Opinion'Tyregate' still damaging as fans shun Silverstone
Litany of issues is driving away usual spectators of British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is struggling to fill Silverstone this weekend according to reports. It is a far cry from last year when 127,000 fans stuffed themselves into the circuit despite the dreadful weather.
It might be the ticket prices. Apparently a family of four would have to pay £840 (HK$10,000) for a place in the grandstand (even with children discounts). Buying the cheapest ticket will even set you back £145, which happens to be the price of the most expensive seat at the men's final at Wimbledon.
Mind you, hard-core petrol heads will not be put off by ticket prices, especially as facilities, including the campsites have been improved. It might be more to do with the lack of British success.
We arrive at the British Grand Prix with no race win so far for a Briton. It has been several years since that has been the case. Then there are the British teams. Although the vast majority of teams are based in Britain, parochial fans will look towards Williams and McLaren.
Williams have yet to score a point and are a shadow of their former selves. Much, much more was expected from McLaren, though. The team had the fastest car on the grid at the end of last season and much was hoped for this season, even without one of the fastest men on the grid, Lewis Hamilton.
And yet the team decided on revolution rather than evolution of that car, and they have been made to pay. The 2013 car is a real turkey, something that sixth in the constructors' championship behind Force India would seem to reinforce. Their decision to reinvent the wheel this year seems all the more odd given that with radical new rules from next year, all teams will be starting from scratch.
Poor old Jenson Button. Team leader this year, he has scored just 25 points. He is only third in terms of Brits, behind Hamilton and Paul Di Resta. That was not in the script, and do not expect it to change this weekend. Button has not won his home grand prix in 14 attempts, in fact he has never been on the podium.