/57933/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack Langelaan receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautic and Astronautics, a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a member of the American Helicopter Society.</span></em></p>If, like auto racing, drone racing becomes a long-lasting sport yielding financial rewards for backers of winning teams, might new technologies find their way into commercial and consumer products?Jack Langelaan, Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/540112016-02-03T12:46:56Z2016-02-03T12:46:56ZCycling should take a lead from F1 as hidden motor scandal emerges<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/109974/original/image-20160202-32254-1o5v08j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Taking it too far? No hiding this bike motor.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulk/4245168889/in/photolist-7t8AP4-7t8CFR-7vdrig-MWUHm-9TtZ26-dHXjAi-jNMD8w-MWUHU-efBbZG-6ZUPsu-74iWLC-ef6S9a-efczUQ-6ZQRNt-9TwP35-4FGyt5-6ZUQ1y-dmzjJB-aBY26t-o4kXyB-atMzJj-pDB9wE-dyH9uG-9TtViT-7gmwKz-nRCz8V-6kzUbx-6QRwsA-2dEjgm-7h5bqn-8D3Stu-8ybbHS-8YNhT6-6kA5oZ-iSSc8j-6kE4BL-9UYiPC-fuBLCj-8ndkkZ-595SGc-9TtVyH-dvWdpC-9TwKzN-NU2Ei-NTvbU-4eEVBJ-4eEWcU-oShCgV-NTtK9-NU4ex">Paul Keller</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When Canadian cyclist Ryder Hesjedal crashed on a descent in the Tour of Spain back in 2014 he sparked a fascinating sporting conspiracy theory. As he scrambled to recover, Hesjedal’s bike appeared to rotate away from him as it lay on the floor. For some, it was evidence of “mechanical doping” – the use of small, hidden battery packs to add power to a rider’s output.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/hesjedal-bike-tested-for-motor-its-the-most-ridiculous-thing-ive-ever-heard-of_372016">defence from Hesjedal</a> and his team was robust, and <a href="http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/ryder-hesjedals-clockwork-cervelo-uci-checks-garmin-sharp-bikes-134803">more than a little mocking of the furore that followed</a>. In truth, the accusations didn’t make any sense. The back wheel was simply rolling down the slope in an arc; the cranks weren’t turning; and why would a motor be engaged on an easy downhill section anyway? Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara had been <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/7798626/Fabian-Cancellara-denies-using-a-motorised-bike-to-win-races-in-the-spring.html">forced to deny</a> similar accusations four years earlier, but this time the claims did prompt the sport’s governing body to check out the team’s bikes (nothing was found). It was the first glimpse of a new scandal in a sport that has had more than its fair share.</p>
<p>The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has since started regular testing, and may have just uncovered some genuine evidence.</p>
<h2>Denial</h2>
<p>At the <a href="http://www.uci.ch/cyclo-cross/news/">World Cyclo-Cross championships</a> in Zolder, Belgium, the UCI revealed it had discovered a motor <a href="http://www.uci.ch/pressreleases/uci-statement-174751/">in a frame</a> being used by one of the pre-race favourites and current European Champion, Femke van den Driessche.</p>
<p>Van den Driessche, 19, who was taking part in the under-23 women’s race, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/35452791">has strenuously denied</a> that she knew anything about the motor. She told reporters that the bike belonged to a friend who had left it with her mechanics, who wrongly thought it was hers. </p>
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<p>This may prove to be true, but the inescapable fact is that the technology is available, and effective. The power output varies, and can reach up to 200 watts. But even a modest boost of 20-50 watts could offer a race-winning advantage, or make the difference for a rider seeking a new contract.</p>
<p>For some, any teams and individuals proved to be using such technology intentionally will be regarded as cheats – and the act may even be compared to the doping culture embodied by Lance Armstrong, which was widespread in the sport. We can also view it as part of a technological arms race which sees bike manufacturers and professional teams fight for marginal gains. And it is a story which extends out into other sports too.</p>
<h2>Lightweight</h2>
<p>Since the <a href="http://www.mudsweatngears.co.uk/page_2473200.html">beginnings of the bicycle industry</a> in the 1860s, cycle racing has trialled new machines and ideas to try and maximise performance. Perhaps the most straightforward of these inventions was the air-filled tyre, now ubiquitous, that increased speed by reducing rolling resistance and greatly improved comfort. Jump ahead 150 years and you can now buy a road bike that <a href="http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/merida-launches-worlds-lightest-production-bike-171066">weighs just 4.5 kilos</a>. </p>
<p>Sport habitually wrestles with the line between technological advancements and unfair advantages. The UCI, for example, imposes a weight restriction which is a full two kilos more than the bike mentioned above. Others too have sought to stop technology dominating athletics performances. For example, <a href="http://www.fina.org/">Swimming’s governing body, FINA,</a> banned <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/swimming/8161867.stm">full-body swimsuits</a> in 2010 following an unprecedented level of world records. Swimmers’ bodies were moulded into a stable, bullet-like shape by the suits, which <a href="http://www.smarterthanthat.com/physics/olympic-controversy-how-does-the-space-age-swimsuit-work/">also repelled water</a> to reduce drag. The view was taken that the suits did not allow an athlete’s raw ability to determine performance results.</p>
<h2>New skills</h2>
<p>Sometimes, however, the introduction of a new technology or piece of equipment can be a form of “reskilling”, where an athlete’s skill increases as a result of learning to use it. </p>
