With the vast improvements in car reliability and performance over the years, I have long pondered the following question: Why are race distances frequently shorter now than in earlier years?
Most Formula 1 races now are approx. 200 miles in length. The 1954 British GP, held at Silverstone, was approx 264 miles long, and that was fairly typical of the time. With the car improvements over the years, shouldn't the races be longer now than they were then rather than shorter?
The same trend is found in the WRC, where the "special stages" of today are roughly half as long as in the 80s!
Is the reduction due to catering to television's demands, the reduced attention spans of today's fans or some other reason. I truly cannot fathom a sensible reason for the trend.
Most Formula 1 races now are approx. 200 miles in length. The 1954 British GP, held at Silverstone, was approx 264 miles long, and that was fairly typical of the time. With the car improvements over the years, shouldn't the races be longer now than they were then rather than shorter?
The same trend is found in the WRC, where the "special stages" of today are roughly half as long as in the 80s!
Is the reduction due to catering to television's demands, the reduced attention spans of today's fans or some other reason. I truly cannot fathom a sensible reason for the trend.