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Former Mercedes CEO Nick Fry claims that F1 needs to figure out ways to restore interest in the sport as there has been a clear decline in viewing numbers. The sport received a major boost in viewership numbers and following in 2021 when a title battle went right down to the wire.
The 2021 F1 season saw Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen battle it out for the title as for the first time in seven years, Mercedes was subjected to a consistent and relentless challenge. The season was controversial, action-packed, and had plenty of moments that made headlines. By the time it was done, the rivalry had transcended the sport and reached mainstream.
With even World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Tyson Fury sending his best wishes to both drivers before the last race, the finale had reached an unparalleled peak that had not been seen before.
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However, since 2021, Mercedes has faltered and whittled away from the sharp end of the grid with Red Bull taking over. 2022 and 2023 are arguably two of the most dominating seasons by a driver with Max Verstappen winning 15 races in 2022 and 19 races in 2023.
The one-sided predictable dominance has hampered the fan interest and former Mercedes CEO Nick Fry claims that the sport needs to reverse the slide. Talking to OLBG, he said:
“Formula 1 has had a great run over the last few years and Netflix has massively helped that. I do, however, think the sport needs to come up with more variations beyond the location. The viewing figures are going down without a doubt, especially in the US, and they need to figure out ways to restore them."
He added:
“People are hoping that someone can challenge Red Bull and Max Verstappen. It would be great for the sport if someone could, but if it doesn’t, they’ll have to find other ways of making it interesting. Formula 1 is trying to compete for the public’s time on a Sunday afternoon and they have plenty of other things to do, particularly in the summer."
Former Mercedes CEO proposes sporting regulations change
The former Mercedes CEO also proposed changes to the sporting regulations. Just like the qualifying format which has a knockout system in place, Fry advocated introducing something similar for the race to make things more interesting. He said:
“My view is that F1 has to do it through the sporting regulations. That means the format of the race and the number of pit stops, the way you use your tyres, and so on. I don’t know what the answer is, but I think it’s in that area."
He added:
“The solutions have to be fairly radical. Think back to some of the interesting steps that have been made, like the knockout qualifying format. That was actually developed by the teams during the threatened breakaway in 2009."
The last two seasons have seen Red Bull dominate as Mercedes struggled with the regulations. There's certainly a question of what could happen if we have another year of dominance.
