tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/motor-racing-13001/articlesMotor racing – The Conversation2021-12-22T14:27:57Ztag: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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<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/1186412019-08-08T13:14:39Z2019-08-08T13:14:39ZNASCAR may be the fastest way to learn about physics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286979/original/file-20190805-36399-kz4ouq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The laws of physics are on display at the Daytona International Speedway.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/february-26-2017-daytona-beach-florida-596617100">Action Sports Photography/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There’s just something thrilling about traveling at high speeds. Throughout history people have always pushed themselves to <a href="https://landspeedrecord.org/">go faster</a>, whether on foot, on horseback, on a boat or on a bicycle.</p>
<p>Nearly every weekend, today’s speed lovers can live vicariously by watching their favorite NASCAR drivers race around the track at death-defying speeds.</p>
<p>Maybe it’s the excitement in the crowd or maybe it’s the constant threat of danger that draws people to the sport. Or maybe its the feats of science and engineering that pull some spectators in. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=w_InbNoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a physicist</a>, I love seeing all the physics principles on display during a NASCAR race. </p>
<h2>Speed</h2>
<p>NASCAR drivers travel at extremely high speeds, over 200 miles per hour. They accelerate so quickly that it takes them only around 3 to 3.5 seconds to go from zero to 60 mph. During this acceleration, the car must exert an average of 2,600 lbs of horizontal force against the track. This is comparable to the <a href="https://www.bio.fsu.edu/%7Egerick/bite_force/">bite force of a large American crocodile</a> or what it would take to lift a full-grown buffalo.</p>
<p>According to Einstein’s theory of special relativity, the faster you move through space, the slower your passage of time. So it’s fair to say that speed demon NASCAR drivers age a very tiny bit less than the rest of us. At the end of a 3.5 hour race, the drivers have aged about 0.5 nanoseconds less than the spectators who stayed still. If a driver raced nonstop at 200 mph for the next 50 years, he would age 70 microseconds less than the rest of us.</p>
<p>While NASCAR drivers are moving at incredibly fast speeds compared to the crowds in the stands, their speeds are small compared to what Einstein had in mind – like how fast light can travel, 670 million mph. The effect of relativity at the track is small, but it does exist.</p>
<h2>The track</h2>
<p>So how are drivers able to obtain these speeds?</p>
<p>As a car enters a turn, it naturally wants to continue in the direction it was originally going. To change direction to follow the curve of the oval-shaped track, a force must be applied.</p>
<p>The necessary force comes from the friction between the tires and the track. <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/forces-newtons-laws/inclined-planes-friction/a/what-is-friction">Friction</a> is the connection between the two that prevents them from sliding against one another. </p>
<p>So for drivers it’s a balancing act – they want to keep the pedal to the metal, but they can’t go so fast on a curve that their speed overpowers the maneuvering ability provided by friction. Go too quickly and the friction may not be enough to prevent the car from continuing in its original direction and sliding straight into the wall. Slow down too much and you fall behind the competition.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286648/original/file-20190801-169684-hbw7kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286648/original/file-20190801-169684-hbw7kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286648/original/file-20190801-169684-hbw7kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286648/original/file-20190801-169684-hbw7kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286648/original/file-20190801-169684-hbw7kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286648/original/file-20190801-169684-hbw7kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286648/original/file-20190801-169684-hbw7kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286648/original/file-20190801-169684-hbw7kp.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"></a>
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<span class="caption">The banking of the track helps cars make those high-speed turns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/Ur5VN_92g-k">Tim Trad/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>The way the track is designed can help out here. The turns are banked, meaning they are higher on the outside of the track and lower toward the center. Part of the force of the road pushing up on the car – what physicists call the <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/forces-newtons-laws/normal-contact-force/a/what-is-normal-force">normal force</a> – assists the frictional force of the tires and helps the car make it around the turn.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nascar.com/gallery/talladega-superspeedway/#/0">Banking in the turns</a> at some of the fastest race tracks is comparable to the steepness of a playground slide. <a href="https://www.richmondraceway.com/About/About.aspx">Banking at Richmond International Raceway</a> allows cars to go approximately 1.3 times faster than they could without banking. Larger curves and higher banking, like those seen at Daytona and Talladega, allow the drivers to maintain a higher speed as they round those corners.</p>
<h2>Power</h2>
<p>Power is a measure of energy converted from one form to another in a set amount of time. In stock car racing, this conversion is from the chemical energy stored in gasoline to the kinetic energy of motion.</p>
