yes and no. This is true for the Paddock Club but quite the opposite for the Paddock, which is a workspace. I personally do not enjoy how it's being used almost as a zoo these days. When in reality it's merely a workplace, and the people working there absolutely got there on merit.
That’s fair, the Paddock itself is a workspace and merit-based.
I was thinking more about how the surrounding ecosystem has evolved, where access, sponsorship, and experience start to overlap with that space. That tension is probably where the friction comes from.
Excellent piece Toni - after working as a broadcast journalist for many years you can almost hear the eye rolls at the track.
But that behind the scenes access and aspirational content has been a key factor in F1’s radical success over the last decade. It’s brilliantly targeted and F1 is a poster child for other sports.
Seeing the same thing at the Australian Open this year. The same year they smashed all records and even had attendance of 250,000 for the qualifying week BEFORE the tournament.
More sports organisations need to think this way - especially in competitive sports markets like Australia.
The part that stands out is realizing the paddock was never meant to be a merit-based space in the first place.
It’s structured around visibility and distribution.
Once you see it that way, a lot of the frustration feels misdirected.
yes and no. This is true for the Paddock Club but quite the opposite for the Paddock, which is a workspace. I personally do not enjoy how it's being used almost as a zoo these days. When in reality it's merely a workplace, and the people working there absolutely got there on merit.
That’s fair, the Paddock itself is a workspace and merit-based.
I was thinking more about how the surrounding ecosystem has evolved, where access, sponsorship, and experience start to overlap with that space. That tension is probably where the friction comes from.
Excellent points. As always
Nicely put.
Excellent piece Toni - after working as a broadcast journalist for many years you can almost hear the eye rolls at the track.
But that behind the scenes access and aspirational content has been a key factor in F1’s radical success over the last decade. It’s brilliantly targeted and F1 is a poster child for other sports.
Seeing the same thing at the Australian Open this year. The same year they smashed all records and even had attendance of 250,000 for the qualifying week BEFORE the tournament.
More sports organisations need to think this way - especially in competitive sports markets like Australia.