AN UNUSUAL FORMULA 1 BROADCASTER

As far as Formula 1 broadcasters go, Brazil’s RGT is among the longest-running in the game - probably number 1 - for it has been showing Formula 1 races year year since 1972. It played a key role bringing international motor racing back to Brazil in 1970, providing promotional support to several tournaments held in the country until Brazil was firmly placed in the official GP calendar. It was a good bet for RGT, for Emerson Fittipaldi not only became a 2-time World Champion, something it could only dream back in early 1970, but the country has also produced two other world champions, including a driver widely reckoned the best ever, Ayrton Senna.

Notwithstanding this enviable track record, RGT's race announcer, Galvao Bueno, is widely criticized by many in Brazil, accused of a style that mixes annoying and overly enthusiastic cheerleading (for Brazilian drivers, often seeing marvelous performances where there are none), soccer game coverage techniques, poor focus on what is really going on in the track, recalcitrant knowledge of the sport’s history, racing dynamics and mechanics, and questionable analytical skills. Despite these shortcomings, Galvao, who incidentally also announces Brazilian national team soccer games and dabbles in other sports coverage, remains the mainstay of RGT Formula 1 cover for decades.

Brazil has been non-stop on the calendar since 1973, a status that few countries can match at present – I can only think of Britain, Italy and Monaco. Yet, not all is rosy for the Brazilian race. In the medium term, there is talk of privatizing the Interlagos circuit, which might result in its ultimate destruction. In the short term, for the first time since 1970 there is no Brazilian driver in Formula 1, and the pipeline looks grim. This of course does not sit well with Galvao’s unusual and spirited race coverage, for there is nothing to cheer about. So he rants on and on about Ayrton’s past achievements…

That is enough to make RGT a most unusual Formula 1 broadcaster, but there is more.

RGT is by far the top TV broadcaster in Brazil, and a true media empire, encompassing radio stations, newspapers, magazine and internet publishing. Among other things, it is one of the top producers of soap operas in the world, which are sold in several markets. In these, RGT unashamedly makes merchandising for a variety of products, including cosmetics, clothing, cell phones, cars and even Uber. It even managed to do merchandising in a soap opera staged in the Middle Ages… 

However, RGT is known to have a pet peeve – it does not like giving free promotion to anybody.

In that connection,  RGT is unique in that it refuses to call the formula 1 team Red Bull, what it is, Red Bull. It is consistently called RBR during race coverage, newscasts, and other company media (in fairness, in the traditional car magazine Auto Esporte, also published by the conglomerate, every once in a while the name Red Bull appears). There must be some bad blood, somewhere, or a more plausible explanation.

To Brazilian broadcaster RGT, there is no Red Bull Formula 1 team...

Yet, RGT sees no problems calling Ferraris, Renaults and Mercedes what they are. For the first two, there is a clear explanation. Recently Jeep (FIAT group, therefore, Ferrari) and Nissan (Renault group) were involved in merchandising actions in Brazilian soap operas. As for Mercedes, there are at best some tens of thousands of people able to even think of buying a Mercedes car in Brazil, and many probably do not even watch the channel. However, there are millions that can buy a can of Red Bull everyday, millions that do watch the channel. So Mercedes is properly identified, Red Bull becomes RBR.

I suppose that Red Bull has never advertised in any of RGT’s media, and understandably refuses do so in Formula 1, for owning two teams is expensive enough. As Dieter Mateschitz has a reputation for standing his ground, RGT remains the only broadcaster in the world to call Red Bull RBR.

If you are wondering what RGT stands for, well, as long as they refuse to properly identify Red Bull, I refuse to identity them properly.  

Much more information about racing in the 70's can be found in my book MOTOR RACING IN THE 70'S - PIVOTING FROM ROMANTIC TO ORGANIZED. It is a 472-page book about racing in the period,  with 242 photos, covering Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 5000, other lower formulae, Formula Indy, NASCAR, Touring Cars, Sports Cars, Can Am, Trans Am, IMSA, DRM, local racing scenes, main driver profiles, plus long lists of makes that raced in the period, main drivers and racing venues from 85 countries, year highlights, performance and financial analysis of the sport. It can be bought at Amazon shops in the USA, UK, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Canada, Australia, Japan, 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1732674426

The age of change

Nowadays we talk a lot about the pace of change in all walks of life. It seems to me, though, that the era when there was the greatest amount of change in automobile racing was the 70s. I am basically talking about the tremendous volume of changes that had a lasting effect on racing.

Commercially, there was consolidation of sponsorship in Formula 1 and all other disciplines of racing. In 1970, a good number of GP teams had some form of commercial sponsorship, however, all teams were sponsored by 1979. Commercial sponsorship not only provided money to teams, but also made racing commercially interesting and sellable on TV, and TV made things more interesting to sponsors. Broadcasting also expanded greatly during the decade, especially in the third world. Thus, by the end of the decade, Bernie Ecclestone in F1 and NASCAR in F1 had began to expand live TV coverage of racing events. The early days of cable TV also provided more outlets and programming needs.

Turbocharging, although widely used in Indy car racing in the USA, began to be used in European racing on the early part of the decade. By 1979, a Renault powered F1 car had won its first event, by which time turbo engined cars were the rule in prototype and sports car racing.

It was also during the decade that circuit safety was taken seriously, through the efforts of many GP drivers such as Joakin Bonnier, Jackie Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi. This lead to the death of the Nurburgring's Nordschleife as a GP venue. Additionally, the long Nurburgring was not suitable for TV coverage. This affected circuit design, and greatly reduced the number of motorsport deaths in the decades to come

In the USA, the old style USAC racing gave way to CART, which was founded in 1979. The new style Indycar racing, which lasts to this day, lessened the importance of oval tracks in American single seater racing.

Talking about old style, during the 70s, the Targa Florio was finally removed from the World Championship of Makes, although the race continue to be staged for a few more years. True road racing became a thing of the past, although rallyes thrived.

A lot of traditional races such as Vila Real in Portugal, and Chimay in Belgium, became things of the past, and in fact, a lot of old style circuits, such as Crystal Palace in London and Tulln Langelebarn in Austria were  closed for racing, while a number of modern circuits sprouted all over Europe and Worldwide, patterned after Paul Ricard, in France. The Tasman series, which achieved such prominence in the 60's, morphed into a regional series, which did not attract much in terms of international talent.

Formula 1 reached Asia for the first time in 1976, and Brazil became a force in racing, with a world champion (Emerson Fittipaldi) and a world Championship round. Non-championship Formula 1 races, fairly common early on the decade, also diminished into almost oblivion by the end of the decade.

Technologically speaking, the first steps in computer aided design were taken, these also being were the first day's of telemetry. The importance of aerodynamics in race car design also increased during the decade, and so did the use of wind tunnels. Whereas early on the decade cars were mostly designed by a single man, late in the decade design by committee was used in some corners.

In 1970, GP drivers' earnings were not very substantial, which lead them to accept as many engagements as possible. By 1979, many drivers were paid hefty retainers in Formula 1, and could actually afford to race exclusively in the category.