Análisis de los Resultados

“…somebody has to be interested in what we are doing…”

In the 1930s the vehicles used for racing were very similar to the road cars of the time. As purpose built racing cars were introduced, the race track was used as a proving ground for automotive technologies. An example of this is the introduction of the first disc brakes to the

C-Type Jaguar racer in the 1950s; within a decade they were found on almost every production road car (Lawrence, 1991). By the 1990’s however, the transfer of technologies from

motorsport to automotive was minimal (Foxhall, 1991). This again confirms the hypothesis that motorsport is a maturing area of technology (see Figure 3.1); as the costs of developing technological advancements in motorsport increases, their relevance to other industries which produce lower value products decreases.

Due to the type of materials and technologies used by the motorsport industry, it has more commonality with the aerospace and defence industries; the industry body for UK motorsport has been attempting to develop these relationships into a greater degree of technology transfer in recent years (MIA, 2010). The nature of these industries is that they are secretive with regards to the technologies that they use, therefore any technology outputs from motorsport are unseen by the public.

The Formula One administration states that:

“a modern Formula One car has almost as much in common with a jet fighter as it does with an

ordinary road car” (Formula One, 2009a)

Little race-bred technology now filters down to the automotive industry, indeed in some cases automotive technology is more advanced than that used in racing. An example of this is ABS (assisted braking system); “most modern road cars can lay claim to having considerably cleverer retardation (than a Formula One car)” (Formula One, 2009b).

Henry and Pinch (2000) showed that the majority of investment in “Motorsport Valley” in the UK comes from a variety of medium sized British companies, not the major automotive manufacturers that might be expected. Because of this lack of collaboration with the

automotive industry, motorsport technology rarely finds its way into the mass market, and therefore the public have little connection with it.

Motorsport, then, has extensive financial and technical resources at its disposal, but the products it develops have little relevance to the world outside of motorsport except in

applications which are unseen by the public. Viewing figures for the 2006-2010 F1 seasons are shown in Figure 3.3. The factors behind viewer numbers for TV events are many and varied, but the overall decrease in viewing figures since 2007 gives an indication that audience interest in F1, and motorsport in general, may be waning.

Figure 3.3: 2007-2010 TV Viewing Figures for F1 Data from: (McCullagh, 2009; Sylt, 2010; Formula One, 2011a)

Data from surveys of UK adults carried out for a Mintel marketing report in 2009 also showed that the number of people who said they had an interest in motorsport and those holding racing licenses fell by 1.7% and 5% respectively between 2003-2008 (Mintel, 2009). In combination with the decline in TV viewing figures for F1 shown in Figure 3.3, there is strong evidence to suggest that public interest in motorsport is waning.

480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 2007 2008 2009 2010 TV Vi ew in g Fi gu re s [m ill io ns ] Year

3.2.3.1 Social Guidelines

‘Remaining relevant to and generating benefit for society’

The widespread media engagement enjoyed by motorsport in combination with its technical resources results in a unique opportunity for public engagement. The author’s hypothesis is that the regulations of motorsport should develop in line with the needs of society, and greater connection between the consumer and the motorsport industry should be encouraged in order to reach a wider audience. Using motorsport as a tool for public engagement could help to mitigate the threats facing the motorsport industry; becoming irrelevant and unfashionable. Although these may not appear severe in isolation, losing the interest of the public would ultimately lead to the breakdown of the relationship shown in Figure 3.2, with no influx of sponsorship revenues and little public interest.

3.2.3.2 Barriers to Social Sustainability

Social sustainability involves remaining relevant to society by engaging with the public and generating benefit for stakeholders, which in motorsport includes the consumer. The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) have previously announced that improving public engagement was an intention of F1:

"[F1 intends to]…dramatically improve engagement with the public"Luca di Montezemolo, FOTA Chairman, (BBC, 2009).

However, too much of this focus is on the entertainment value of motorsport which helps to generate media coverage and attract sponsors. Motorsport is interested in maintaining a ‘green’ image rather than addressing the key issues of sustainability:

a green image, and all of them try to do so, but the main thing is putting on a good show.”

This focus on entertainment is due to the key part that the public plays in ensuring the success of motorsport; the consumer has been identified by several sources as motorsport’s most important stakeholder:

“…we all share one common goal: to work together to improve F1 by ensuring its stability, sustainability, substance and show for the benefit of our most important stakeholder, namely the consumer.” Luca di Montezemolo, Chairman of FOTA, (BBC, 2009).

“We should never forget we are not just racing for ourselves; somebody has to be interested in what we are doing, has to go to the grandstand and watch the races on TV (Television) and if we miss these people and go in the wrong direction then we are wasting all the money that is invested in motorsport.” Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Technology, Audi Sport (Baretzky, 2011).

Ulrich Baretzky highlighted that maintaining the level of public engagement that motorsport currently enjoys gives motorsport its purpose. The danger of ‘missing’ people by taking motorsport in the wrong direction was also a point raised by Interviewee 1:

“The danger is that if we don’t change with the times then in ten years

Formula 1 will look like historic racing, it won’t be cutting edge…” Interviewee 1

Motorsport should therefore adapt to the changing environment in which it operates, remaining relevant by engaging the public and addressing the current trends in society.

The motorsport industry has identified the importance of the consumer as a stakeholder, but is currently attempting to engage the public by providing entertainment, with little thought for further ways in which it can be of benefit to society. Lack of effective public engagement or societal relevance is therefore a barrier to social sustainability in motorsport.