<p>A NASCAR engine produces around <a href="https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2018/10/02/2019-rules-packages-announced-monster-energy-series/">750 horsepower</a> (560 kW), which exceeds a similar model street car that tops out around <a href="https://www.toyota.com/camry/features/interior/2550/2514/2532">300 horsepower</a>. During a race, the power conversion of a NASCAR engines is about 500 times the power usage of the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=97&t=3">typical American household</a> during the same period of time.</p>
<p>The cars’ power comes from burning gas as the engine rotates. The rotation of a NASCAR engine is 3.5 times faster than a standard street car and much more efficient, allowing it to combust more quickly and produce more power. </p>
<h2>Collisions</h2>
<p>With the high speed and power of stock cars come the risks of dangerous collisions. Some of the <a href="https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/cup/news/story?id=5435268">hardest crashes in NASCAR</a> register around 80 G’s – that is, 80 times the acceleration of gravity that holds you to the planet. For perspective, amusement park rides top out around 6 G’s.</p>
<p>Safety elements try to extend the time, distance and area over which any collision takes place in an effort to lower these high forces. The principle is similar to the way gradually coming to a stop is less jarring than slamming on the brakes or the way a bed of nails spreads the weight of your body over a large area versus lying on a single nail. </p>
<p><a href="https://galvanizeit.org/project-gallery/nascar-safer-barrier">SAFER barriers</a> along the outside wall of the race track are made to crumple and dissipate a crash’s force over a large area. The front end of the car itself is also made to crumple, which extends the time of impact.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286980/original/file-20190805-36381-naf1kw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286980/original/file-20190805-36381-naf1kw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/286980/original/file-20190805-36381-naf1kw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286980/original/file-20190805-36381-naf1kw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286980/original/file-20190805-36381-naf1kw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286980/original/file-20190805-36381-naf1kw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286980/original/file-20190805-36381-naf1kw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/286980/original/file-20190805-36381-naf1kw.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"></a>
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<span class="caption">Safety elements inside a NASCAR vehicle go way beyond the seatbelt you have in your car.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/long-pond-pa-june-04-juan-55276939">Action Sports Photography/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
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<p>Carbon fiber seats in the car absorb more impact energy compared to aluminum seats. They stabilize the driver by wrapping around the rib cage and shoulders, and spread the impact force over a larger area.</p>
<p>A 5-point harness connects the driver to the car, once again spreading the area of impact. It also attaches the driver to the car, so he or she slows with the crumpling car rather than continuing forward at full speed until impact. </p>
<p>So next time you head to the track or tune in on TV, ponder some of the physics of NASCAR, as well as the contributions of scientists and engineers working behind the scenes to improve the speed, power and safety of the sport.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article has been updated to correct the force on the track during a car’s acceleration.</em></p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christine Helms 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>High speeds, the threat of dangerous crashes, the excitement of the crowd – and the laws of physics on full display. A physicist explains the science of NASCAR.Christine Helms, Assistant Professor of Physics, University of RichmondLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1174432019-06-24T15:30:25Z2019-06-24T15:30:25ZFormula 1: there can be no equality in sport while women’s bodies are used for promotions<p>The Dutch politician Roy van Aalst has spoken out against the removal of grid girls from Formula 1 motor racing, arguing that it is a way of <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/461888-f1-grid-girls-dutch-politician/">patronising women</a>. He boasted that the right-wing nationalist political party to which he belongs, Party for Freedom (PVV), will ensure that the grid girls are reinstated at the <a href="https://grandpx.news/politician-wants-grid-girls-on-dutch-gp-grid/">Zandvoort grand prix in 2020</a>. </p>
<p>“Only a huge idiot can see a beautiful woman as a problem,” he said. “The rest of the people love it. It is part of motorsport and the PVV wants us to ensure that next year this beautiful tradition will be restored to its former glory.”</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb/05/f1-grid-kids-replace-grid-girls-new-season">replacement of grid girls with grid kids</a> in 2018 marked a shift in Formula 1 to a more family-friendly atmosphere. But van Aalst’s comments echo the backlash against this transition – which included some grid girls arguing that they were being denied the right to work by “feminists”. <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenjadepope/status/958751588419620864?lang=en">Grid girl Lauren-Jade Pope</a> took to Twitter to object:</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"958751588419620864"}"></div></p>