<p>One example was the <a href="http://regressing.deadspin.com/how-a-century-old-skate-design-completely-changed-moder-1504286074">introduction of the “Klapskate”</a> in speed skating in the late 1990s which enabled athletes to stay in contact with the ice slightly longer, meaning they could extend the duration of their push. Manufacturers defended this on the basis that athletes had to learn to skate differently. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/109883/original/image-20160201-32247-1y7tcw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/109883/original/image-20160201-32247-1y7tcw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/109883/original/image-20160201-32247-1y7tcw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109883/original/image-20160201-32247-1y7tcw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109883/original/image-20160201-32247-1y7tcw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109883/original/image-20160201-32247-1y7tcw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109883/original/image-20160201-32247-1y7tcw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/109883/original/image-20160201-32247-1y7tcw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Suited and booted. Klapskates in action.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/archeon/4113190730/in/photolist-4XWtLT-7gtbiy-2jK6uL-vfRBRy-aeMKWa-rpYmkr">Hans Splinter</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At first glance, the idea of motors in bike frames seems a very different prospect, but just as there are arguments for a more <a href="https://theconversation.com/athletics-doping-report-should-spark-radical-rethink-on-drugs-in-sport-50376">flexible approach to doping</a>, so there is room to consider where this latest technological advance might have a place.</p>
<p>Cycling is a brutal sport, demanding regular feats of endurance, speed and power. Reducing the burden on fragile bodies might just help to loosen the hold of doping on those attempting to build successful careers. And there might even be room for the kind of “reskilling” we saw above if motors found their way into the sport.</p>
<h2>Strategic advantage</h2>
<p>Clearly we couldn’t end up with a situation where wealthy teams lord it over the others by way of pure mechanical advantage, but there is a useful comparison to be made with Formula One, where the <a href="https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/understanding-f1-racing/Overtaking_and_the_DRS.html">DRS (Drag Reduction System)</a> makes temporary use of a technological advantage (aerodynamics in the rear wing) to make overtaking easier. </p>
<p>And so, cyclists might have finite battery power at their disposal, and choose where to deploy it, or like F1, it might be applicable only in certain zones. Riders might choose to use a set-up which suited their strengths, or which mitigated their weaknesses. This would make an appreciable strategic difference to how a bike race pans out. Victories might be secured on the canny use of a frame-mounted motor, as well as on raw power and race craft. </p>
<p>It seems far-fetched at this moment, but sport’s governing bodies are now being forced to face up to the existential threats that have chipped away at their credibility for years. Shaking up cycling by embracing so-called “cheating” tech might have purists choking on their chain lube, but with a bit of imagination, it might nip a new scandal in the bud while enhancing the spectacle for everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/54011/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charlotte Smith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cycling has been on the look out for mini engines in bike frames, and it may have come up trumps. But it might be missing a trick to invigorate the sport.Charlotte Smith, Lecturer in Management , University of LeicesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/533172016-01-18T15:42:15Z2016-01-18T15:42:15ZFormula One’s women problem is bad for business<p>Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One’s chief executive, has poured water on the prospect of women drivers returning to the grid any time soon. In a recent interview <a href="http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/14574675/female-driver-taken-seriously-bernie-ecclestone">he expressed his doubts</a>, saying: “If there was somebody that was capable they wouldn’t be taken seriously anyway.”</p>
<p>Perhaps we should not be surprised by the statement, given <a href="http://espn.go.com/racing/news/story?id=2092194&series=irl">former provocations like</a> “women should be dressed in white, like all the other domestic appliances”. But, for someone who controls the sport’s commercial rights, Ecclestone is missing a trick. There are plenty of reasons to believe that women in F1 would make a lot of sense – especially in business terms.</p>
<p>Formula 1 is a multi-billion entertainment machine. Its financial performance depends on the ability to create “stars” who bring in revenue through sponsorships, merchandising, and entertainment initiatives like TV shows and public appearances. Like other sports, professional drivers hold a prime position in these. F1 celebrities are effectively products for mass marketing, and, as in all other markets, differentiating them from competition is important.</p>
<h2>Product differentiation</h2>
<p>In a setting over-represented by white men, drivers with a different identity would easily trigger and channel the interest of specific groups of consumers and fans. Lewis Hamilton’s outstanding results on the track, for example, were further reinforced for fans by his being the first black driver in F1. It helped expand his popularity towards a group of consumers that are usually not that interested in F1 – something <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/27526301">the British three-time world champion has acknowledged</a>. Women – and a first female F1 on the starting grid – would be no different. </p>
<p>However, unpicking the story of why women haven’t fared so well when they have been included in teams requires close attention. F1’s Williams and Lotus teams have employed female drivers: Susie Wolff and Carmen Jordá, respectively. Wolff, until her retirement at the end of 2015, was a test driver. But despite making history as the first woman in 22 years to take part in a Grand Prix weekend, she <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/williams/11974166/Susie-Wolff-will-retire-from-motorsport-at-the-end-of-the-season-as-F1-debut-is-not-going-to-happen.html">lacked the speed</a> to gain promotion to the starting grid – a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/34714704">major reason</a> behind her decision to stop racing. </p>
<p>Jordá too is a test driver, but has <a href="http://autoweek.com/article/formula-one/carmen-jorda-sexism-and-formula-one#ixzz3xb3THheg">never won a race</a>. In her last three years racing in GP3 she never scored a point or finished higher than 28th in the final standings. So ultimately, in both these cases, performance has limited the racing opportunities of the sport’s two most high-profile women drivers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108435/original/image-20160118-31821-esnkkn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/108435/original/image-20160118-31821-esnkkn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108435/original/image-20160118-31821-esnkkn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108435/original/image-20160118-31821-esnkkn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108435/original/image-20160118-31821-esnkkn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=570&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108435/original/image-20160118-31821-esnkkn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=570&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/108435/original/image-20160118-31821-esnkkn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=570&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Man’s world: Susie Wolff has been among a minority of women F1 drivers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/Bernd Weissbrod</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Lack of opportunity</h2>
