CELEBRATED South African rally driver Gugu Zulu said he was not thrilled at the prospect of the country hosting a Formula One race and saw the exercise as a big waste of funds that could be ploughed into the local motoring scene.
The City of Cape Town and bid company Cape Town Grand Prix SA are finalising a proposal to bring the likes of Mercedes champion Lewis Hamilton into the country through a circuit race in the Mother City.
The move has drawn mixed public feelings.
“I say ‘no‚ I don’t think it should come’‚” Zulu told Times Media.
“I just wish the authorities‚ local sponsors and provincial government and everybody could support local motor sport first before they go and get overseas events.
“Formula One will come here for one week; how many lives will it touch? To be honest‚ it’s probably going to impact the lives of the guys at the top who can afford to get involved.
“But for the rest of the country and those who are trying to get into the motor sport entertainment scene‚ it is not going to affect us whatsoever.
“We need to build our own brand of motor sport first‚ get our local series going‚ get more people involved and getting more people coming to the tracks first and then we can look at bringing in international events.”
South Africa last hosted a Formula One race at the Kyalami race track in Johannesburg in 1993‚ won by Frenchman Alain Prost‚ back in the days of the late great Ayrton Senna.
Zulu was the commercial manager for SA’s A1 team‚ Vulindlela‚ the last time South Africa hosted a major international motor sport racing event similar to Formula One.
He reckons Cape Town’s bidders‚ who are set to meet Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone once their proposal has passed various feasibility studies‚ have their efforts pointed in the wrong direction.
“I think Formula One is a little overrated. You can bring in something much more exciting at a fraction of the price‚” said Zulu.
“Events such as GT Cars [FIA GT Championship]‚ sports car racing‚ which is awesome‚ and Super Bike racing‚ which has done well in South Africa and has a great following.
“They will probably charge R3‚000 a ticket to be able to watch that Formula One race. How many people can actually afford that?”
He added: “Local racing needs a fraction of the hundreds of millions that will be spent on bringing the Formula One race. We can build an industry: the drivers can get paid‚ so too the mechanics and have more people making careers out of it ... The problem in South Africa is that motor sport is still seen as a hobby.”
Cape Town Grand Prix CEO Igshaan Amlay countered this by saying that bringing a Formula One race to SA would have massive economic spin-offs for the country.
“Our financial backing will mostly come from foreign investors who are very big in the motor sport industry‚” said Amlay.
“The type of visitor profile for the event is of people who can afford to travel and attend the race. The rand is weak at the moment‚ meaning tourists will get their value for money.
“Moreover‚ Formula One has a global following of 50‚000 people‚ who religiously attend events. These are the people that buy tickets and stay with the teams at their hotels.
“If those people come to Cape Town and spend a minimum of US$100 (R1‚277) a day during their week-long stay‚ at the current exchange rate‚ you’re looking at around a quarter of a billion rand in direct investment.
“The economic value and spin-offs are far greater than what people realise.”
Zulu: F1 race will only ‘touch lives of the guys at the top’
CELEBRATED South African rally driver Gugu Zulu said he was not thrilled at the prospect of the country hosting a Formula One race and saw the exercise as a big waste of funds that could be ploughed into the local motoring scene.
The City of Cape Town and bid company Cape Town Grand Prix SA are finalising a proposal to bring the likes of Mercedes champion Lewis Hamilton into the country through a circuit race in the Mother City.
The move has drawn mixed public feelings.
“I say ‘no‚ I don’t think it should come’‚” Zulu told Times Media.
“I just wish the authorities‚ local sponsors and provincial government and everybody could support local motor sport first before they go and get overseas events.
“Formula One will come here for one week; how many lives will it touch? To be honest‚ it’s probably going to impact the lives of the guys at the top who can afford to get involved.
“But for the rest of the country and those who are trying to get into the motor sport entertainment scene‚ it is not going to affect us whatsoever.
“We need to build our own brand of motor sport first‚ get our local series going‚ get more people involved and getting more people coming to the tracks first and then we can look at bringing in international events.”
South Africa last hosted a Formula One race at the Kyalami race track in Johannesburg in 1993‚ won by Frenchman Alain Prost‚ back in the days of the late great Ayrton Senna.
Zulu was the commercial manager for SA’s A1 team‚ Vulindlela‚ the last time South Africa hosted a major international motor sport racing event similar to Formula One.
He reckons Cape Town’s bidders‚ who are set to meet Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone once their proposal has passed various feasibility studies‚ have their efforts pointed in the wrong direction.
“I think Formula One is a little overrated. You can bring in something much more exciting at a fraction of the price‚” said Zulu.
“Events such as GT Cars [FIA GT Championship]‚ sports car racing‚ which is awesome‚ and Super Bike racing‚ which has done well in South Africa and has a great following.
“They will probably charge R3‚000 a ticket to be able to watch that Formula One race. How many people can actually afford that?”
He added: “Local racing needs a fraction of the hundreds of millions that will be spent on bringing the Formula One race. We can build an industry: the drivers can get paid‚ so too the mechanics and have more people making careers out of it ... The problem in South Africa is that motor sport is still seen as a hobby.”
Cape Town Grand Prix CEO Igshaan Amlay countered this by saying that bringing a Formula One race to SA would have massive economic spin-offs for the country.
“Our financial backing will mostly come from foreign investors who are very big in the motor sport industry‚” said Amlay.
“The type of visitor profile for the event is of people who can afford to travel and attend the race. The rand is weak at the moment‚ meaning tourists will get their value for money.
“Moreover‚ Formula One has a global following of 50‚000 people‚ who religiously attend events. These are the people that buy tickets and stay with the teams at their hotels.
“If those people come to Cape Town and spend a minimum of US$100 (R1‚277) a day during their week-long stay‚ at the current exchange rate‚ you’re looking at around a quarter of a billion rand in direct investment.
“The economic value and spin-offs are far greater than what people realise.”
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