[Magazines] Future of Motorsport Magazines

[Born Racer]

After buying the magazine for many years, I haven't been getting Autosport in recent months. This is not so much the fault of the magazine, as my needs being satisfied by the internet such as Autosport's own website.

[Gaz]

I've not bought Motorsport News for ages as I think it far too thin and full of caravan racing or something equally bizarre but I thought I'd nip down and get it today as I presumed it would have a nice big preview of the British F3/GT Championship seen as it gets underway this weekend. Well what a shock, it seems thinner than ever and the F3/GT preview is just a couple of interviews rammed onto two pages but the amount of writing could easily fit onto one!

I thought MN had moved away from International racing to focus on National racing? Surely 4-5 pages should have been given to preview the second biggest motorsport package in Britain. More space is given to absolute grassroots rallying than top level racing in Britain. I remember the days not so long ago when we had a two page preview before every round which was informative and well worth the cover price alone. Its a real crying shame when they have some excellent writers who just aren't given opportunity to write. Needless to say I didn't buy it and won't be buying it!

[eddsc]

Paying writers for in-depth, lengthy copy is rather expensive though, isn't it? Large photographs are rather cheaper, I believe.

The letters page in last week's Autosport must be a bit of a concern: generally 'sarcy' and negative about F1, which is hardly surprising. My newsagent tells me that last week's pre-Australian GP issue sold out, but the previous week's 'bumper/ultimate' F1 season guide issue didn't. What does that suggest about current Autosport readers' needs?

[bella]

Originally Posted by eddsc

What does that suggest about current Autosport readers' needs?

that people all ran out of toilet paper at once, and the corner shop had run out?

[chunder]

Interetsing attitudes shown to non RAC racing in MN, I am one of the people who was writing about so called "caravan racing". I presume you mean stuff that goes round oval tracks and results in the best racing seen in this country for years?

Or do you mean racing with 5 people watching and dominated by the bloke that spends the most money I wonder.

Anyway, the real point is MN have tried very hard to change their readerships by covering different disciplines of motorsport. Oval racing worked for a while, then karting really boosted their readership when AS dropped it.

I do think its on the slide now however, real shame as in the late eighties early nineties it was undoubtedly the best motorsport publication in the UK, great writers, huge word counts to get the most detailed information. And a great price to keep readers buying it.

[old man]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

It might have done but strangely the copy I read had only five pages in the preview.

I have come back to this section of 10/10ths to see if anything was said about the 2008 reporting of sports and GT racing and find we are again lamenting the performance of what for over 40 years was my favourite magazine, I have copies going back 30 even now (sad old git!).

Graham is quite correct 5 pages not 8 in the preview and the report was pathetic so far as GT classes were concerned despite Andrew's promise to review the template over the closed season. About 400 words only after 12 hours racing, no in depth technical comment, not a single word about many cars including Lord Drayson who got 2 full pages in the Sunday Times but nothing in Autosport.

DSC and circuit/series websites give us fantastic detail instantly and Andrew must find more sports/GT and other in depth subjects if he is to keep the thing going. I know, he has tried all manner of things over the winter but now that the F1 season is underway he will not have the space and Sports/GT will again be squeezed.

I suppose I only buy it because I have always done so since about 1956 (but it has not been a favoirite for a long time!)

[ffracer]

I've read this thread, especially the post from the Editor of Autosport, and I now can't take it any more, and I'm mad as hell.

Come on guys: what's the audience and opportunity for a motorsports weekly in the UK?
- tens of thousands of competitors, officials and marshals, supporters, motorsport industry workers, and last but by no means least, informed fans
- a multi million pound motorsport industry (multi billion pound?)
- the highest density of motorsport venues and events of any country in the world (I think)

It is not the casual F1 fan (I think I'm going to be sick)

What is needed:

- a weekly newspaper/magazine which runs informed reports, and in-depth features covering all aspects of motorsport, primarily in this country: ie Racing, sprinting, hillclimbs, rallying (stage and road), autotests, trials, karting, ovals, drag etc etc plus marshalling, organising...
- if you want an indication of the reporting standard that the audience wants, take a look at www.ff1600.co.uk where Ian Sowman demonstrated exactly what standard can be achieved (he couldn't make it work on the web with only ff1600 competitors as an audience, but I'm talking about a huge national sport here)
- include industry news, business, careers, recruitment; and of course classified ads at a realistic price

UK motorsport is huge, its exciting, people want to read about it. Let's get (back) to the situation where question 1 among motorsport people is "have you seen this week's Autosport/Motoring News yet?"

Call yourselves journalists? Get on with it!

[Knowlesy]

I finally cancelled my autosport a couple of weeks back. I do not need it any more. It is utter toss.

As for the old issues I have, I will probably cut out the articles I like and file them (which will probably entail keeping all the issues from the 80's to the late nineties and chucking the rest away).

I don't know if I'm losing interest in the types of motorsport Autosport covers or if the magazine really is expensive toilet paper, but I can't justify the subscription no more.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

I finally cancelled my autosport a couple of weeks back. I do not need it any more. It is utter toss.

I have still not been strong enough to achieve this. It still pains me to do so.

I have subscribed Motorpsort. And Octane (I have also cancelled my Jaguar Enthusiast Club membership). Not got round to cancelling Autosport. A friend told be that I had to write to them and tell them why. It was only fair. I am struggling to get the right balance of constuctive comment, how upset I am about it and my frustration at how the quality of the writing has deterorated recently.

However what I am trying to say is what you say, but in a nice way.

[Knowlesy]

I was trying to be nice!

Well, the thing is I think I find it easier because I'm being fairly ruthless with things at the moment. I'm trying to get money together and suchlike, selling a lot of stuff I think I can't bear to part with etc...

