- Written by: RACER staff
- London, UK – 5/23/2006
Formula 1 promotional chieftain Bernie Ecclestone caused a stir recently when he claimed in an interview on British television that F1 drivers and teams need to give more back to the fans. He singled out reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso as the classic example of a champion who was not doing his best for the sport.
"We have a World Champion now, Fernando, who doesn't do too much," Ecclestone told the ITV TV network.
Former World Champion Damon Hill, now president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, believes Ecclestone’s to criticisms were unfair, however. He reckons that the entire sport has to take some responsibility for a situation where F1 is criticized for not being fan-friendly enough.
"I think it's very easy to point the finger at the drivers, but I think the nature of the sport is partly to blame," said Hill, who won the World Championship in 1996. "The sport has become quantifiably more professional – the requirements to be a racing driver are hugely greater now then they were.
"It's more akin to football now, but if you're on the football field, you can display your talents and you can engage with the fans immediately.
"It is a factor that needs addressing and it will have an effect on the way the sport communicates itself. But I think that it's too simplistic to say that the drivers don't put enough back. They do what they are told to do, which is concentrate on the job and drive. And it's very difficult to find time to do anything other than testing."
Hill does admit, however, that the interaction between drivers and the fans is vital for the health of Formula One – and indeed provides a key element for any sport.
"It is not quite like tennis or football where you are immediately exposed to the rawness of the crowd, but when I was racing and when Nigel (Mansell) was there, it is very obvious when you are in the cockpit you can see the reaction from the crowd. You do get a feedback from the crowd, and the crowd reaction is another essential part of the thrill of performing as a sportsman. If there isn't a mass of people there who are emotionally involved in an event, then I don't know if it would be as stimulating to do it. That is key and fundamental to the reasons for sport existing."
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