Designed to celebrate seventy-five years of Formula 1, the F1- 75 live event held at London’s O2 Arena could not have been further removed from its roots. Ironically, its history proved to be a minor part of the event – blink, and you missed it.
At a venue that had no relation to its heritage, Formula 1, as a sport, took a backstage. Instead, we were given a good comedian, a DJ, pop singers, and a fantastic sound/light show; none of which reflected its origins, development or its raison d’être.
Ironically, one of the most significant omissions was the absence or mention of Bernie Ecclestone. As a man who probably had the biggest hand in shaping F1, his lack of representation was surprising. Whatever your opinion is of the man, this fact cannot be denied.
Short memory
The focus was mainly on the present day, accompanied by a “love in” featuring the 2025 cars and their drivers. It should be said that the majority of the latter are not known for their ability to wax lyrically.
Something that became painfully obvious as the event unfolded. Communication, for these guys, is usually distilled to soundbites by their PR and Social Media controllers.
See, Speak and say no evil
One driver, in particular, was conspicuous by saying nothing at the presentation: Max Verstappen.
However, based on the reception he received, Parc Ferme is not surprised. Booing drivers and teams is not the kind of behaviour that reflects the heritage of F1- something we were meant to be celebrating.
The other recipient was its regulatory body, the FIA. Possibly, some of its recent additions to the sporting code regarding the use of expletives by drivers may also have played a part in Max’s silence. Better to say nothing than express, in full, your contempt for the crowd; an action that could result in a fine with the possibility of a points deduction or race ban before the season starts.
It comes with the territory
As F1 moves inexorably closer to WWE entertainment and further away from sport, those involved must come to terms with the crowd’s reaction.
The script requires villains and saints, and the fans celebrate each actor in the same time-honoured tradition: cheering and booing.
However, there does seem to be one benefit to evolve from this dog and pony show. Realising that its unpopularity had spread outside of the Paddock, the FIA threw a bone to the baying crowd a few days later.
The President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, announced he is considering the return of roaring V10 engines. If this is serious, then the whole painful debacle was worth the effort.
Fortunately, for Parc Ferme, the sideshow of cars racing around tracks has returned this week in the form of pre-season testing. Finally!
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