How part of F1’s future lies in its past

There is a grave danger of living in the past, no less in motorsport and Formula 1 than in life in general. After all, so many of the hamfisted rule changes designed to 'spice up the show' in grand prix racing have been rooted in trying to recreate history.

Often, that history never really existed; at least, not outside of quickfire highlights reels and rose-tinted memories. But that's not to say history doesn't have a place in racing, and this is something that must be kept in mind in the emerging new era of F1.

Having spent time recently both at the Indianapolis 500 and at Silverstone for the remarkable Williams 40th anniversary celebration, I'm very clear on what role history can play in motorsport.

At Indianapolis, it's the traditions and the heritage that stand out. Everywhere you look, there's a legend of this form of racing. And every single one of them appears to have a clear understanding of the active role they play in continuing to keep the fire burning in the present.

The presence of, and the stories told by, the likes of Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, AJ Foyt, Rick Mears, Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser Jr - the list really is endless - imbue the event with an extra significance. Just like the tradition of the drinking of the milk in Victory Lane and the Memorial Day weekend race build-up, they are fixed points that give the race of today relevance.

That's why the Indy 500 isn't just another race. After all, there are other 500-mile races, but what really separates Indy is the history bound up in the place and the people. This year's winner, Takuma Sato, is clearly part of a lineage stretching all the way back to Ray Harroun and the Marmon Wasp. Without that history, it's just another race.

While last Friday's Williams event at Silverstone had no racing component, the fact that 50,000 fans took up the offer of free tickets tells you there is an appetite to revel in this kind of thing. Even when the showpiece 'exhibit' - a Williams-Renault FW14B that, save for a brief shakedown hadn't run for a quarter of a century - was delayed owing to the need to change the fuel tank, a huge contingent of fans hung around.

Karun Chandhok, former F1 driver and self-confessed 'superfan', was charged with driving the car. His feeling while behind the wheel sums up just why the day was so popular.

"The original plan was we'd do an install lap and maybe three fliers, but the people just loved seeing the car and Williams wanted to keep showing it," says Chandhok. "Paddy Lowe hung around taking pictures on his phone all day, like a kid!

"It was really emotional for me and a dream come true. I'm not normally particularly emotional when it comes to this stuff, but when I went down Hangar Straight the first time flat-chat, I had this memory of watching a [Nigel] Mansell onboard.

"The sound and the view are so familiar, and you have to look through the right-hand side of the cockpit because the centre of it was so high. I could hear Murray Walker in my head going 'Mansell heads down Hangar Straight'. It was a serious flashback moment."

Without that history, that context, Chandhok would have just been driving a racing car at another circuit. And the crowd wouldn't have been there to appreciate seeing it, and the memorable sight of it circulating together with 2014's Williams-Mercedes FW36.

So what does all of this tell us about today? Well, despite personally being always more interested in the future, and someone dubious about wallowing in the past, I see history playing two roles. Firstly, it's there to be learned from - for example, you can't really understand the modern world without understanding how it got there.

Secondly, and more relevantly to what we're discussing here, is the fact that the feeling of history is critical to keeping the fans interested. The word 'engagement' is very much de rigeur today, connected to social media and the quest for fan engagement. But much of that work is done for you by the history that exists. This is what F1 must play on.

Take the Monaco Grand Prix. Having attended it many times, there's a vague sense of history, of the black-and-white images of the past, of Monaco racing legend turned clerk of the course Louis Chiron prowling the pavements during the race. But for all that, the history isn't as present as it is at a race such as Indianapolis.

It certainly matters who wins Monaco, and in years to come Sebastian Vettel's victory this year will be just as relevant in the history books as Sato's at Indy. But there is a disconnect between Vettel and his predecessors - he doesn't feel like the direct successor of 'W Williams', winner of the first Monaco GP.

That effect isn't helped by the creation of a new podium, again a disconnect from the history of the race that makes it unique.

This is not an argument that nothing should ever change. A look back through my writings over the past decade or so makes very clear that I believe change is important. But the history should always be in the back of the mind. Not necessarily consciously thought about, but just that feeling that it matters that Vettel won the race because of Williams, Chiron, Graham Hill, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and all the other greats who have won in Monaco.

So how does the Formula One Group achieve this? There are some promising signs, including a recognition that while selling races to new countries at a high tariff is a good move business-wise - and as a whole the expansion of grand prix racing to new countries has been a positive over the past 20 years - it's important not to neglect the heartland.

With the French GP returning and races such as Portugal potentially on the horizon, there seems to be an understanding that you need to be in some way tethered to that history to avoid being cast adrift.

But there is more that can be done. It's always been disappointing how rare it is to see historic F1 cars running on grand prix weekends. It does happen, with events like the Grand Prix Masters series appearing and tracks sometimes putting on demo runs. But it should be a more regular part of the F1 undercard.

It's probably unrealistic to expect every single grand prix to be able to offer that, but what a wonderful way to offer better value to the fans in the grandstands. The reception the Williams FW14B got at Silverstone last week was great, but just imagine what would happen if it ran on the Saturday or Sunday of the British GP.

A good number of drivers and famous team personnel do a good job of giving their time to talk about the past and help to keep it alive that way. But look to Indianapolis and on the day before the race, when the current drivers attend an autograph session, and you'll also find some Indycar legends of the past there waiting to sign whatever is presented to them. So the people are an asset to be used as well.

This is how F1's ownership can keep hold of that history and use it to help keep a forward-looking and technological sport strong. But, of course, it would require some investment.

But without the history, what is grand prix racing? It's just another motorsport series. It's still immensely popular, and much of that fanbase will have been drawn in during their younger days. What better way to inspire interest in today than in playing to the 'child within'?

That was what was so wonderful about the Williams day. Speaking personally, I was only 12 when Mansell won the world championship, so to see that car on track was a reminder of the wonder and joy in becoming immersed in something like motorsport at a young age. Even for someone who still revels in grand prix racing today, it was a valuable reminder.

It's important to remember that, for most, motorsport is a diversion, a way to pass the time. The realities of life mean people have limited capacity to take an interest in what might be termed non-core activities, so to reawaken that passion of old, whatever era the fans grew up in, is a very effective way to ensure interest and to hang on to your fans.

Because the drivers of today, the Vettels, the Lewis Hamiltons, the Fernando Alonsos, are the direct descendents of the Clarks, the Jackie Stewarts, the Mansells, the Tazio Nuvolaris - whoever your favourites are.

No matter how much changes, racing is still racing. For F1 and any form of motorsport to thrive to its maximum potential, it's necessary to take some care to curate that history, and keep it alive.