<p>However, the reason for the lack of successful women drivers is not due to biology. Rather statistics and social biases hold the answer. To become a successful professional driver, you have to start karting at a very early age (as a four or five-year-old) and have continuous driving training and financial support from sponsors. Very few families push little girls to start training as drivers when they’re this young, as this is not considered a sport for girls. As a consequence, there are <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/18332772">far fewer girls doing professional racing compared to boys</a>. The likelihood of having among them the next big F1 phenomenon is therefore much lower. </p>
<p>Also, the few girls who race often start their career <a href="http://raconteur.net/business/the-8-million-cost-of-the-road-to-formula-one">much later</a>. This means they do not get enough time to gather the necessary training and support for F1, which their male counterparts receive. So statistically we end up not having women in F1. </p>
<p>There is no scientific proof that women cannot equal male drivers in the sport. Although being smaller and lighter is seen as an issue in some sports where men and women don’t compete, if anything it is an advantage in F1 racing. More key though are excellent cognitive abilities to focus on the task at hand. So, if properly trained, women have the same potential as men to become proficient F1 drivers. </p>
<p>And this being F1, there is a compelling business case for women drivers. A female driver in F1 would definitely trigger the interest and support of a wider fanbase and provide excellent marketing opportunities for more products targeting women – something Williams and Lotus no doubt realise to some degree.</p>
<p>Two out of the 11 teams in F1 have women at their helms. Claire Williams is deputy team principal at Williams and Monisha Kaltenborn became the first team principal in the sport when she took the reins at Sauber in 2012. With growing participation of women in the industry, we can hope that more women will be introduced to the sport early enough to acquire the necessary skills and resources to make it to the F1 starting grid. Despite women representing a valuable opportunity for the business, only undeniable driving qualities will ultimately see discrimination fall.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/53317/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Paolo Aversa received funding from the European Commission’s Marie-Curie Actions (Project nr. 301688 - Project Acronym AJ86RH5GYM - FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF) and the EPSRC UK Research Council (EP/K039695/1 Building Better Business Models) to conduct F1-related research.</span></em></p>Bernie Ecclestone is wrong to think that women can’t be taken seriously in Formula One.Paolo Aversa, Lecturer in Strategy, Cass Business School, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/525072015-12-17T13:32:07Z2015-12-17T13:32:07ZAn Alfa Romeo return to Formula 1 would put Ferrari in pole position<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/106470/original/image-20151217-8073-1pexspy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_in_motorsport#/media/File:Alfa2900B.jpg">Hurstad</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Iconic car brand Alfa Romeo could be making a return to Formula 1, Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of FCA, which includes Ferrari and Alfa Romeo under its umbrella, <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-motor-racing-alfa-idUKKBN0TX27L20151214">announced recently</a>. It’s all part of a big investment plan to turn Alfa Romeo into a global brand, but it could also pay dividends in bringing Ferrari back to pole position on the F1 circuit.</p>
<p>Alfa Romeo’s last race in F1 was in 1985, but its motorsport myth goes back to the 1911 Targa Florio race, when F1 was in its embryonic stages and when cars were painted after their nation – red for Italians, green for British, blue for French and white for Germans (which later became silver when they scraped the paint off their cars to reduce their weight). </p>
<p>Alfa Romeo was <em>the</em> Italian red car, ruling the roads before Ferrari even existed. With the advent of F1, the Milanese outfit collected ten victories and the first two F1 drivers’ titles in 1950 and 1951. But that was the height of its motorsport glory. Perhaps its most lasting achievement, however, was spawning the house of the prancing horse – Ferrari. In the 1920s it employed the talented technician Enzo Ferrari, whose spin-off became the world’s most successful and iconic F1 team. </p>
<p>Ferrari now represents the FCA group’s top brand and is its sole representative in F1 competitions. But Ferrari has been struggling of late. Its last world championship title dates <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7055442.stm">back to 2007 and the driver Kimi Raikkonnen</a>. There has even been talk from its president that it <a href="http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12474/10100578/ferrari-threaten-to-quit-f1-as-sport-races-towards-epic-power-battle">could leave the sport</a>.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Ferrari’s last win was the 2007 championship.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Though this was likely more of a threat geared towards leveraging his bargaining power in the sport’s revenue distribution and regulation, the move now to invest in another team rather than focusing resources on Scuderia Ferrari is an interesting one that could pay dividends. Research I’ve done with my colleagues at Cass Business School, Santi Furnari and Stefan Haefliger, shows that investing in Alfa Romeo as an F1 team could prove profitable.</p>
<p>Our <a href="http://icc.oxfordjournals.org/content/24/3/655.full.pdf+html%2520">analysis</a> of the different business models of F1 teams between 2005 and 2013 shows that alliances between larger teams and smaller satellites provide better chances of success in races. They also make sense financially. In fact, after decades of fierce all-against-all competition, F1 is progressively moving towards a battle between groups of allied teams. This offers multiple advantages. </p>