<p>Remarkably, the “feminists” so often mentioned in the debate were actually the Formula 1 bosses themselves. They made the decision to stop using grid girls because they no longer resonated with their brand values – with Sean Bratches, the managing director of commercial operations at Formula 1, stating that the inclusion of grid girls was “<a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-to-stop-using-grid-girls.5HPVgIzLHOcIiGaAS8eOWE.html">at odds with modern day societal norms</a>”.</p>
<h2>Employment opportunity?</h2>
<p>One of the main criticisms of the scrapping of grid girls was that women would be out of work. Such criticism drew attention to the earnings that would be lost by the women as well as the idea that the decision was denying them their “right to choose” to use their bodies for aesthetic purposes and financial gain. The role of the grid girls was to carry out promotional tasks, most of which included bearing the names of sponsors to the public and cheering on the all-male racing drivers.</p>
<p>Prominent figures, including World Champion Lewis Hamilton, have called for the return of the grid girls. Hamilton’s rationale that “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/44233222">women are the most beautiful thing in the world</a>”, alongside Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel stating he “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/44233222">likes women” because “they look beautiful</a>”, serve to emphasise the deep-rooted sexism still entrenched in the motor sporting world. There is still a long way to go to eliminate these outdated views, particularly in sports such as motor racing which are traditionally categorised as male.</p>
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<span class="caption">How The Sun reported the story.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Sun</span></span>
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<p>Testimonials from former grid girls have indicated that <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5340641/Former-grid-girls-say-Formula-One-ban.html">their earnings were around £300 per day</a>, bearing in mind the work was intermittent. Household names such as Kelly Brook, Melinda Messenger and Jodie Marsh all began their “careers” as grid girls, later crossing over to glamour modelling in lads’ mags and the like.</p>
<p>During the backlash to the decision in 2018, grid girl testimonies sought to label feminists <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5474368/f1-grid-girls-latest-stopped-snowflake-feminists-bernie-ecclestone/">as bigoted</a>, with headlines <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2018/02/06/grid-girl-hits-back-at-feminists-who-are-forcing-other-women-out-of-work-7289792/">“hitting back”</a> at “middle-class feminists who are forcing other women out of work”.</p>
<h2>No equality, no empowerment</h2>
<p>Unequal representation in Formula 1 promotional modelling was itself enough to refute arguments of unfair treatment regarding employment being lost. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14680777.2019.1574859">The lack of promotional models from BME groups</a> alongside the complete omission of men from this role highlighted a clear lack of equal opportunity (if you can call sexual objectification that). Promotional modelling also carries a rigid time limit, with “careers” in this field usually having to end by women’s mid-to-late 20s.</p>
<p>The message sent, particularly to young girls, was that motor racing is a male sport and – if you’re keen to be involved in it – you should aspire to be beautiful, sexualise yourself, and be prepared to drape yourself over cars and male racing drivers like an accessory.</p>
<p>This is a stark departure from the message being sent today, where excited grid kids – male and female – now walk on the grid with ambitions of becoming racing drivers themselves. Formula 1 must hold onto this message and not revert back to one that degrades, demoralises and dehumanises its female supporters.</p>
<p>That said, although Formula 1 has made progress, promotional modelling is still a feature across other sporting events, including walk-on girls (darts and cycling), ring girls (wrestling and boxing) and cheerleaders (football and basketball). Although darts walk-on girls were also axed in 2018, they made a recent <a href="https://dartsnews.com/walk-on-girls-return-for-german-darts-grand-prix-seen-as-a-one-off/">“one off” return at the German Darts Grand Prix</a>, supposedly due to prior sponsorship agreements.</p>
<p>There are also the “<a href="https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/football-opinion/crystal-palace-cheerleaders-21st-century/">Crystals</a>”, the all-female cheerleaders of Crystal Palace FC, who appear wearing bikinis in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6N2vwe9Swk">promotional video for the club</a>. Not so inspiring for any budding female footballers.</p>
<h2>Full speed ahead</h2>
<p>Formula 1’s move away from grid girls has indeed made it a more inclusive sport and it is time for other industries to follow its lead. Until women are given equal opportunities in sport, they will continue to be underpaid, undervalued and underrated.</p>
<p>Roy van Aalst’s assumption that only “huge idiots” can find beautiful women a problem emphasises the crude ignorance inherent in the many debates over the sexualisation of popular culture. Of course “beautiful women” are not a problem – nor are beautiful men, or beautiful people in general. But when you display only one sex as “beautiful” – although I think “sexualised’” would be a more fitting word for the grid girls – you serve to diminish half of society. </p>
<p>They are to be gazed upon and are never themselves given the authority to be the “gazers”. This is how you alienate women from aspiring to be sporting champions and instead relegate them to the sidelines, encouraging them to only ever be the cheerleaders.</p>
