If the MotoGP season kickoff is any indication, then Formula 1 may also be off to a successful start.
When both leagues announced plans for a 2025 season opening event last year, it was greeted with some skepticism, particularly from the media and team officials, as to whether it would be worthwhile.
MotoGP has announced its plans first, confirming that the event will take place in Bangkok before the season opener in Thailand, whereas F1 has chosen to hold its launch event at the O2 Arena in London next Tuesday, a week before testing in Bahrain.
There were understandable worries that organizing a single event for all teams might result in smaller teams missing out on media attention, potentially less than what they would have received if they had launched on separate days.
Logistically speaking, traveling to a location, whether it's Bangkok or London, a short time before the actual event or test would also create some inconvenience for travel arrangements.
However, assuming the F1 launch event is as well-received as the one last Sunday in Thailand, then all the hardship would be justified.
Jack Miller, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Dorna
The MotoGP launch wasn't without its flaws. There was limited time for a test run, and this was evident at times, with riders being hastily moved from one location to another in full view of the TV cameras.
One of the event's hosts, a DJ named Piyawat Kempetch, read from a notepad to deliver his opening lines and at one point referred to the MotoGP bikes as a "bicycle", which was quite amusing.
Following an incident involving a test in Malaysia.
However, what it lacked in a polished presentation it compensated for with an abundance of color and personality - and at its core were the riders.
The scene was filled with smoke-filled burnouts, deafening revving of each new MotoGP motorcycle and numerous interactions with enthusiastic fans who had crowded the streets.
and Motorsport.com.
Bicycles on their way to the launch site
Photo by: MotoGP
Feedback from riders indicates that they were initially hesitant to accept the new season, but overall, they found it exciting and were fully supportive of the launch.
It is now up to F1's drivers to follow suit. It is unavoidable that some will express opposition to the London event being so close to testing and another 24-race season, but this promotion is what is needed to maintain that level of interest and keep the series in the public eye.
MotoGP's riders were open to this and acutely aware of the series' efforts to expand, especially under Liberty Media's impending ownership.
Formula One's stars are now also required to participate. Indeed, it's a day in London where they likely would prefer to be elsewhere, but those drivers, teams, and some sections of the media need to understand that this is the exact event Formula One and MotoGP should be hosting to engage with new audiences and across various platforms.
This is about bringing motorsport off the track and into city centers and attempting to tap into a newer and younger demographic. And that is something everyone should accept, rather than criticize.
In essence, it now falls to F1 to strike the right chord and produce an event that effectively targets the audience they are trying to attract.
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