Why is Motorsport Largely Ignored by the Rest of the Sports World?

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Robin

Robin

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I was just watching 'A Question of Sport' which is a sport quiz with teams of people who 'know about sport'.

Ask any question about the most obscure sports even regarding events 50 years ago and they are likely to get it but why is it when they ask any motorsport question they always get it wrong. That's if they even bother to ask a related question in the first place.

They showed a picture of Adrian Sutil in his Force India get up and simply asked who is this.... 3 wrong answers they gave! all of whom don't even drive for that team :lol:

And then there's other examples like the news, they will dedicate hours a week to all sports bar F1 which gets a 3 minute mention at the end of the night.

It seems motorsport is always entirely separate from the rest of the sporting world, people who claim to be great at general knowledge in sport will likely know nothing about motorsport.

And even personally, most of my mates who are mad about 'normal' sports will say motorsport is boring and they don't know anything about it. Its like the motorsport enthusiast is like an entirely different breed not compatible with the rest of the sport loving public :lol:

Why is it like this? I've noticed it for ages. Is it because the participants don't actually move under their own power that most are not interested?

Robin.
 
It takes a lot more time and effort to get into motorsports. As for basketball and football, there is alot of action going on and its easy to pick up.
 
People have a vision that Motorsport is elitist and only for those who are rich, and people with the best car win. Unlike football, rugby, cricket where it is solely the person / people involved.

What annoys me more is that people think F1 is "motorsport". There's a consensus I think that F1 is it, nothing else matters. Then when F1 turns out to be a bore, people switch off as they think "that's it".
 
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Also motorsport isn't recognised as a "sport" by people more interested in football/rugby and the such. Its just a hobby. People either get it or they don't, we do they don't. No matter what you say to them they don't get it, I have given up trying with my mates.
 
I agree with MrMulsanne.

I once had an argument with my friend regarding of this issue. He said Motorsport is not a sport because it's simply driving a car, and you just race it... But the fact is that motorsport athletes are among the fittest athletes on earth. I hate these kind of people that doesn't want to accept facts....

I've also given up tyring to explain this to my friend, he's a big fan of football anyway. They just simply don't understand what's behind motorsports.
 
Be thankful you get the three minutes mate. Here we really only get any sort of coverage on the news is if there has been a crash.
On our news services we get nothing of WRC, the 24hr races, this even when David Brabham won last years Le Mans 24hr...

When, on our "sports channel" (gentle euphamism) ;) we get coverage that is sub par, as far as motorsport goes, by people that have absolutely no idea about the sport.

Saying that, on the station that shows our local V8 series, the commentary is in particular quite excellent. Knowlageble, informative and at times quite funny. There is a light at the end of the tunnel it would seem. :D
 
nk4e
It takes a lot more time and effort to get into motorsports. As for basketball and football, there is alot of action going on and its easy to pick up.
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I think this plays a huge role, it really does take a little digging to realize what makes motorsport interesting, most people think it's just about the crashes.

MrMulsanne
What annoys me more is that people think F1 is "motorsport". There's a consensus I think that F1 is it, nothing else matters. Then when F1 turns out to be a bore, people switch off as they think "that's it".
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Would rather have that happen than what it's like here, people know NASCAR, that's it, they also think every single person that watches it is a redneck with no exceptions and they don't even bother trying to get into it. Yet, they watch the NFL....
 
Mostly due to the ignorance that is "race car drivers aren't athletes" and "it takes no skill to drive a race car".
 
GTPorsche
Mostly due to the ignorance that is "race car drivers aren't athletes" and "it takes no skill to drive a race car".
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You have to hear people down here. Down here the biggest sports are football, meaning soccer if you're American, and of course, track and field. I'm one in a million, being an avid Formula 1 fan. It annoys the life out of me when people don't think F1 is hard, or that Formula 1 drivers are some of the most fit men on Earth, and are surely more fit than those overpaid ball kickers they brag about called footballers.
 
I think it's because of what some people see when they watch it. When you're watching football or hockey, you see all the athletes getting into it, and there's some action going on. Motorsport, in it's most simplest terms, is driving a car around a track for a couple of hours. So some can't feel as "intimate" (can't think of a better word) to motorsport compared to other sports.

Of course, this is just my take on it.
 
Another thing is the technological factor weighs a lot in motorsport, if you don't have the right car you can't win unless in exceptional circumstances, that's a fact. However all other form of sport are progressively getting more scientific and tech related it is not that valid an argument anymore, say swimming suit technology, archery equipment etc.

Most of the people I know do acknowledge the difficulty of driving a car fast though.
 
I think the main reason motorsport isn't popular is that it is difficult to get involved. If you look at the most popular sports in the world, nearly all of them are sports that the average child can play even just outside their house with some mates. Motorsport, just like sports like skiing or snowboarding, requires specific circumstances and unlike those two sports it requires a lot of money (or at least, a lot more money) to get involved.

So the majority of people very easily grow up never being involved in motorsport and so obviously have less of a personal interest than in say football, basketball, athletics or whatever.

