Ecclestone needs education on the benefits of social media

(Sahara Force India Formula One Team)

Sahara Force India Formula One Team principal Dr Vijay Mallya has said that he believes that Formula One commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone needs to be educated on the rewards of social media for the sport. Ecclestone said recently that he felt that Formula One did not need to embrace social media as he felt that Facebook and Twitter do not have a future.

However Mallya whose Sahara Force India Formula One Team have both an offical Twitter and Facebook account commented by saying:

'What I don't understand is that Bernie doesn't want to know about social media - he's a TV man and that's it, "Somebody who is qualified enough to persuade him and convince him that social media is something that should be taken seriously would be a nice addition.'

Social media is the way forward for the sport and allows Formula One fans to interact with the previously closed doors of Formula One in relation to the team and this was something that had been criticized . All of the Formula One team's have official Twitter pages but so to do media outlets who work in the sport and this is how a number of big stories break in the sport.

For example the news that Scuderia Toro Rosso had signed Dutch driver Max Verstappen to race alongside Daniil Kvyat next season first broke on Twitter with the team then taking to you guessed it Twitter to confirm the news.

The sport certainly would not be reaching the same sort of audiences that it is now if it wasn't for its presence on social media and this is something that Ecclestone should realize as social media is helping the sport to move forward. If you look at other forms of motorsport such as IndyCar, Formula E, NASCAR and Moto GP they all have a social media presence and if Formula One did not it would would certainly lose out and it would be the fans that would lose most of all and with Formula One currently searching for ways to improve the show not having a social media presence is not the way to go.

Mr Ecclestone should embrace the age of social media after all the teams and some most of the drivers do and as a result fans can interact with the favourite drivers.

© Ben Johnston 2014