Greater Interactivity Is Missing From Formula One.

Formula One has evolved greatly in terms of the cars—from the time when they looked like drag racers to having wings implemented and so on.

This season plans to bring a simpler design to increase the entertainment after years of aerodynamic modification.

However, one area that Formula One has remained stagnant is the issue of interactivity between the fan and the sport.

I will concede here that the look on TV of the sport as well as some of the new graphics that have been implemented since 2005 give it a more clean and streamlined look. Apart from that, the amount of interaction between fan and the sport itself has been very limited.

During a race for example, the closest you can get to watching an F1 race online and legally is by watching the live timing and reading the commentary.

In comparison, NASCAR has implemented a Trackpass program where you can listen to radio transmissions between driver and team as well as some pretty neat graphics that have the potential of being used in F1. It is a paid program, but not overly expensive to use.

You look at other motorsports and see that there is a certain level of interactivity—not necessarily a high level, but a level nonetheless—whereas with Formula One, you can get the same results but only if you have a VIP pass or resort to a less than legal method online.

I believe that FOM has the money to invest in a sort of program where the hardcore fans can have a chance to watch video behind the scenes or maybe have a panoramic image where they can move around, etc. and get big returns on it.

Some teams have already taken the initiative like McLaren, Ferrari, Renault, BMW-Sauber and Red Bull.

They have opened YouTube channels with interesting videos from time to time. It brings more fans to the team and more money. As well as putting up videos online, fans have a chance to comment on the videos and interact with each other in a way that could only have been achieved if they all went to a GP together.

We, the people of Generation Y, are a more tech savvy and tech hungry generation than any of our predecessors.

We crave a higher level of interactivity on our connections and gadgets. We also have more disposable income in comparison to previous generations and yet, FOM appears to be ignoring this demographic.

Why?