Jenson Button says F1 should be more attractive than Pokemon Go for young fans

15 September 2016 02:53

Formula One's new owners must attract a younger audience to safeguard the future of the sport, Jenson Button has warned.

Liberty Media completed their takeover of Formula One after acquiring an initial 18.7 per cent stake from controlling shareholders CVC Capital Partners last week.

The deal by the American company is likely to herald a new era for the sport which has long been keen to make a greater impact in the United States and court a new audience.

And Button, who announced at the last race in Italy that he will not be racing in the sport next season, expects Liberty Media to seize the initiative.

"From what I have seen, they are more interested in getting a much younger audience in the sport which is something we need," said Button ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

"The average age is much too high for what it should be, given that we have an 18-year-old on the grid in Max Verstappen. The average is high thirties, maybe early forties, so that needs to change. We need to target youngsters and a younger generation.

"It is a very technologically-advanced sport, so you would think there is a lot of interest, but there isn't from youngsters. We need to work out why that is, and find a way of getting them more involved.

"As soon as youngsters sink their teeth into the sport, they're going to love it."

Button, the 2009 world champion, used the phenomenon of Pokemon Go - which sees players locate and capture virtual-reality creatures using their mobile phones - to illustrate how the sport might attract younger fans.

The McLaren driver shared a video he filmed in a Singapore shopping mall on Wednesday night in which he admitted he was baffled to see so many people taking part in the craze.

Button, 36, added: "This was last night in the shopping mall. All of these people were walking one way, and do you know why? Pokemon.

"There must have been 2,000 people all walking to one spot - through the shopping mall and across the road - because there is a Pokemon to grab. Come on. Is Formula One not more interesting than that? It should be. I think it is.

"But if they can get that many people interested in trying to flick something at a yellow dot that is not really there, I think we can make Formula One better than it is."

Source: PA