<p>If Alfa Romeo entered the F1 circus, beside the obvious visibility and technological advantages that Alfa Romeo could enjoy in the <a href="https://global.handelsblatt.com/edition/329/ressort/companies-markets/article/fighting-german-dominance">bid to make it a global brand</a>, there are noteworthy benefits for Ferrari and the overall FCA group of which they are both part. With Alfa Romeo, Ferrari could have a <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-motor-racing-alfa-idUKKBN0TX27L20151214">guaranteed engine customer</a> (and probably buyer of other parts, too). This would help the team cover some of its development costs, particularly when the F1 teams who buy Ferrari’s engines are prone to <a href="http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12475/9995927/f1s-engine-politics-examined">easily switching suppliers</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/106476/original/image-20151217-8073-1wod32b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/106476/original/image-20151217-8073-1wod32b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/106476/original/image-20151217-8073-1wod32b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/106476/original/image-20151217-8073-1wod32b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/106476/original/image-20151217-8073-1wod32b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/106476/original/image-20151217-8073-1wod32b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/106476/original/image-20151217-8073-1wod32b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The only way is up? Alfa Romeo can help Ferrari.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dawilson/15633237581/in/photolist-pPsqSZ-fqxqgc-dvrKUx-ja4YKA-yqpVxv-fqxq54-fn47DC-fGdvfu-dwUSbd-fmNXbT-fn49tm-dKKtSr-dnoS23-dnoPjg-hLiUUN-ezzaGr-7d1Cax-jeKi8A-pKcfhv-pwEjXs-7d1Cap-7d1Cai-CjYyK-jPSyMc-h1NYDA-4Vq4CE-fFVma1-CjYK5-fmNTCp-fqxoNt-fmP2za-fmPSnX-chy8UC-fmNZYa-fmP2nR-fFVVrH-opUx5-bpgsss-nVbJ6b-chWqL7-dyGqS7-CiySf-fLfNCA-dnoSQs-76y31x-dnoNrp-y41hu7-5susjg-ezCoxJ-rNqGqS">Dave Wilson</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<p>Alfa Romeo would most likely play the part of a junior team member to Ferrari. It could develop junior drivers and engineering talents that could be passed on to the senior partner in Maranello. Drivers would be bred in two similar organisational cultures and they would be racing with similar technologies, which reduces the risk of failure when switching between the two teams, as well as decreasing the costs of moving them. It would be more like an internal promotion than a market-based transaction. </p>
<h2>Dream teams</h2>
<p>Since in-season testing has been banned from F1, having more cars racing with the same engines means that the engine supplier can access more data <a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105653">for effective technological development</a>. Also, Alfa Romeo could play as Ferrari’s wing man during races, keeping competitors busy at the back of the field. </p>
<p>If Alfa Romeo proved to be successful, it could become the landing team for the rookies of <a href="http://formula1.ferrari.com/en/fda/academy-activities/">Ferrari’s driving academy</a>, the talent schools that aim to create the next generation of F1 champions. And, in the unlikely scenario of Alfa Romeo outperforming Ferrari, this would be much better than an external competitor doing so – this is why Mercedes and Ferrari have <a href="http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12475/10027084/adrian-newey-claims-ferrari-and-mercedes-scared-to-power-red-bull">declined supplying engines to Red Bull for next season</a>.</p>
<p>There is significant precedent to show how the alliance would work. Not only does Ferrari already collaborate <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-save-formula-1-without-overhauling-the-business-model-39205">with Sauber</a> and previously with Manor (before it switched engine providers), but Red Bull and Toro Rosso show how a successful partnership can work. They’ve managed to win <a href="https://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/teams/Red-Bull.html">four world championships</a>, despite their mother company (the renowned Austrian energy drink) being not directly involved with cutting edge motorsport technology. </p>
<p>Our research shows how Red Bull created this successful alliance by buying out two failing teams – Jaguar, which became Red Bull, and Minardi, which became Toro Rosso. The dispute they have recently had <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/34404641">over engine suppliers</a> shows the technological Achilles heel of the Red Bull-Toro Rosso partnership. Neither team is an engine producer; they both rely on external suppliers and have had significant conflict as a result. Ultimately, they have ended up with different engine suppliers (Renault for Red Bull and Ferrari for Toro Rosso). </p>
<p>Ferrari and Alfa Romeo would be well positioned to avoid these kinds of issues. With Ferrari’s technological expertise in engine manufacturing, their alliance would have a more solid basis and could therefore achieve a higher level of performance, perhaps even reshuffling the competition in years to come. This would please F1 fans who have complained of a <a href="http://www.formula1blog.com/editorial/how-did-we-get-here-or-at-what-point-did-f1-make-a-wrong-tur/">lack of neck-and-neck spars</a> for pole position. And it would truly mark the start of the F1 alliance era.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/52507/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paolo Aversa received funding from the European Commission’s Marie-Curie Actions (Project nr. 301688 - Project Acronym AJ86RH5GYM - FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF) and the EPSRC UK Research Council (EP/K039695/1 Building Better Business Models) for the research mentioned in this article.</span></em></p>As well as making Alfa Romeo a global brand, a return to F1 would benefit Ferrari both on the race track and off it.Paolo Aversa, Lecturer in Strategy, Cass Business School, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/437902015-06-24T13:40:14Z2015-06-24T13:40:14ZHow a US-Qatar takeover will take Formula 1 up a gear<p>One is a nation where the car is king and has been part of the country’s narrative for almost a century; the other is more like a young prince, where the car is fast becoming a central part of its emerging identity and narrative. Now, the US and Qatar look set to form what might seem an unlikely alliance in their attempt to buy Formula 1.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33249041">Reports are emerging</a> that America’s RSE Ventures, owner of the Miami Dolphins, and Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), a sovereign wealth fund, are seeking to acquire the 35.5% of F1 owned by CVC Capital Partners. It is being predicted that any such deal would be worth between $7 billion and $8 billion.</p>
