Rewind to Formula 1's formative years, and it is easy to recognise when, why and how the flab developed. Generally recognised as the early- to mid-seventies, this period led to the rise of commercial sponsorship (primarily tobacco brands), influx and influence of motor manufacturers (led by Renault), growing interest from TV broadcasters beyond home races - and the rise of one Bernard Charles Ecclestone.
F1 never had it so good: on TV it was the only game in town Sundays post-lunch; fag companies, increasingly hit by advertising restrictions, threw millions at anything that moved; Renault upped the ante, leading with a full-blown PR/media charge; and Ecclestone entrepreneurially led F1's expansion across the globe off the back of the James Hunt/Niki Lauda rivalry that captivated hordes of new fans to the east and west of F1's heartland.
Promoters, hit by increasing hosting fees, marketed the franchise in their own territories; TV broadcasters (ditto) plugged upcoming events; and entertainment junkets precipitated the introduction of pampered global hospitality at eye-watering cost.