OK, so before you think he’s gone completely mad, the 2009 world champion isn’t suggesting Formula One become a mobile game where you throw stuff at the drivers to catch them. But McLaren’s Jenson Button is however suggesting that it’s time for F1 to become more attractive to the younger generation.
With Liberty Media recently becoming the new owners of F1, Button thinks it’s their top priority to increase viewership among young people.
“This was last night in the shopping mall, all these people all working one way. Why? Pokemon,” Button said when showing journalists some footage he’d filmed on his mobile phone.
“There must’ve been 2000 people all walking to one spot, through the shopping mall and across the road, because there’s a Pokemon there.
“I mean, come on, is Formula 1 not more interesting than that? It should be. I think it is. If they can get that many people interested in trying to flick something at a yellow dot that isn’t really there, I think we can make Formula One better than it is.”
Button also told Autosport that he believes the average age of F1 fans is “too high” particularly with 18-year-old Max Verstappen on the grid.
“I think the average age is 30s, maybe early 40s. So that needs to change, we need to target youngsters for regeneration,” he added.
“It’s a very technologically advanced sport so you’d think there’d be a lot of interest from youngsters but there isn’t. They need to work out why that is and find a way of getting more involved.
“As soon as youngsters sink their teeth into the sport, they’re going to love it.”