<p>Significantly, should the deal go through then it will probably also see F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone selling his 5% holding in the sport. It is also being suggested that QSI will use its purchase of the two shareholdings to ultimately launch a complete takeover of F1.</p>
<h2>An unlikely alliance?</h2>
<p>A US-Qatari partnership may seem like a strange juxtaposition. But taking a stake in F1 makes sense for both parties. Both countries have a well-established love of cars. The US has the <a href="http://www.academia.edu/10055649/Motorsports_and_American_Culture_From_Demolition_Derbies_to_NASCAR_Review_">largest motorsport economy in the world</a>, which the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124036522998941969">Qataris have invested</a> in recently. </p>
<p>At the same time, Qatar has been aggressively pursuing both the internal development of sport and external investments in sports properties. The country has had <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-2906752/Qatar-s-plans-host-F1-race-limbo-deal-Bahrain-says-Bernie-Ecclestone.html">aspirations to host an F1 race</a> for some years, and already hosts a MotoGP race and the Qatar International Rally.</p>
<h2>Lucrative opportunity</h2>
<p>Both parties will see F1 as an opportunity to make money on several fronts, as well as to address various other issues. For instance, while the US has a well-established and highly lucrative motorsport economy, it is largely based around series such as NASCAR. </p>
<p>F1 races have been intermittently staged in the US but the sport has not been very successful, with no clear home for the event having emerged. Compounding these problems, any affection the country might have for F1 was sharply tested by the 2005 US grand prix debacle, when only six cars started the race at Indianapolis.</p>
<p>But such travails provide fertile ground for the potential new owners to create a new vision and strategy for the US market. RSE would be ideally placed to do this given their understanding of the fan engagement process in American sport and the elements needed to provide fans with compelling experiences of the sport.
At the same time too, given the global profile of both the Miami Dolphins and the Superbowl, RSE will also be aware of what it takes to internationalise a sport, build an overseas fan base and secure lucrative sponsorship deals.</p>
<p>Such revenue generating opportunities are no doubt appealing to QSI as well. The sovereign wealth fund has been aggressively pursuing overseas sporting investments, which most notably led to the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/03/psg-world-cup-football-tv-rights-qatar">acquisition of French football club Paris Saint Germain</a>. </p>
<h2>Power play</h2>
<p>At one level, acquiring a stake in F1 would potentially generate a financial return. At another level, the investment would contribute to Qatar’s pursuit of its <a href="http://www.gsdp.gov.qa/portal/page/portal/gsdp_en/qatar_national_vision">2030 National Vision</a>, which has adopted sport as a key focus in the country’s attempts to become more than just a powerhouse for oil and gas.</p>
<p>Bahrain and Abu Dhabi will no doubt be incensed by this latest development. Both are host to the only two grand prix in the Middle East. Indeed, when Bahrain signed a contract with F1 to become its first race in the Middle East, the deal was that there could only be two in the region. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86240/original/image-20150624-31495-1rtsm6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/86240/original/image-20150624-31495-1rtsm6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86240/original/image-20150624-31495-1rtsm6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86240/original/image-20150624-31495-1rtsm6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86240/original/image-20150624-31495-1rtsm6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86240/original/image-20150624-31495-1rtsm6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/86240/original/image-20150624-31495-1rtsm6n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi may soon be overshadowed.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_World#/media/File:Ferrari_World_Abu_Dhabi.jpg">Aziz J Hayat</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>With Bahrain and Abu Dhabi firmly ensconced in F1’s race calendar, Qatar’s pursuit of a race had started to look futile. Yet, as one commentator has <a href="http://restaurants.einnews.com/article__detail/272452059?lcode=ZhQlcXGZCLF1gsRnDWOz7A%3D%3D">wryly observed</a>, Qatar’s latest move “is like buying the restaurant if it won’t give you a table”.</p>
<p>There are clearly soft power issues at play. Qatar has not only positioned itself as a regional power but has been seeking to exert a stronger influence on the global stage, most potently symbolised by its intended staging of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Running F1 would also enhance the emergent “Brand Qatar”, with its associations of affluence, luxury and exclusivity. </p>
<h2>Ecclestone’s legacy</h2>
<p>As with seemingly every development in F1 over the last four decades, Bernie Ecclestone inevitably remains central to this latest chapter in the sport’s history. The octogenarian has apparently been seeking an <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/10701393/Bernie-Ecclestone-says-he-will-sell-his-Formula-One-shares-with-CVC.html">exit strategy</a> from F1 for a while. Given that there is no obvious heir apparent to him, RSE/QSI would appear to be an ideal solution allowing him to cash in his chips.</p>
<p>While Ecclestone’s impact on F1 has been <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/30/sport/motorsport/f1-money-billion-dollar-business/">profound</a>, there are notable weaknesses in the way he has helped commercialise the sport. While television revenues and the fee for hosting an F1 race have dramatically increased, few other revenue generating opportunities <a href="http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/news/formula-1-must-change-unsustainable-business-model/">have been pursued</a>.</p>
<p>Unlike, America’s NBA or the English Premier League, there has been no active engagement of fans, creation of a strong brand identity or development of retail outlets and merchandising using the F1 name. There have been problems too with social media – Ecclestone <a href="http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/114278">effectively dismissing it</a> as irrelevant to the sport’s Rolex-wearing target demographic.</p>
