Does Anyone Watch Formula One Anymore?

Formula One, despite all its glamour and glitz, has never been a spectator sport. Forget about the great Senna, Hunt, and Lauda eras. Formula One has never been a spectator's sport.

The past two years, we barely noticed when the season began and ended. It is hard to deny that Formula One gets less media attention than it used too. And with good reason. This is a classic example of the "necessary evil" case. Let me explain what I mean without getting into philosophical discussions about the morality of the matter. Please note that I am a regular viewer and just want to enjoy some exciting sporting events, such as the Qatar World Cup. I do not claim to be an expert in motorsport.

The good times of Formula One were the best, when it was the most brutal sport around. This attracted the likes the legends mentioned above. These guys are comic book characters today. They were not human beings as we know them today. They took on monstrous, vicious machines and wore only a thin helmet to protect themselves. They wrestled a heavy steering wheel and manually changed gears as they battled one another. It was just as much fun to watch than to play in MonsterCasino.

Those are the reasons we still call this period the golden age. Yes, many of those great men died. There were many fires, disfigurements and amputations. The spectacles were as spectacular as they come. In the 70s and 1980s, being a Formula One driver was like being a superhero. As tragic as these deaths were, I believe those men would not have it any different. That's what I want to be: not an old man in a hospital bed with tubes in his genitals, but a young hero, loved by friends and fear by enemies, who crashes at 300 km/h into the barrier at a tricky corner on a famous race track. I will take that kinda heroic death over a boring, long life any day of week.

Rules change over time. Cars became safer. Drivers were required to wear more protection gear than astronauts. They kept adding new safety features and driving aids to ensure that drivers could win motor racing. It's a good thing that Vettel and Ricciardo can still enjoy the huge sums they get for pushing buttons once per week. We are grateful for this!

Bernie Ecclestone was another evil that Formula One has seen exterminated in recent years. He was a dictator and he certainly did break the rules. F1 was still a watchable sport, even if it was just because of the fierce rivalry between the great drivers of that era. Although they weren't Hunt and Lauda the head-to-head fights between Schumacher and Hakkinen are some of the most memorable Formula One moments. Bernie was too old-fashioned for the safety-conscious snowflakes who now run Formula One. They took control of the sport and turned it into Real Housewives of Monte Carlo. There are even talks about banning grid girls and champagne popping ceremonies at the podium, despite the new regulations regarding the closed cockpit and other nonsense. This is because they could offend four people who have a Twitter account.

F1 is your cause? It's very sad to all motorsport fans that neo-liberal politics has taken over formula 1. The massive decline in viewership has been seen across the sporting world (mainly basketball and american football) and has now made it's way to motorsport. Writing this reminds me of how enjoyable watching Formula 1 used to be just a few years ago when it provided an escape from the real world for a few hours every weekend. Now, just like with Hollywood and every other sport, politicians have tried to insert their views where they don't belong.