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Is the newly announced ‘Overtake Award’ an addition truly set to captivate audiences or an unwelcomed gimmick that’s sole purpose is to increase income from sponsorship?
The newly developed accolade is sponsored by one of F1’s global partners Crypto.com, a cryptocurrency platform that is also the title sponsor of this year’s three Sprint Qualifying races.
When asked about the reasons behind the award’s introduction, the Director of Commercial Partnerships at Formula 1 said:
“The Crypto.com Overtake Award gives us the chance to celebrate drivers’ instincts to make bold and strategic moves which reflects the qualities needed when dealing in cryptocurrency.”
From the off, it’s difficult not to cringe at the comparison of overtaking at speed to dealing in cryptocurrency. In terms of being ‘bold’, those two situations couldn’t be further apart.
In one scenario drivers can be travelling at speeds well in excess of 180mph, pushing themselves and their car to the absolute limit of human physicality and mechanical engineering – putting their life on the line for victory.
Credit: Dan Istitene, Source: Getty
In the other scenario, you’re most likely sat down in the comfort of your office or living room, swiping through your phone scouring for another investment. Making risky ventures in crypto is a different type of boldness, but one that is incomparable to that of an F1 driver overtaking his rivals.
The ‘Overtake Award’ is set to be given to the driver who makes the most overtakes throughout the course of the season. It will certainly bring another exciting aspect to the season, but data regarding what would make an ‘overtake’ count towards a driver’s total tally has not been defined.
This leads to concerns regarding whether this award will actually be given to the driver who makes up the most places throughout the year, rather than actually overtaking on track.
You may think these are the same thing however, making up places would include: gaining a place over drivers who are out of the race and gaining places during pitstops – situations which do not reflect the ‘bold’ overtaking the award is searching for.
Credit: Bryn Lennon, Source: Getty
What is likely to be an unwelcomed feature to be introduced alongside the new award – more tv graphics will be interpreted into a races’ live broadcasting to keep viewers updated on who has the most overtakes and to indicate overtaking possibilities and potential moves.
During a season which has finally pushed the sport out of it’s ‘predictable’ and ‘boring’ reputation, the introduction of more unrequested graphics that aim to predict what is one of the sports most unpredictable and exciting aspects is a ridiculous step backwards.
The fact that Crypro.com will have their name slapped all over the award and it’s conjoining features suggests that it’s all a façade for F1 to gain more income through it’s sponsorship deals with the cryptocurrency brand.
Bringing more money into the sport is certainly a good thing for it’s financial longevity, yet is it worth it if it’s at the expense of the fan’s viewing experience?