Motorsports in a Post-Pandemic World

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By now, you’ve probably read countless news articles about how the pandemic has affected the motorsports industry. Whether you like cars, bikes, or even boats, it seems like every significant motor sporting event has either been cancelled or postponed indefinitely.

Still, it’s already been over a year since all of this started, and the pandemic continues to rage all over the world. For motorsports fans, that means that there’s no clear answer on when they’ll be able to attend or watch their favourite teams compete on the track. Worse yet, there’s no certainty as to whether or not those teams will be able to stay standing until the pandemic ends and they can compete with one another again.

For now, it seems that the only thing anyone can do is speculate as to what will happen in the foreseeable future.

So, in this article, that’s precisely what we’re going to do! We’ll look at a few key predictions for the world of motorsports in a post-pandemic world. You’ll notice that some of them are gradually becoming a reality already, while others are still uncertain. Only time will tell, but perhaps these predictions will help you manage some of your expectations for the future.

Let’s get started.

Motorsports Events Will Become More Localized

One of the biggest reasons motorsports is so popular with people is its exciting, adrenaline-fueled live events. Under normal conditions, die-hard fans would not hesitate to travel internationally to attend their favourite motorsports events. However, the pandemic has brought all of that to a screeching halt.

It’s safe to assume that international travel will be much more challenging for most people in a post-pandemic world. That poses a significant problem for motorsports event organisers who can’t welcome and profit from international attendees.

Instead, we may see that motorsports events will become much more localised in the near future, rather than regional or international.

Governments worldwide which are keen on encouraging domestic tourism will undoubtedly be more willing to support motorsports events within their own borders to encourage locals to travel more.

More People Will Spectate Virtually

Another thing that the pandemic has made us realise is that there’s plenty we can do online. These days, people are attending all kinds of events virtually on their smart devices, from the comfort (and safety!) of their own homes.

Granted, attending a live motorsports event virtually will undoubtedly be a lot less exciting. Still, it gives sports fans an option that’s better than nothing. Instead of missing out on a race event in another country, virtual attendees can pay for live access to watch the event as it unfolds.

The music industry has adopted a similar practice with virtual concerts. It would be a smart move for motorsports organisers to take on as well.

Electric Vehicles Will Become More Mainstream

As-is, electric race vehicles have already become a part of the motorsports industry with championships like Formula E. Sure, the pandemic may have delayed the growth of electric motorsports, but there is no doubt in the industry that combustion engine racing is gradually on its way out.

Who knows? The pandemic may force conventional motorsports to shut down faster than it would have otherwise, leaving much more space open for electric championships to fill the gap when the pandemic finally ends.

One part of this isn’t entirely clear yet: will motorsports fans go for it? Let’s be honest, one of the main pulls of motorsports are the loud and powerful engines of the vehicles that are racing. Sure, electric cars are powerful and fast, too, but will they offer the same excitement and entertainment value as combustion engine vehicles?

Only time will tell.

Esports Will Gain More Traction

Another motorsports development that will surely benefit from the pandemic is the field of esports. On its own, esports has already been growing and enjoying mainstream acceptance all over the world. With people unable to attend or participate in many global motorsports events, virtual competitions are also gaining mainstream support.

Formula 1, MotoGP and the World Rally Championship are just some examples of real-world events with fully-licensed games of their own. As such, they open the door towards esports championships forming around those games, with racers and teams emerging globally.

Virtual motorsports (or e-motorsports, if you’d like to call it that) will gain from this pandemic in two ways. Firstly, it’ll help to provide excitement for motorsports fans who can’t attend real-world live events like before. Secondly, esports has a low entry barrier, so almost anyone can pick up a controller and potentially be the next world champion in electronic or virtual motorsports.

Motorsport Education Is Now More Important Than Ever

Today, one thing is clear: the motorsports industry is shrinking as a result of the pandemic. Absolutely no one is unaffected by this, by the way. Not the drivers, their teams, race tracks, or anyone else working to support live motorsports events. Everyone’s hurting.

Sooner or later, though, the pandemic will end, and we will go back to some version of ‘normal’.

The motorsports industry will have to rebuild itself, and when it does, there will be a desperate need for the right people to support that growth.

And who might the ‘right’ people be? Well, they’ll be the people who have the right skills, training, and motorsports education necessary to bring motorsports back to their former glory.

That time is coming, 

Final Thoughts

This was mentioned in the introduction, but it’s worth mentioning again. Right now, the most that anyone can do is speculate about the future of motorsports in a post-pandemic world. A lot of what was discussed above is also speculative and may or may not turn out to be true in the foreseeable future.

So, as frustrating as it may be, it’s true that only time will tell.

To find out more about motorsports education, check out TOC Automotive College, the best automotive college in Malaysia.