In a perfect world the Le Mans 24 Hours – the greatest sportscar race on earth – would never clash with a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Not that I’d expect many drivers (if any) to contest both but even worse is the fact that Baku F1 qualifying starts at exactly the same time as the Tricolore drops at Le Mans. And then the F1 race start is three hours earlier on Sunday, so it occurs during the final hours of Le Mans – to me, that shows a staggering lack of imagination. It follows on from last weekend’s IndyCar/NASCAR Sunday start time clash in America, and makes you wonder if the people organizing the sport actually want motorsport fans to watch it or not? Or perhaps they so desperate to cling to their existing audience that they’re willing to provide a barrier to potential new ones… Surely we can do better than this? By: Charles Bradley, Global Editor in Chief Motorsport.com |