<p>If upholding the stance that favours gender equality makes me a “huge idiot”, then I am confidently and proudly one. I’m sure my daughter will thank me for it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/117443/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Tippett works for the University of Hertfordshire.</span></em></p>It’s not about beauty, it’s about empowering women in sport.Anna Tippett, Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology, University of HertfordshireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1135222019-03-15T15:47:57Z2019-03-15T15:47:57ZFormula One motor firms are becoming textbook cases in how to successfully branch into other sectors<p>The new Formula One season has kicked off with the <a href="https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2019/Australia.html">Australian Grand Prix</a>. Like every year, there are changes afoot: new drivers, tweaks in vehicle aerodynamics, revised rules and regulations. But behind the scenes, another transformation is taking place. In both the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/23048643">UK Motorsport Valley</a> and the <a href="https://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/home/discover/itineraries/motors/the-motor-valley/">Italian Motor Valley</a> – the two regions where the main players are clustered – companies have been reinventing themselves for the digital era and selling their tech know-how to other sectors. </p>
<p>Formula One race cars are the most technologically advanced cars in existence. Every car is equipped with 120 sensors which generate over a million <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/telemetry">pieces of information</a> every second. This torrent of data, flowing from cars to pits, allows teams to adapt their racing strategy in real time, and is key to winning races. </p>
<p>The focus on processing data has turned the likes of the UK’s McLaren into a specialist in the field. McLaren was quick to make data central to the whole company, alongside the engineering expertise involved in building race cars. It set up <a href="https://www.mclaren.com/appliedtechnologies/">McLaren Applied Technologies</a> around <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/10838339/How-McLaren-is-applying-F1-know-how-to-toothpaste-and-medicine.html">a decade ago</a> to sell its knowledge to other sectors, having already been successfully selling equipment to other motorsport players – McLaren has supplied electronic control units to every Formula One team since 1993, for instance. </p>
<h2>New tracks for growth</h2>
<p>McLaren Applied Technologies is in healthcare, for example, where it has <a href="https://www.mclaren.com/appliedtechnologies/case-study/wearable-technology/">developed sensors</a> for implanting in patients who have suffered strokes, are recovering from surgery, or risk developing diabetes. These sensors collect health data for doctors to craft more personal, tailored treatments. The information is processed by wearable devices using algorithms, negating the need to upload it to a server first – which drains batteries. </p>
<p>McLaren originally developed these processing algorithms for units on board race cars, since under motorsport rules, sensor data can’t be sent back from the garage to the car during a race. Using similar transferable ideas, Applied Technologies is also involved in everything from train wifi facilities to optimising air-traffic control to performance enhancement for elite athletes. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263909/original/file-20190314-28492-14dgb1n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263909/original/file-20190314-28492-14dgb1n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263909/original/file-20190314-28492-14dgb1n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263909/original/file-20190314-28492-14dgb1n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263909/original/file-20190314-28492-14dgb1n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263909/original/file-20190314-28492-14dgb1n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263909/original/file-20190314-28492-14dgb1n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263909/original/file-20190314-28492-14dgb1n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=546&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">McLaren health sensors.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.mclaren.com/appliedtechnologies/lab/setting-the-challenge-for-innovative-wearable-technology/">McLaren</a></span>
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<p>Italy-based <a href="https://www.dallara.it/wps/portal/it/!ut/p/z1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfIjo8zijS18XQ29vQ28_EONzAw8w3xM_L0NLYyMQ431wwkpiAJKG-AAjgZA_VGElHjpR6Xn5CdBXOOYl2Rska4fVZSallqUWqRXWgQUzigpKSi2UjVQNSgvL9dLz89Pz0nVS87PVTXApiUjv7hEPwJVpX5BboSBblRSZbmjoiIA5ZrDUA!!/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/">Dallara Automobili</a> is another motorsport company branching into new areas. Though not a household name, Dallara has almost a monopoly in supplying motorsport chassis to clients including Ferrari, Haas, Maserati, Bugatti, Honda, Lancia and Renault. </p>
<p>Like McLaren, Dallara’s move beyond motorsport coincided with an internal digital transformation. Much of this has been linked to the virtual process Dallara developed for testing chassis. Where the company used to endlessly test prototypes on race tracks and wind tunnels, now it models a car’s surroundings using supercomputers that accurately simulate weather and track conditions. Where testing used to take three years, it now takes closer to nine months. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/business/global/09iht-dallara09.html">Andrea Pontremoli</a>, the chief executive who arrived from IBM in 2007, has sought to turn the Italian manufacturer into a “knowledge company”, building a fluid project-based organisational structure to make the most of the technical expertise. A substantial number of new hires are mathematicians and data scientists. </p>
<p>Dallara now offers consulting services in aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics based on its supercomputer-powered simulations to manufacturers of everything from cars to military jets. It has also leveraged its engineering expertise in carbon fibre to create lighter factory robots for the likes of Coca-Cola, while other clients have included the Honolulu metro system. </p>
