Zetsche: TV must not be F1's only platform

Oct.5 - Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche has called on formula one to up its game in the 21st century.

Currently dominating the sport with its Mercedes team, Zetsche says the German giant is experiencing "enormous growth" in the realm of the internet.

"In contrast," he told the publication Deutsche Unternehmerborse, "television is struggling in its attractiveness as a medium, even though there has rarely been so much overtaking and battling on the track.

"TV cannot be the sole or primary platform," Zetsche argued.

He says F1 must instead embrace the digital world and develop "interactive" strategies, arguing that the change of direction embraced by the horse show in Aachen is a good model.

"In the dressage," said Zetsche, "you can as a spectator write a review with your smartphone or tablet, which is fun because you are not simply passive."

He said "one example" is that fans could vote in real time for a team to make a pitstop, adding: "With these new digital platforms, interactions need to be developed, as we (F1) are enormously behind."

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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