<p>As long as the television revenues keep rolling in, RSE and QSI will no doubt remain happy. But Ecclestone’s legacy is a potential impediment to the future development and commercial success of F1. Getting to grips with social media, developing F1’s presence and monetising content will be among the immediate priorities should the takeover happen.</p>
<p>Whatever the outcome of this latest F1 development, a US-Qatar takeover will certainly the sport up a gear as a commercial entity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/43790/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
How a US-Qatar F1 takeover will take the business up a gear.Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport Business Strategy, Coventry UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/434932015-06-19T10:37:31Z2015-06-19T10:37:31ZIt’s not just hype – 3D printing is the bridge to the future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/85607/original/image-20150618-23256-ao0h14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'Here I am, the most intelligent robot in the galaxy, welding a bridge.'</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Heijmans</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A company in the Netherlands is building a bridge across a canal in Amsterdam <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/it-life/3d-printing-robot-will-build-an-entire-bridge/d/d-id/1320868">using 3D-printing robots</a>. It seems that such attention-grabbing headlines appear regularly to declare how 3D-printing is destined to revolutionise manufacturing of all kinds. If the idea that key manufacturing products such as cars, aircraft – or indeed bridges – built by 3D printing sounds like hype, you’re mistaken.</p>
<p>It’s human nature to be suspicious of new things: we find them both attractive and worrying. The manufactured world around us has been made by cutting and casting and forging for many centuries. We are very comfortable with those processes and we believe that engineers and scientists can exert complete control over them, using these technologies to create the safe and predictable world (on an engineering level at least) we inhabit. This new way of making through 3D printing, in contrast, seems to have appeared suddenly and, somewhat reminiscent of the way it creates, almost out of thin air. </p>
<p>3D printing, or additive manufacturing as it’s also known, has in fact <a href="http://wohlersassociates.com/history2014.pdf">been in use since the 1980s</a>, beginning as a means of prototyping objects through various stages of development. Decades later, we have gained a huge wealth of knowledge and understanding of how the process works. We may marvel at the wonder of it all – and the weird and wonderful shapes that can be created through 3D printing. But the main concern for many is that the properties of 3D-printed materials are equal to their conventionally manufactured equivalents. </p>
<p>To answer this concern, generally speaking a 3D-printed component can have comparable properties to one made conventionally. For example, some surgical implants <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/73b528f8-70a0-11e4-8113-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3dQojF031">are already made in this way</a>. Many people have a 3D-printed hip implant, for example, and we know that 3D-printed parts have been a <a href="http://www.rapidreadytech.com/2014/07/additive-manufacturing-helps-drive-f1-racing/">feature of Formula 1 cars</a> and military aircraft for years – and perform very well in those applications. What we are seeing now is that the technology is becoming more mainstream – and that change is helping drive a huge explosion of creative thought about how, and where, we make things. </p>
<p>Many of the more ambitious ideas about large-scale 3D printing emerge from laboratories and studios of artists and architects who see this as an opportunity to give their ideas physical form, enabling bespoke creations using free-form fabrication. Take for example this bridge in Amsterdam using torch-wielding robot welders: the company behind the project, <a href="http://mx3d.com/projects/bridge/">MX3D</a>, which was formed by Dutch architect and designer Joris Laarman, demonstrated its technology last year and has shown the courage of its convictions in performing this “research” in public.</p>
<p>Aerospace is another great supporter of emerging technologies, and large aerospace companies and supply chains are very clear that they intend to employ 3D printing as a means to manufacture airframes and engine components. In the US, <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/03/05/ge-engine-3d-printing/">GE</a>, Lockheed Martin and Pratt and Whitney, and Airbus, <a href="http://3dprint.com/45820/rolls-royce-largest-3d-printed/">Rolls Royce</a> and GKN Aerospace in Europe have all made recent investments and announcements of products that employ 3D printing in the direct manufacture of complex components. It’s even a technique used for the <a href="http://3dprint.com/73961/esa-3d-printed-thruster/">manufacture of spacecraft</a>.</p>
<p>Despite all these high-profile, major industrial users there is a feeling among many, still, that 3D printing is all hype that will blow over soon – that there is an element of the <a href="http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes_e.html">Emperor’s New Clothes</a> about it.</p>
<p>If I were to draw a comparison with another field: in 2001 just as the internet was truly taking off worldwide, the author Douglas Adams made a radio programme called the <a href="https://www.radioclash.com/archives/2015/06/15/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-future/">Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Future</a> in which he recalled a number of conversations with those working in publishing, music and broadcasting. They were interested to know what impact the emergence of computers would have on their industries – clearly hoping, he said, that the answer would be “not very much”. Of course 15 years on we know just what a significant impact digitisation and the internet has had – changing business models, consumer behaviour and expectations beyond imagination. </p>
<p>The reality is that we don’t know where 3D printing will lead us but its potential to change the way we manufacture the things we use in our lives is enormous. As with those in Adams’ programme, perhaps hoping that the impact of this emerging technology will also be “not very much” is not the right approach. Instead, as with the revolutionary effects it has had on the media, embracing the opportunities it affords us as manufacturers could take us in directions we hadn’t previously considered possible.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/43493/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Iain Todd provided consultancy for Rolls Royce in 2012 and 2014, and has received funding from EPSRC, innovate UK, Aerospace Technology Institute, and GKN and Rolls- Royce.