<h2>How to transform</h2>
<p>For both companies, there are signs these moves are paying off. McLaren says Applied Technologies has <a href="https://www.mclaren.com/appliedtechnologies/news/anthony-murray-appointed-ceo-mclaren-applied-technologies/">doubled</a> in size in the past five years, and believes it will be a “major engine of future growth”. The division will have turned over around £60m <a href="https://investors.mclaren.com/investors/result-centre/year/2018">in 2018</a>, and <a href="https://www.mclaren.com/group/news/articles/anthony-murray-appointed-ceo-mclaren-applied-technologies/">recently hired</a> former Qualcomm senior executive Anthony Murray as its chief executive. </p>
<p>Dallara has tripled its number of staff in recent years and is seeing strong demand from the market for its new digital products and services, Pontremoli told Benoît Leleux in an interview. Both companies have gained insights in their specialist areas by co-developing new technology with their clients. Pontremoli says Dallara’s unofficial policy is to choose customers that will allow the company to acquire new knowledge, as opposed to customers that will net high profits. </p>
<p>It is easier said than done to move in this kind of new direction, however. The vast majority of companies who try to undergo digital transformations struggle. Take Ford Motors, which set up a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160311005431/en/Ford-Smart-Mobility-LLC-Established-Develop-Invest">Smart Mobility segment</a> nearly three years ago to focus on how the internet, is revolutionising the car industry. It oversees the Ford SYNC app, which allows drivers to remotely access information about their cars, as well as experimenting with smart parking and driverless cars. </p>
<p>But Smart Mobility has <a href="https://www.raconteur.net/digital-transformation/digital-transformation-failure">failed</a> to change the company, arguably because it moved too slowly and was not central enough to Ford’s core business – unlike in the case of McLaren and Dallara, who have both seen digital transformation as a fundamental organisational shift. Ford’s share price has <a href="https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/quote/F/">fallen</a> almost 50% in five years. </p>
<p><strong>Ford share price, 2014-19</strong></p>
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<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/chart/F#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">Yahoo Finance</a></span>
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<p>General Electric, another American juggernaut, <a href="https://theconversation.com/ges-big-bet-on-digital-has-floundered-future-now-hinges-on-second-attempt-100402">has spent</a> billions of dollars <a href="https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/news/ge-spins-software-division-ge-digital/">failing</a> to become a leader in the industrial Internet of Things. It identified the opportunity to use sensors on machines to gather data early, but badly underestimated the cost of developing solutions in this area. Its industrial internet platform, Predix, faced delays and technological issues and struggled to compete. </p>
<p>When it comes to getting such shifts right, we need to be wary of saying you can simply write a recipe based on what has worked elsewhere. Clearly, however, there are likely to be rewards from spotting opportunities early, and recognising that the culture may need to change right across the organisation. Firms commonly make the mistake of believing that product innovation is all that’s needed to become a digital player, but those who succeed also change the way they bring their offerings to market, form new types of partnerships and join different sectors. </p>
<p>Both Dallara and McLaren have benefited from understanding what clients need even though they are in other sectors, which is partly about having a clear understanding of your core competencies. Equally, you need old-fashioned business skills like hiring the right people and correctly foreseeing things like demand and costs. What these motorsport companies demonstrate is that the new digital world can be an opportunity for transformation, and a means of developing entirely new business streams at the same time.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113522/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>How the likes of McLaren and Dallara are teaching the business world how to pull off a digital transformation.Benoit F Leleux, Stephan Schmidheiny Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)Anouk Lavoie, Research Associate, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)Tawfik Jelassi, Professor of Strategy and Technology Management, International Institute for Management Development (IMD)Licensed 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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Read more:
<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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<a href="https://theconversation.com/sport-and-social-medias-rocky-relationship-is-safe-for-now-89624">Sport and social media's rocky relationship is safe ... for now</a>
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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/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>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177854/original/file-20170712-14421-1o8h7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177854/original/file-20170712-14421-1o8h7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/177854/original/file-20170712-14421-1o8h7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177854/original/file-20170712-14421-1o8h7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177854/original/file-20170712-14421-1o8h7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177854/original/file-20170712-14421-1o8h7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177854/original/file-20170712-14421-1o8h7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/177854/original/file-20170712-14421-1o8h7pu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<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>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<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/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>
