Windsor responds: Is Formula 1 a show or a sport?
F1 News
- GPblog.com
There was controversy surrounding incidents in Formula 1 several times last season. According to some experts and fans, the FIA did not consistently follow the rules in order to make the sport more exciting. Peter Windsor gives his opinion in a YouTube video: Is F1 a sport or a show?
"I think and I hope it's still a sport. It's an athletic sport." Windsor takes the example of the Covid crisis, in which F1 worked to share its technology with the rest of the world.
Yet there are also plenty of events that make the sport seem more like a show. "But of course it is also a show that thrives on money, actually needs money more than anything else in the world. It's a capital intensive sport and because of that we're constantly being bombarded with elements that would make it more of a show than a sport."
Abu Dhabi
A viewer from Windsor points to Abu Dhabi, where Michael Masi decided to restart the race on the final lap. Many fans believe that he did this to maintain the tension by not letting the race end behind the safety car. Lewis Hamilton ultimately lost the world championship as a result.
"There's no question that there are enough strings in Formula One technically, athletically, politically, ego-wise, money-wise for a number of puppet controllers to be able to pull those strings. That's why I think a lot of people would say it's a show, and it's not a pure sport", he responds pointing to the last race in Abu Dhabi.