F1 track action and hybrid engines at centre of new insider survey

The F1 Insider survey, published on Wednesday, is the first of its kind to look at the views of those who work in the paddock.

It drew anonymous responses from F1 teams, international brands and global media, with the aim of better understanding the views of those who follow the grand prix circus.

The survey was conducted by London-based F1 sponsorship experts Crunch Communications, who work with a number of high profile clients.

One of its key findings was looking at where those within the sport believed the biggest changes needed to come.

More than two-thirds of respondents wanted F1 to deliver better track action, with half saying they would like the sport to switch back to free-to-air TV.

In a separate question related to whether or not F1 was doing a good job in communicating the benefits of the hybrid engines, two thirds said it was not.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B

Photo by: Erik Junius

This view is in line with some F1 manufacturers who think that the sport missed an opportunity to better promote its green credentials when the new power units arrived in 2014.

COVID impact

While F1 managed to pull off a 17-race schedule last year and remains hopeful of running a full calendar this season, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is expected to be felt for some while.

One third of respondents thought it would take until at least next year for the sport’s commercial position to be back to what it was before COVID, while 44 percent thought it would take until 2023.

Peter Secchi, director and founder of Crunch which has made the survey freely available, said: “We were thrilled with the number of responses and are delighted to share the results. It is clear from these responses that we all care deeply about the sport and most of us are fans at heart.

“Teams, brands and media all played their part in shaping what is an over-riding message – that the sport it on the right path and the future is bright but creative and experienced hands are needed to deliver proper sponsorship activation.”

The full Survey can be found at: https://crunch.info/survey