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<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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<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/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>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HJJ76n-ic1I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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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>
<figcaption>
<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/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>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<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>
<figcaption>
<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>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<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>
<blockquote>
<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>
</blockquote>
<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.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/343682014-11-19T06:04:58Z2014-11-19T06:04:58ZScientists at work: building the world’s fastest downhill racer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64870/original/mg69d6dw-1416324797.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'I realise it's got flames on it, but does it go up to 11?'</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Channel 4</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>I’d like to say that it’s not every day you get asked to try to break a world record with a speed-obsessed truck mechanic from Grimsby, but for us at the <a href="http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/cser/">Centre for Sports Engineering Research</a> it’s starting to become a bit of a habit.</p>
<p>Last year we <a href="http://engineeringsport.co.uk/2014/01/19/the-need-for-speed-attempting-the-downhill-toboggan-world-record/">designed and built a sled</a> for the Channel 4 TV series <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/speed-with-guy-martin">Speed with Guy Martin</a> to help Guy set the downhill toboggan world record of 83.49mph. Following its success the producers asked us to tackle another record, gravity racing. After a bit of discussion along the lines of “isn’t this just a sled with wheels?”, it was “challenge accepted!”</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64862/original/ztb7jgnc-1416322848.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64862/original/ztb7jgnc-1416322848.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64862/original/ztb7jgnc-1416322848.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64862/original/ztb7jgnc-1416322848.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64862/original/ztb7jgnc-1416322848.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=584&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64862/original/ztb7jgnc-1416322848.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=584&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64862/original/ztb7jgnc-1416322848.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=584&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p>A gravity racer is un-powered vehicle capable of holding a driver without any form of on-board propulsion, also known as a soapbox or downhill go-karts. While this conjures up images of planks of wood attached to pram wheels, having spent the last four months designing and building one I can assure you it’s a little more sophisticated.</p>
<p>There was no official gravity racer world record, so for the Guinness World Records organisation to acknowledge our attempt they set a threshold of 84.4mph, the speed unofficially recorded by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ndyA0UW2w">Bodrodz Atomic Splinter</a> in September 2012 in the US.</p>
<h2>Search for an optimal design</h2>
<p>Like all good scientists and engineers, we began by looking into the theory and how to use it to optimise our designs. Starting with a simple model we could easily see that rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag would slow the racer down, and only gravity would propel it forwards.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/rolling-friction-resistance-d_1303.html">Rolling resistance</a> is a measure of energy lost due to the friction between the surface of the wheels and the ground. It’s influenced by a number of factors such as wheel size and tyre pressure, as well as the quality of the road surface. We used a coast-down experiment where a basic kart was released at a set speed and we measured the distance travelled before it came to rest in order to compare the effects of different wheel sizes. The tyre pressure was then optimised on the day of the record attempt to match the surface conditions at the venue.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64871/original/m53yhkbq-1416324815.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64871/original/m53yhkbq-1416324815.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64871/original/m53yhkbq-1416324815.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64871/original/m53yhkbq-1416324815.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64871/original/m53yhkbq-1416324815.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64871/original/m53yhkbq-1416324815.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64871/original/m53yhkbq-1416324815.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">
