If you pay attention to automotive news and motorsport happenings, you’ve likely heard that this week an American company called Liberty Media finalized a deal to purchase Formula 1. Initially, the company led by mogul John Malone will buy a stake in the international racing serious with a full acquisition to come at a price of about 8.5 billion dollars. Naturally, this means some big changes are likely in store for F1, a sport that has been struggling with a declining influence and shrinking audiences in recent years.
The changes won’t be immediate though. Long time Formula 1 boss Bernie Eccelstone will retain his position for the time being as F1 begins its transition to new ownership. Even so, many in the sport believe the sale will be a good thing in the long term and have already started speculating about potential shake-ups that could be coming. Will there be new ways to watch the racing? Will F1 expand to new venues or return to historic locales it’s left behind? Will there be changes to the rulebook to improve the on-track product? Those are just a few of the questions race fans have been asking.
It will likely take some time before F1 can attempt to win over lost fans, but a new, motivated ownership seems like a step in the right direction.
What kind of changes would you like to see implemented to improve Formula 1?
Mike Garrett
Instagram: japanifornia
mike@speedhunters.com
Photo from Mercedes-Benz Media