</span></em></p>3D printing robots are to create a new bridge in Amsterdam - would you walk on it?Iain Todd, RAE and GKN Chair in Additive Manufacturing, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/392052015-03-27T17:02:11Z2015-03-27T17:02:11ZHow to save Formula 1 without overhauling the business model<p>With the season newly underway, Formula 1’s struggles are already clear to see. The exorbitant costs of competing, combined with uneven profits is especially hurting the chances of survival for smaller teams. In fact, with only ten teams on the grid – down from 20 in 1989 – 2015 risks being remembered as one of the least contented F1 championships of history. </p>
<p>Maintaining a high level of competition in F1 is crucial for keeping an already <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/csylt/2015/02/01/f1-loses-25-million-viewers-driven-by-switch-to-pay-tv/">dwindling audience</a>. With finances seriously preoccupying most small teams, this poses a major threat to the F1 show – and therefore business. One way of solving this problem is to change the business model so that teams collaborate more and share their resources. </p>
<p>This is quite a different proposition to the one commonly espoused by F1 commentators. Criticism is generally focused on the way that F1 distributes profits – the charge being that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/11203136/Formula-Ones-vast-costs-are-driving-small-teams-to-ruin.html">this needs to change</a>. But major players such as Bernie Ecclestone have no interest in changing the way things are run, at least in the short term. So, in the meantime, it’s important to focus on making F1 more sustainable, despite the poor revenues.</p>
<h2>Growing collaboration</h2>
<p><a href="http://madrid.strategicmanagement.net/tools/schedule/sessionDetails?id=455">Research</a> I’ve recently conducted with colleagues Santi Furnari and Stefan Haefliger shows how alliances between different companies can be built to successfully share some of the costs inherent in F1. Driver training is one area where this is already being done to good effect.</p>
<p>The big teams benefit from having their proteges gain good experience with smaller ones, and the smaller teams benefit from gaining free talent, which they are sometimes also paid for using.</p>
<p>Many of Red Bull Racing’s recent top drivers, for example, have emerged from a successful programme that works with the smaller Italian F1 team Scuderia Toro Rosso to scout and train future drivers. Despite being a smaller outfit, Scuderia Toro Rosso has developed an excellent scouting and training capability funded by Red Bull Racing to make it financially viable. Starting this year, the Scuderia Toro Rosso car will also be powered by a Renault engine, which means that the drivers will be able to train with the same technology they will be using in Red Bull Racing – a steep increase in their learning curve. </p>
<p>Some might dismiss the significance of this because Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso are shared by the same owner, Dietrich Mateschitz. But it is growing in other teams as well: Ferrari is strengthening its collaboration with both <a href="http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/27988/9607922/esteban-gutierrez-has-joined-ferrari-as-test-and-reserve-driver">Sauber</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2014/09/05/haas-f1-ferrari-engine-supply-technical-collaboration-official/">Manor</a>. These two cars are also powered by Ferrari and provide their drivers with better exposure to the technology they will eventually use if they make it on to Ferrari. </p>
<p>Esteban Gutierrez, for instance, will be a strategic asset this year as a test driver at Ferrari because he has already driven the prancing horse emblazoned engines while at Sauber. Similarly, Jules Bianchi was regarded as having this advantage, while completing his training at Marussia.</p>
<p>Mercedes too recently paid Force India to have one of its young drivers, Pascal Wehrlein, driving one of the Mercedes-powered Force India cars during official tests. This allowed Mercedes to have one of its protegees testing a F1 car beyond the simulator, without sacrificing the amount of training for its best drivers (Hamilton and Rosberg). Force India benefited financially and it allowed Wehrlein to get to grips with a Mercedes engine before eventually joining the team in the future. </p>
<h2>Business benefits</h2>
<p>Overall, these complementary business models could be the basis for future win-win situations for both top and minor teams. The set up allows the top team to scout young talent and train them in a way that they can learn faster and better.</p>
<p>Drivers in these training programmes usually accept comparatively lower salaries compared to their market value (Sebastian Vettel, for example, was paid much less at Red Bull Racing, before switching to Ferrari). If junior drivers get their first trial in F1 with minor teams and do not go on to deliver as expected, the top teams funding them will incur relatively minor costs for their performance and reputation. And if young drivers decide not to honour their contractual obligations, the mother-team will be entitled to a release fee.</p>
<p>All in all, with these business models, top teams acquire better drivers, reduce the costs of failure in case they under-perform in F1, save money, and can negotiate the bundling of drivers into the sale of engines or technology to the minor teams as an attractive package. On the other hand, if minor teams prove to have distinctive capabilities in scouting and training drivers, they can become strategic partners for top teams to achieve their ambitious goals, so obtaining higher financial paybacks from their partners either in form of discounts within the engine purchase, or simply revenues for the driver’s training, loaning and trade.</p>
<p>This arrangement could be not only a winning strategy for top F1 teams, but also a way to make small teams financially viable, even with the poor level of revenue distribution at present. This kind of cooperation among competitors could be the most effective way for top teams to win races, and smaller teams to stay in the game.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/39205/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paolo Aversa received funding from the European Commission’s Marie-Curie Actions (Project nr. 301688 - Project Acronym AJ86RH5GYM - FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF) and the EPSRC UK Research Council (EP/K039695/1 Building Better Business Models) for the research mentioned in this article.</span></em></p>Research shows that collaboration between teams may foster success in F1 races and make competition sustainable, especially for smaller players.Paolo Aversa, Lecturer in Strategy, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/384422015-03-11T19:25:43Z2015-03-11T19:25:43ZIncreased efficiency and safety: what’s new for Formula 1<p>The 66th Formula 1 season is about to get underway <a href="http://www.grandprix.com.au/">this week</a> at Albert Park, in Melbourne, and a number of <a href="http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/12877/">changes</a> have been introduced this year.</p>