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<span class="caption">A rush and a push and the record is ours.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Channel 4</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Minimising <a href="http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/drag1.html">aerodynamic drag</a> was a key part of the design. At high speeds, aerodynamic drag contributes more than 80% of the total resistance acting against the racer, so it was really important to keep this as low as possible. The steel tube frame of the racer was designed specifically to fit closely around Guy, the driver, and we used computational aerodynamic models to design a glass fibre outer shell that offered the least frontal area, the best drag coefficient, and that minimised any wake turbulence that would also add drag. </p>
<p>Naturally we then painted flames on it, having consulted Guy’s recognised scientific theory that if it looks fast, it goes faster. </p>
<h2>Finding a venue</h2>
<p>With gravity our only propulsion once underway, we needed a race venue that was sufficiently steep, long and straight. This actually proved more difficult than we thought, ruling out a surprisingly large number of venues. In some cases we were not allowed to race as we planned to break the national speed limit. In the end, we opted for the iconic <a href="http://www.veloventoux.com/?c=montVentoux">Mont Ventoux</a> in Provence, which often forms part of the Tour de France route.</p>
<p>Although our chosen section had a few bends, we were confident in Guy’s driving ability to not lose too much speed. <a href="http://www.hopetech.com/">Hope Technology</a> in Lancashire kindly supplied us with four hydraulic disc brakes that allowed the racer to come to a controlled stop in a very short distance, which meant we could get the most out of each run.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64872/original/q5jfrpdk-1416324906.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64872/original/q5jfrpdk-1416324906.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64872/original/q5jfrpdk-1416324906.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64872/original/q5jfrpdk-1416324906.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64872/original/q5jfrpdk-1416324906.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64872/original/q5jfrpdk-1416324906.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64872/original/q5jfrpdk-1416324906.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">
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<span class="caption">The slopes of Mont Ventoux in France, the race setting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Channel 4</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>Putting it to the test</h2>
<p>On the day of the record attempt we used Guy’s feedback on how the racer handled to make minor adjustments to optimise it for higher speeds. Even slight shifts to the racer’s centre of gravity or its brake bias could have substantial effects on how the racer handled. It was important that these changes were done incrementally to allow Guy to familiarise himself with the new set-up.</p>
<p>On the second day of testing, we managed to find the perfect balance, and Guy piloted the racer to a new world record speed of 85.612 mph.</p>
<p>As you <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/speed-with-guy-martin/on-demand/58642-004">might have seen watching the programme</a>, having set the record we tried to push it even faster, but during the attempt Guy lost control of the racer, dramatically rolling across the road before coming to rest upside down. </p>
<p>We had designed for a worst case scenario like a crash. But even so, the fact that Guy came away from it completely unscathed shows that we designed a racer that can not only break the world record, but stand up well to being broken, too.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64873/original/f8rgvscr-1416325125.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64873/original/f8rgvscr-1416325125.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64873/original/f8rgvscr-1416325125.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64873/original/f8rgvscr-1416325125.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64873/original/f8rgvscr-1416325125.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64873/original/f8rgvscr-1416325125.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64873/original/f8rgvscr-1416325125.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">Speed team: Terry Senior, Christina King, Guy Martin, Heather Driscoll, Alice Bullas and John Hart (behind the scenes).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Channel 4</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/34368/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Heather Driscoll is affiliated with the International Sports Engineering Association.</span></em></p>I’d like to say that it’s not every day you get asked to try to break a world record with a speed-obsessed truck mechanic from Grimsby, but for us at the Centre for Sports Engineering Research it’s starting…Heather Driscoll, Research Associate, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/329372014-10-17T03:40:27Z2014-10-17T03:40:27ZJules Bianchi and sharing the responsibility for catastrophe<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62042/original/hkyryfdr-1413508489.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi remains in a critical condition after a serious crash earlier this month.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">EPA/Valdrin Xhemaj </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As with most tragic events today, Formula One driver Jules Bianchi’s <a href="http://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/jules-bianchi-survived-92g-impact-in-horror-formula-one-crash/story-fnec578q-1227092926253">recent crash</a> in the Japanese Grand Prix has raised the usual frenzy of questions surrounding who is to blame when things go wrong and what can be done to prevent similar incidents occurring again. Bianchi remains in a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/14/jules-bianchi-marussia-formula-one-critical-stable-condition">“critical but stable condition”</a> with severe head injuries.</p>