I don't think there is anyway to improve this, I fear motorsport will always be stuck as an "obscure" sport. Unless there is a way to make motorsport far, far cheaper and to somehow get it into schools. But seeing as you always need a car/kart and a track to race on, its inevitable that motorsport will always be at least more expensive than every other sport out there.
 
I actually quite like Jeremy Clarkson's take on what constitutes a sport.

If you can easily play it in jeans, trainers and a t-shirt, then it's a hobby, not a sport. Motorsport, cricket, football, ice hockey etc - all sports. Golf, darts, tiddlywinks - not sports.

As for why motorsport isn't given as much time as tedious sports like tennis, I'd concur with Ardius. Most people will never get to drive a racing car (many not even a go-kart), but everyone can kick a ball around the playground at school. The cheaper and easier it is to participate then the wider-reaching a sport will be.
 
homeforsummer
I actually quite like Jeremy Clarkson's take on what constitutes a sport.

If you can easily play it in jeans, trainers and a t-shirt, then it's a hobby, not a sport. Motorsport, cricket, football, ice hockey etc - all sports. Golf, darts, tiddlywinks - not sports.

As for why motorsport isn't given as much time as tedious sports like tennis, I'd concur with Ardius. Most people will never get to drive a racing car (many not even a go-kart), but everyone can kick a ball around the playground at school. The cheaper and easier it is to participate then the wider-reaching a sport will be.
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If that said, is competitive video gaming a sport?
 
Considering half the "sports" in the olympics are a bore...yet they get more coverage and highlights over the few months they're in town for the summer games than most motorsports do in a year. ESPN loves to talk about nascar now due to the following it has, and I think the aspect that turns people off is the technical side. Most aren't willing to invest time about learning how the cars work in a simple way, or what does what. Yet when it comes to the technical parts of American Football (which I know very well, like racing) that is widely accepted. I mean try to learn the rules and what not for all of Basketball and Football (american) and you'll see it is just as hard sometimes. Also not to be too mean but the same people don't understand basic physics behind racing, like g force on the human body which is something quite tough for all drivers. These are also the same people that most of them don't know how to change a tire, oil, airfilter, brake pads, and spark plugs or use the argument that a car is only meant for point a to point b. Motor racing especially the top tiers are fun to watch cause many drivers put their life on the edge with the car, I mean look at this years 24h Le Mans with the R18s. There is no more real sport than Auto racing, I mean yes others can be dangerous, but Auto Racing is a constant danger and deserves more light but also should be recognized for the raw skill it takes to push a machine like that to the limit
 
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MrMulsanne
What annoys me more is that people think F1 is "motorsport". There's a consensus I think that F1 is it, nothing else matters. Then when F1 turns out to be a bore, people switch off as they think "that's it".
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This is the problem, F1 in Britain is popular now since Hamilton and Button started winning but if you asked the average person in the street they would have no idea of any other series', they probably don't even know some of the midfield runners in F1 (1 lap qualifying coming back would help this and give sponsors more coverage). With the other series' I think the problem is TV coverage (In Britain at least) with most series' on pay TV or with nothing at all, however some series' have great coverage but don't get wider acknowledgment like BTCC. I think motorsport will stay a specialist sport (for participants and spectators) until they understand what is going on without a clear league structure like their is in football..
 
In all truth, it was somewhat specialised. You can't just go to town and get a car and some mates for a race, like you can for a game of football. It requires that much organisation and set up.

What annoys me more is that only the accidents make the news, cue "ooooohhhh look!!!" replays (Mike Conway at Indy 2010, and McNish at Le Mans this year spring to mind) from the BBC and other companies.

This general attitude I suppose is a reason the BBC have canned (partially) F1. It's too elitist for the people who want cricket, golf and tennis and are sick of it going to Sky, Eurosport and co.

(Not mentioning BBC are to be called to Parliament to explain their decision)
 
Well I know one reason, coz I get a lot of this at Uni/College and even at School:

People think Motorsport (Mainly F1 and Rally) is not a sport, because any tom dick and harry can do it. Which of course is not true. But I think because they can't try it themselves, like they can with almost every other sport, they don't know what it's like. One things for sure, everyone seems to think that the drivers are not fit or anything. They don't see why they need to be fitter than footballers to drive Rally and F1 cars...
 
MrMulsanne
In all truth, it was somewhat specialised. You can't just go to town and get a car and some mates for a race, like you can for a game of football. It requires that much organisation and set up.

What annoys me more is that only the accidents make the news, cue "ooooohhhh look!!!" replays (Mike Conway at Indy 2010, and McNish at Le Mans this year spring to mind) from the BBC and other companies.

This general attitude I suppose is a reason the BBC have canned (partially) F1. It's too elitist for the people who want cricket, golf and tennis and are sick of it going to Sky, Eurosport and co.