<p>This follows the massive overhaul that took place <a href="https://theconversation.com/nose-jobs-and-turbo-boosts-formula-1-car-redesign-in-2014-24394">last year</a> – with certain aspects proving to be quite challenging already.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.fia.com/">FIA</a> (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), which is the governing body for Formula 1, has further tightened the rules to make sure manufacturers and drivers are being pushed to increase the efficiency of their cars. </p>
<p>Current <a href="https://theconversation.com/nose-jobs-and-turbo-boosts-formula-1-car-redesign-in-2014-24394">regulations</a> state that F1 cars are limited to 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engines, with a limit of 15,000 RPM (revolution per minute), a maximum fuel flow of 100kg per hour, and a maximum of 100kg fuel carried by the car.</p>
<p>This year, the FIA has reduced the number of allowed power units (engines) for the season from five to four, meaning each power unit will have to cover five races on average, as opposed to four last year. This will put added pressure on each team’s engineers to ensure power units run efficiency and reliability.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the minimum weight of the car has been increased from 691kg to 702kg for the car. This will result in more protective casing for the cars, and will also prevent teams from taking extraordinary steps to reach minimum weight.</p>
<p>Last year, Sauber driver Adrian Sutil was <a href="http://www.espn.co.uk/sauber/motorsport/story/156907.html">reportedly</a> going on extreme diets prior to races in attempt to shed weight.</p>
<h2>Fixing the ‘ugly’ nose</h2>
<p>Last year, the nose height was substantially reduced (from 550mm to 185mm), mainly for safety purposes to prevent cars launching upwards in case they rear-end a racing car in front.</p>
<p>But this also resulted in F1 car noses being deemed aesthetically <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/02/2014-f1-noses/">unattractive</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/74416/original/image-20150311-20556-xnnpf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/74416/original/image-20150311-20556-xnnpf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/74416/original/image-20150311-20556-xnnpf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/74416/original/image-20150311-20556-xnnpf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/74416/original/image-20150311-20556-xnnpf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/74416/original/image-20150311-20556-xnnpf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/74416/original/image-20150311-20556-xnnpf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/74416/original/image-20150311-20556-xnnpf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Formula 1 cars, such as this from Mercedes, this year will feature a lower nose than last year.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/130183464@N02/16408078080">Flickr/Ferran BCN</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
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<p>Noses will be lower than in 2015 but must feature a taper, be symmetrical and consistent with the centreline of the car.</p>
<p>The newly mandated nose section results in a reduction of downforce at the front of the car. Hence, the main challenge for F1 engineers will be to compensate for the aerodynamic impact of the new nose design.</p>
<h2>Virtual Safety Car system</h2>
<p>Following Jules Bianchi’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/jules-bianchi-and-sharing-the-responsibility-for-catastrophe-32937">terrible accident</a> in last year’s Japanese Grand Prix – he’s <a href="http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/bianchi-s-father-unsure-if-his-son-will-wake-up/">still in a coma</a> after his car crashed into a crane during a double yellow flag situation – a Virtual Safety Car (<a href="http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2015/1/16758.html">VSC</a>) will be used when a section of track is under double waved yellow flags (meaning drivers or officials may be in danger).</p>
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<p>The idea behind the VSC system is to impose a speed limit to slow down cars during dangerous situations on the track, hence controlling the pack without deploying the actual safety car.</p>
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<p>Once the virtual safety car has been called, all electronic marshal panels around the track will display ‘VSC’, while teams will be notified via the official messaging system.</p>
<p>Drivers will not be allowed to enter the pits, unless changing tyres, and must stay above the minimum time set by the FIA at least once in each marshalling sector. Cars may not be driven “unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous,” with those who fail to stay above the minimum time to be sanctioned by the stewards.</p>
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<p>The VSC will be used when “the circumstances are not such as to warrant use of the safety car itself”, according to <a href="http://www.grandprix.com.au/news/2015-formula-1%C2%AE-regulations">FIA rules</a>.</p>
<p>The FIA has expanded the use of anti-intrusion panels to protect drivers in the event of a side impact. Also, drivers will not be able to significantly change helmet designs during the course of the season in order for drivers to be easily distinguished from one another.</p>
<h2>The appeal of F1 racing</h2>
<p>As noted by The Conversation’s contributor <a href="https://theconversation.com/look-out-mercedes-heres-why-vw-is-gearing-up-to-put-an-audi-on-the-f1-grand-prix-grid-35274">Simon Chadwick</a>, while viewership of F1 races has dropped in recent years, F1 remains a seductive proposition for car manufacturers.</p>
<p>F1 racing (and its rules) tend to be part of a larger shift in the automotive industry. Formula 1 is once again placing itself at the forefront of innovation in efficiency and engine design that could trickle down to commercial cars. </p>
<p>While Volkswagen has decided to <a href="http://www.crash.net/f1/news/198974/1/vw-rules-out-f1-bid.html">put off coming back to F1</a> for now, Honda is <a href="http://www.foxsports.com.au/motor-sport/formula-one/mclaren-honda-reveal-their-2015-formula-1-car-warn-fans-that-they-are-entering-a-learning-year/story-e6frf3zl-1227201881215">returning</a> as an engine supplier in partnership with McLaren.</p>
<p>Gates open at Albert Park this Thursday but actual Formula 1 racing doesn’t begin until Saturday with the qualifying rounds and the actual race on Sunday.</p>
<p>For a little taste of F1 racing before the weekend, watch Australian Daniel Ricciardo take a look at the season ahead as part of the Red Bull team.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hamza Bendemra does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Formula 1 season begins in Melbourne this week and a number of changes have been made following the tragic accident last year which has left one driver still in a coma.Hamza Bendemra, Research Engineer, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.