Formula One And North America

 I think that I may have discovered why Formula One is not too popular in North America.  It is currently 11:30 pm here in Canada and I am trying to type fast as I have my bed side alarm set to go off and pull me out of my slumber in about 4 hours so I can catch the Malaysian Grand Prix Qualifying.

I am a huge fan and it kills me when I am not able to watch the race weekend live, to have to watch it repeated in the morning if I just couldn't keep myself awake or maybe slept through the alarm. I have a terrible routine in the morning that just need to be broken... My mornings consist of my checking the email, Twitter feed and Facebook page before pouring even my first cup of coffee. Not only is it a terrible way to wake up any given Sunday but to know what had happened and who had won before even hearing the engines fire up yourself on grid. Just plain silly.

It's like when your friend tells you the end of the film before you even enter the theater, what's the point? Why watch the first hour and a half if you know how it is going to end?

Back on point here... Many people in North America just are not 'fan enough' to set their alarm for such an ungodly hour to watch a race that they may have little knowledge on.  It is the true F1 fans that do this.We are the few Canadians and Americans that you can find mixed into the sea of tourists that fly over to watch the race in Montreal.

I know that Bernie is pushing to move a few of the races start times and also wanting to move a couple others completely as to accommodate Formula One's primary viewing audience in Europe. But it does not leave us here in North America much 'wiggle room'. Not sure that having the races start live at 1:55 is any better than 3:55....

If the times of the race weekends will not captivate the 345 million people in North America, maybe a more drastic measure will have to be taken.  It may take more than a pair of races that are going to be only a week or two apart.  Maybe even more than having a driver back in the paddock or a team based here.  There are so many fans here that just don't know that they love the sport yet. They need to be 'shown' the way.

So, Formula One, you are cordially invited back into my great country of Canada to introduce yourself and I can almost guaranty you that which ever team takes up my proposition, the fans are here, just waiting....