Developing Future Motor Sport
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DAILY NEWSLETTER, ISSUE #1 WEDNESDAY 25.6.2014 MUNICH 24 26 JUNE AUTO SPORT WEEK DEVELOPING FUTURE MOTOR SPORT Launching FIA Sport Conference 2014, need for motor sport to embrace a new He concluded by saying the key to FIA President Jean Todt yesterday told era of social responsibility as demands for this development would be the careful delegates that motor sport “can no longer safety and environmental awareness grow. allocation of the funding made available exist in a vacuum and content ourselves He said that this is being done by the F1 Concorde Agreement and funds with playing our historic role as the systematically in the FIA’s championships from the 100-year rights issue of F1 that regulator of motor sport” and that it must but added that more work needs to are now available. adapt “to a new reality, which is sporting, be done to “make motor sport simpler Expanding on the same theme, FIA economic and social in nature”. and safer” and to “integrate technical Deputy President for Sport Graham Stoker Welcoming representatives from 109 progress” into the federation’s sporting added that a new grant aid programme ASNs to the headquarters of ADAC in activities. will be rolled out in the coming days and Munich, the President said motor sport “It is upon these three bases that we that delegates would be tasked, in a faces increased competition from rival will be able to construct an ambitious series of workshops, with defining new championships, a new challenge in the development policy for ASNs, similar to proposals for motor sport development shape of rapidly growing social media, what is being done by other international that he hopes to present to the World continuing economic difficulties and the sporting federations,” he said. Motor Sport Council on Thursday. SPORT CONFERENCE 2014 DAILY NEWSLetter / WEDNESDAY 25.6.14 PLENARY SESSION 1 The Chairman of the FIA Drivers’ Drivers’ Commission member Emanuele Commission said that while teenagers Pirro added that motor sport needs to ENGAGING of the past had aspired to owning a ensure that the passion of competition is car, nowadays the must-have for teens maintained and that much of the appeal WITH YOUNG is a smart phone. Engaging with that of racing lies in competitors being free to demand for technology will be the key to transmit the emotion and strain of racing appealing to new generations of fans and to fans. PEOPLE THE competitors, he said. “I don’t know who identifies with a Formula E promoter Alejandro Agag driver who is fresh and clean and who said that understanding how young people appears not to be giving everything,” he KEY TO interact with technology had been a major said. factor in the formulation of the concept of Formula E and World Endurance GROWTH the new championship, adding that the Championship (WEC) racer Karun series’ ‘boost button’ feature, in which fans Chandhok said that in emerging motor vote via social media for drivers to get sport nations it is infrastructure that is the In yesterday’s first session, a power boost during a race had been key to bringing new competitors and fans delegates heard motor sport partly inspired by Nintendo’s Mario Kart to the sports, adding that while hosting a video game. Formula One grand prix had boosted the experts and racing legends Meanwhile, Williams F1 development presence of motor sport in his native India, driver and FIA Women in Motor Sport the country still possesses just two proper put the focus on youth Commission Ambassador Susie Wolff karting tracks. said that the cost of entry into motor sport Finally, WEC competitor Keiko Ihara Double Formula One World Champion was a cause for concern but added that said that new technology and the presence Emerson Fittipaldi yesterday told the FIA’s Single Seater Commission was of local manufacturers Toyota and Nissan delegates that the future of motor sport tackling this issue through the creation of has boosted the championship’s profile lies in engaging with young people and championships such as the federation’s in her home country of Japan to the understanding what they want from motor new Formula 4 category. extent that it is now the most popular sport. Five-time Le Mans winner and FIA international series in the country. to FIND OUT MORE VISIT WWW.FIA.COM SPORT CONFERENCE 2014 DAILY NEWSLetter / WEDNESDAY 25.6.14 CONFERENCE Q&A STEFANO DOMENICALI The former Ferrari team principal and day one panellist on new technology, the need to challenge champions and taking a rest Q What do you think will be the major influences on the growth of motor sport in the coming years? A First of all we need to talk about an incredibly large base of licence holders, support networks, teams, manufacturers and fans, so it would be wrong to say there is only one thing to do – it would be to look at only one part of the motor sport cake. We are talking about a thing that week will be important in getting all of a balance. If we are too aggressive on connects different people of different those stakeholders together, in finding new technology we run the risk of losing ages and cultures. You have older people out what each one is dealing with and the passion of motor sport. We need to who want to simply go racing and enjoy hopefully then they can formulate a plan balance it carefully. it and then younger people who want and choose the main route to follow. It’s to enjoy a different experience. You important to act quickly. Q Has the current Formula One season have manufacturers who have marketing developed in the way you imagined? and technical interests and teams who Q Is attracting new fans as simple as A In a way, yes. As I said last year, it was generally have an interest in pure racing. inviting the public to free driving days; to clear that the teams that were strong at You have to keep developing for all these give them a taste of racing? the beginning would keep that advantage different communities. A That’s important for those want to be for the season because with such a step For sure the biggest thing is developing in the show but we also need to appeal change in technology… Mercedes have the sport for younger generations. Young to people who are purely sports fans and done a great job and they will keep this people are not attracted by new who want to challenge the professional advantage for a long time. To close the technology as a word, they have to be or the champion through games or gap in a situation where the regulation is connected by technology to the sport. interactive experiences. One thing I more or less frozen is very difficult. I hope They have to be involved. There are learned from looking at the American the others will be able to close the gap young people who want to be the driver market, in different disciplines, is that soon, though, because at this stage you but via connectivity – it’s about being part fans want to be the one challenging need to have races that are emotionally of it yourself. the most important player in basketball engaging. If you lose the passion it or whatever. Fans want to be the wouldn’t be good. Q How do you see youth appeal being protagonist. If we can provide that it developed? Do you believe it needs a will help our entire movement to be Q What about your own plans for the centralised effort? connected to fans. future? What are you up to? A We need to have a strategy. We need For young people who want to get A So far, I’m taking a breath. After 23 to be integrated with the stakeholders involved as drivers it has to be affordable, years of non-stop work it seems I have promoting all of the different categories. otherwise it is impossible. Here there a bit of time now, so I’m taking the Without an integrated communication is a dichotomy. New technology at the opportunity to be with my family, which plan we will be disconnected. This beginning is expensive. We need to find has to be good. Yes, really good. to FIND OUT MORE VISIT WWW.FIA.COM SPORT CONFERENCE 2014 DAILY NEWSLetter / WEDNESDAY 25.6.14 FIA SPORT MOTOREX Yesterday saw the opening of FIA Sport MotorEx 2014, which aims to promote motor PROMOTING sport development by building a meeting point between leading motor sport industry supplier PARTNERSHIP and the sport’s organisers and administrators. It’s already proving to be a big success. to FIND OUT MORE VISIT WWW.FIA.COM SPORT CONFERENCE 2014 DAILY NEWSLetter / WEDNESDAY 25.6.14 SECOND PLENARY JOINING FORCES TO BUILD BETTER MOTOR SPORT The day’s second discussion centred on theopportunities that exist for ASNs and industry to work together to develop motor sport The second plenary session of day one saw a panel of motor sport business experts and ASN leaders come together to discuss methods of strengthening the links between industry and sport. Prefacing the discussion, Professor Mark Jenkins, co-author of the book ‘Motorsport Going Global’ and Chris Aylett, CEO of Britain’s Motorsport Industry Association presented some initial findings of the FIA’s ASN survey. They revealed that from the 138 surveys sent out 57 ASNs have responded so far and that according to the interim result rallying is by far the most popular pursuit among members, with circuit racing second, but with drifting coming in a strong third.