But you know, once I cancelled I felt very good. I won't miss it at all. I'm happy with a couple of monthly magazines and a fortnightly, all covering very different things. I will no longer feel I am reading the same old every week and I have banked thirty odd quid per quarter to boot.

[Super Hans]

Bucking the trend somewhat, I re-subscribed earlier this week (and not just so I could wow the ladies in my free Williams cardigan).

I've cancelled previously, but I always end up buying it off the shelf anyway, and therefore may as well subscribe.

I'm not overjoyed with the quality of Autosport at the moment, but I've thus far lacked the willpower to vote with my feet.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

I was trying to be nice!

Well, the thing is I think I find it easier because I'm being fairly ruthless a lot of stuff I think I can't bear to part with etc...

Luckily, I can still have Autosport despite chosing to have the far better Motorsport. It isn't either/or. It is more a case of not wanting to support it. Too dramatic, maybe. However the last few editions are unread. Motorsport does it and I have many a book I should read. Stuff that adds to my life.

But you know, once I cancelled I felt very good.

Seeing the unopened copy kicking around my kitchen doesn't make me feel good.

When was the last time there was intelligent reporting/editorial/journalism in Autosport?

Originally Posted by Super Hans

Bucking the trend somewhat, I re-subscribed earlier this week (and not just so I could wow the ladies in my free Williams cardigan).

I've cancelled previously, but I always end up buying it off the shelf anyway, and therefore may as well subscribe.

I'm not overjoyed with the quality of Autosport at the moment, but I've thus far lacked the willpower to vote with my feet.

Trouble is it is the best weekly motorsport mag. If you need/want that then there is no choice.

The motorsport fan dilemna. Is it good enough that it is the only one?

[Aysedasi]

I'm with Knowlesy - once I had cancelled my subscription I actually dfelt quite good about it - I could then dispose of all those copies still lying around the house in their wrappers, unopened. I'll buy two issues a year - the Le Mans preview issue and the Le Mans results issue. As for the rest - I just have no interest anymore. And I seriously hope they pull out all the stops on the Le Mans preview this year after last year's debacle.......

[old man]

So there you have it Andrew in the posts above, representative of your core readership, we see Autosport as a mainstay of the sport in the UK and I am sorry to say it but you are letting us down. FF racer is quite right, the audience is there it is up to you to reach it

[AvdB]

Thank you all for your posts. Plenty of food for thought for me there...

A couple of quick things.

1, I'm happy to report that the Le Mans preview supplement is reverting to its previous publication date.

2, The ALMS preview was in fact 9 pages. The de Ferran interview was very much focussed around his return to action in said series.

Best,

Andrew van de Burgt

[Aysedasi]

Good to hear Andrew - any chance of having the supplement back to a proper size (format) again?

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by AvdB

Thank you all for your posts. Plenty of food for thought for me there...

A couple of quick things.

1, I'm happy to report that the Le Mans preview supplement is reverting to its previous publication date.

2, The ALMS preview was in fact 9 pages. The de Ferran interview was very much focussed around his return to action in said series.

Best,

Andrew van de Burgt

Andrew - You described the preview in your earlier post as being pertinent to Sebring. In that context claiming that a three page interview with a driver not racing at that event is part of the preview is just wrong.

One other minor point - If that preview is such a source of pride to the magazine how can you justify no mention whatsoever of it on the cover - Is a re-hash of a 22 year old F1 race report really more deserving of that placing than one of motorsports most attended events?

I hear what you say about the casual readers and F1 covers but the presence of other significant motorsport happenings SOMEWHERE on the cover is surely a different issue - Sorry Andrew but this smacks of Autosport abandoning your traditional readers, or at the very least relegating them to a status where you presume that they will remain loyal no matter what.

[AvdB]

Graham,

Check the cover of the coming issue. The LMS preview is flagged on the cover, as are the reports from BTCC at Brands, IRL at Homestead and Rally Argentina.

[Graham Goodwin]

Good!

[old man]

Originally Posted by AvdB

Graham,

Check the cover of the coming issue. The LMS preview is flagged on the cover, as are the reports from BTCC at Brands, IRL at Homestead and Rally Argentina.

I would place money on the GT classes getting less coverage than the LMP classes as Andrew has not commented on the template review. I suppose GT guys should get used to the fact they are only grid fillers

[JamesRamone]

I was slightly dissapointed with the DTM and Euro F3 season preview in autosport. It wasn't as in depth as previous years, or other series.

[old man]

And GT reports dreadful as expected, no change there then despite Andrew's comments on here last Autumn

[old man]

For once I want to say something good about the Autosport; this weeks edition runs a preview of FIA GT that suggests thet Gary Watkins and Andrew are in touch with the way things are going and may even have been reading the 10/10ths Sports an GT threads.

Well done guys, the first time I recall you giving so much space to FIA GT2 and perhaps recognising that there are few new developments in GT1. From my point of view this is realistic but hope that you give equal coverage to both classes in your report.

Good to see this

[Adam43]

I think Autosport has the quantity of their sportscar coverage about right (realistic, for such a magazine). And the quality of the reporting is decent too, they have some good writers on that topic.

It is the dominant F1 coverage that lacks in quality and it seems to over compensate in quantity.

[Pete Fenelon]

Originally Posted by JamesRamone

I was slightly dissapointed with the DTM and Euro F3 season preview in autosport. It wasn't as in depth as previous years, or other series.

The DTM isn't a series I can take seriously any more, seems far too stage-managed by the manufacturers (nobody allowed to be *too* successful, silly pitstop rules, etc.). I treat it as sports-entertainment rather than sport (same way I treat F1, to be honest). What is there to preview when the script is there to read at the start of the season?