<p>The search for someone or something to blame is part of the human condition. Unfortunately, it does little to improve safety or our understanding of accidents. Accidents are a complex phenomenon; they are caused by multiple interacting factors (sometimes even normal, acceptable behaviours) that reside across the overall system of interest. There can be no one cause of accidents.</p>
<p>Not only is it morally and ethically wrong to allocate blame, it is useless moving forward. Worryingly, the message may not be getting through. The desire to blame still burns fiercely in most areas.</p>
<p>Bianchi’s crash provides a stark demonstration of the complexity of accidents. What is clear, however, is what it tells us should be questioned following such events, both in Formula One racing and other areas such as the workplace, on our roads, and in the air. We owe it to Bianchi to take notice and, once and for all, move away from this blame culture. But how can this be achieved?</p>
<h2>Look at systems not individuals</h2>
<p>Firstly, the event is unequivocal in demonstrating that there is a shared responsibility for adverse events. No one person, group, or thing can be held responsible. </p>
<p>Complex systems such as Formula One have many layers and comprise multiple people, groups, organisations and influences. Everybody in this system is making decisions and actions that ultimately shape how the race plays out. </p>
<p>Bianchi’s crash, therefore, was enabled by the decisions and actions of many. This includes drivers, marshals and stewards, but crucially others including racing team members and directors, designers, the FIA (Formula One’s governing body), commercial entities and other influences such as the weather. Some of the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/29625505">media reports</a> hinting that Bianchi may not have slowed down enough are wide of the mark in this respect. It is almost immaterial.</p>
<p>Simply put, it is impossible to understand the event without looking at all of those operating within Formula One, at what decisions and actions they made, and how these interacted together to create the accident. The aim is not to blame any one of them – it is to find out what happened and why.</p>
<h2>Accidents are not just about failures</h2>
<p>The second and perhaps most important facet of the crash is the role that normal, acceptable behaviours played in the event. </p>
<p>Usually, there is a tendency to look for failures, to try to find where things went wrong, where people and technologies failed. Ultimately these instances are often red herrings – they are consequences rather than causes: accidents are caused by the very same behaviours that create safe performance. Decisions and actions that seem normal and acceptable to those making them interact in a way that enables adverse events to happen. </p>
<p>In the Bianchi case, removing Adrian Sutil’s damaged vehicle from the track run-off area via tractor was perfectly normal behaviour – something that had been done for many years, albeit with several close calls before. It wasn’t a failure; in fact, had they removed Sutil’s vehicle it would have been seen as a successful intervention that kept the race running safely. </p>
<p>Searching for failures increases the likelihood that the other contributory factors will be overlooked. We need to understand everything that went on and how combinations of behaviours combined to create the accident.</p>
<h2>Fix the system not parts of it</h2>
<p>The third and final point addresses how those involved respond. There is often a strong desire to fix the one thing that is seen as the major cause. </p>
<p>Bianchi’s crash has prompted <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/10/f1-safety-jules-bianchi/">discussions</a> around various countermeasures, including banning tractors, increasing head protection through driver cockpits, and introducing new speed-control systems in the event of a crash. It is dangerous, however, to think that there is one silver bullet that will prevent future incidents. </p>
<p>Modifying driver cockpits alone, for example, might prevent a few serious head injuries. The problem is that all of the other things within the system that conspired to enable Bianchi’s crash in the first place have been ignored. These will combine to create another form of accident that head protection may not be able to cope with, such as a driver trapped in a burning car following a similar crash. The system will eventually return to an unsafe state. </p>
<p>The right approach is fundamental change rather than component fixes. There needs to be a system of countermeasures that deals with contributory factors across the entire Formula One system. </p>
<p>Like most safety-critical systems, there is no doubt that Formula One has made significant improvements in safety over the last few decades. However, Bianchi’s crash provides a stark reminder that systems are in a constant state of flux, forever shifting between safe and unsafe. To manage this, it is critical that the right lessons are identified and learned from when disaster strikes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/32937/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Salmon receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Timothy Neville receives funding from the Defence Science and Technology Organisatoin</span></em></p>As with most tragic events today, Formula One driver Jules Bianchi’s recent crash in the Japanese Grand Prix has raised the usual frenzy of questions surrounding who is to blame when things go wrong and…Paul Salmon, Professor, Human Factors, University of the Sunshine CoastTimothy Neville, PhD Candidate, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.