08 May 2023 , 06:25
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On the weekend of King Charles III's Coronation, Formula 1 tried to create some pomp and pageantry of its own across the pond. Tried, and failed.
The pre-race procedure was changed so that the drivers could be introduced to the fans WWE style, but all it served to do was to deliver a flying elbow to the face of those who tune into the F1 for one reason – to watch some racing.
Given its soaring popularity in the States, a certain amount of Americanisation is the be expected. And there's nothing wrong with change – so long as it serves a purpose and actually improves the product.
But there was nothing tangible on show as the Miami race desperately tried to live up to its own hype. Will.I.Am produced a song, for some reason, while rapper LL Cool J was brought in to MC the drivers' introduction, which had all the production value of a high school talent show.
And this was after a promo video featuring actors Vin Diesel – or Vin Biofuel, as Sky Sports presenter Simon Lazenby now calls him – and Michelle Rodriguez hyping up the event. It couldn't have been more obvious that it was nothing more than a marketing stunt for their movie Fast X, which just happens to be releasing later this month.
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Of course, established motorsport fans are not the target audience for all these gimmicks. These were purely attempts to keep the new Drive to Survive fans and TikTok followers somewhat invested in what was going on.
But F1 needs to realise that it cannot lose sight of the fact that its core fanbase remains vital to its future. After all, there is no guarantee that the bubble won't burst.
All these new fans are here for now, and that is fantastic. But there's every chance they may lose interest in a few years' time and F1 will be back to square one. Except, if it has alienated some of its longer-term fans in the process, it will be in a situation even more dire than before.
And the frustrating part is that, of all races, Miami is one of the ones which doesn't need all these off-putting innovations. The celebrity guestlist was a mile long and it's hard to understand how organisers didn't think the spectacular setting of the paddock in the middle of the Hard Rock Stadium was eye-catching enough.
The results of F1's efforts to capture a new audience over the last few years are to be applauded and celebrated. But now there is a new task ahead – it must avoid shooting itself in the foot.