I caught the end of Monday's Sprint Cup race in Chicago via the Internet and I must say it's way better than watching it on regular television, even on specialized channels.
With the Chase kicking off, NASCAR officials unlocked the signal of their Race Buddy microsite – the equivalent of IndyCar's Race Control – which allows fans to choose what they want to see on the screen. There are usually fees involved, but this time, I happily had access to the microsite and followed the last minutes of action (the race had been postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain).
The menu features, among other things, 360-degree video, a comment mosaic, a live leader board and live radio conversations between drivers and their crew chiefs.
I happened to see several drivers coast for half of each lap in order to save fuel and get to the finish line. I also heard their spotters and crew chiefs alert them about other drivers' positions and provide fuel consumption numbers.
IndyCar's Race Control works about the same way, but it does not offer such advanced features. Too bad.
And what is Formula 1 waiting for? This is 2011, for God's sake!
I perfectly understand that it's all about money and commercial rights. Networks that broadcast F1 races pay astronomical sums and must abide by extremely-strict conditions to have access to video. They're no doubt wary of anything that might cost them some viewers.
However, you have to admit that it would be much easier to follow a Grand Prix with this type of broadcast. In Belgium, for instance, everyone would have known from the start that the Red Bull drivers had to spare their tires due to the significant camber angle of the front suspension. We would have understood why Adrian Newey, the Chief Designer of the RB7, seemed so relieved at the end of the race! Likewise, some of the team decisions during a Grand Prix would make more sense to casual viewers.
It's one of the key improvements that always come out of fan forums held by the FOTA. ''Better use of the Internet'' has been requested thousands of times. Will Bernie Ecclestone and his gang wake up and realize that they need to take the sport into the 21st century?
With the Chase kicking off, NASCAR officials unlocked the signal of their Race Buddy microsite – the equivalent of IndyCar's Race Control – which allows fans to choose what they want to see on the screen. There are usually fees involved, but this time, I happily had access to the microsite and followed the last minutes of action (the race had been postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain).
The menu features, among other things, 360-degree video, a comment mosaic, a live leader board and live radio conversations between drivers and their crew chiefs.
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| Photo: Jad Sherif |
I happened to see several drivers coast for half of each lap in order to save fuel and get to the finish line. I also heard their spotters and crew chiefs alert them about other drivers' positions and provide fuel consumption numbers.
IndyCar's Race Control works about the same way, but it does not offer such advanced features. Too bad.
And what is Formula 1 waiting for? This is 2011, for God's sake!
I perfectly understand that it's all about money and commercial rights. Networks that broadcast F1 races pay astronomical sums and must abide by extremely-strict conditions to have access to video. They're no doubt wary of anything that might cost them some viewers.
However, you have to admit that it would be much easier to follow a Grand Prix with this type of broadcast. In Belgium, for instance, everyone would have known from the start that the Red Bull drivers had to spare their tires due to the significant camber angle of the front suspension. We would have understood why Adrian Newey, the Chief Designer of the RB7, seemed so relieved at the end of the race! Likewise, some of the team decisions during a Grand Prix would make more sense to casual viewers.
It's one of the key improvements that always come out of fan forums held by the FOTA. ''Better use of the Internet'' has been requested thousands of times. Will Bernie Ecclestone and his gang wake up and realize that they need to take the sport into the 21st century?