(Not mentioning BBC are to be called to Parliament to explain their decision)
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See but the accidents should not gain a thrill from people and be like the crappy gun fights of an poor drawn action movie. Accidents should remind a rational persons who may fall into watching a race, that this sport is quite real and people still die from racing accidents. Also I agree, but don't see why? Golf and Tennis for starters tend to be elitist as well, most people think of those and see the rich house wife with nothing better to do. Or rich parents starting their children from a young age because they claim to be prodigies of the sport. I find those two more so elitist and boring than F1.
 
The thing with golf though, is that you can still wander off to a local park and play some pitch and putt or even crazy golf for £5 or whatever.
Its only the proper clubs that are membership and even those have cheaper ones or less "elitist" ones.

Golf is nothing like motorsport - which is why it too is also more popular..its cheaper and more accessible.

Again, I don't think its anything to do with motorsport's image. Its to do with how inaccessible and expensive it is. People don't care about motorsport because they think its just rich people - its because they have never had a direct involvement and so find it harder to really relate to it. Its easier to relate to Golf because chances are most people have tried their hand at it at some point, even if its just crazy golf.
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
See but the accidents should not gain a thrill from people and be like the crappy gun fights of an poor drawn action movie. Accidents should remind a rational persons who may fall into watching a race, that this sport is quite real and people still die from racing accidents. Also I agree, but don't see why? Golf and Tennis for starters tend to be elitist as well, most people think of those and see the rich house wife with nothing better to do. Or rich parents starting their children from a young age because they claim to be prodigies of the sport. I find those two more so elitist and boring than F1.
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Agreed. It's just that is what always makes the headlines, never a great come back drive, hell a british win rarely makes it. However those things are what the wider public sort of envisage, fast cars, big crashes, lot's of "spectatle" for them in that. And everyone, whether it be a F1 nut or BTCC fan always likes to see the odd spin or bit of contact, but they appreciate it's part of the action and lure, not all of it.
 
Robin.
I was just watching 'A Question of Sport' which is a sport quiz with teams of people who 'should know about their own sport'.
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Fixed for you. QoS is a "sports quiz" with teams of sports people who know sod all about sports other than their own. Sports folk are very introverted. If it's not their sport, they're not interested, or they're out training all the time so it's all they can do to keep up with their own sport.
 
I wouldn't say Motorsport is a proper sport...
You don't get any exercise by driving.Football is a sport and probably the best sport. :lol:
 
I shall defer to Ernest Hemmingway:

"There are only three sports; bullfighting, mountain climbing, and motor racing. All the rest are merely games."
 
keldabest13
I wouldn't say Motorsport is a proper sport...
You don't get any exercise by driving.Football is a sport and probably the best sport. :lol:
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I can't decide if you're just trolling, or ignorant.

If one doesn't get exercise by driving, why do top-level race drivers lose several pounds of fluids over a two or three hour race? For that matter, have you ever been on a track and driven properly fast? Even basic road cars can wear you out. The steering gets much, much more difficult to turn at very high speeds as the tires load, even with power steering.

Lateral Gee-forces in a race car often exceed two or three times one's body weight - and don't forget competitive air racing and aerobatics, which not only counts as a motorsport, but can exceed TEN times gravity. Off-road racing throws jarring bumps into the mix, and then you get into motorcycles which requires you shift weight, and, in the event of off-road motorcycle racing, act as part of the suspension.

Then there's the heat - even with suit cooling systems on top-level cars, you end up rather hot and uncomfortable from the fact that the car's typically not or very poorly air conditioned, lightened in the pursuit of speed. You have to wear a helmet which feels like an extra ten pounds on your head when you drive into a corner, and your neck muscles get a major workout. Not to mention all that padding and the fireproof suit gets hot, hence the aforementioned suit cooling. Some front-engine cars also radiate heat from the exhaust underneath the floorboards - NASCAR cars used to get so hot that a couple drivers burned their feet on the footwells during a race.
 
Motorsport is a genre of sport, like Football is a Ball game. Motorsport encompasses a wide range of disciplines - from the likes of F1 to WRC, and NASCAR to LMS, and Drag racing to Truck Racing. It is unfortunate that the "pinnacle" of motorsport, and therefore the one that (outside of the US) gets the most coverage, happens to be one of the duller forms of motorsport.

Motorsport is without a decent national based competition - look at most other sports, even non-fans get behind their national teams, you don't get that so much in motorsport because the teams nationality is always questionable.

It is a little less accessible, for example it is not taught in schools!

There is less of it.. how many footall matches take place each week? hundreds.. how many races? a handful.

It is covered less, which means people are less aware, and therefore less interested.


.. and lets be honest,... it can be quite dull sometimes, and during these lulls, it's not easy to see how hard the drivers are working.

As a spectator event, smells and sounds aside, it isn't brilliant if you are at the venue.. the view afforded by many tracks isn't great. I'm pretty sure motorsport would be more popular in this country, if the pinnacle event of the year wasn't processional open-wheel racing at a big flat windy airfield.

Just my two cents, I'm typing as I'm thinking, not really making a case one way or another... but either way, I prefer all motorsports to watching scumfootball.
 

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