Singapore, Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen has had a remarkable Formula 1 career that began all the way back in 1985, covering his numerous stints up and down the paddock.
Nielsen was a police officer before entering the world of motorsport but resigned after 11 months considering the sharp increase in crime in London.
“There was quite a lot of trouble in London at that time. And I didn’t really feel that I wanted to do that at 21 years old,” Nielsen, now 62, told PTI on the sidelines of the Singapore Grand Prix.
His passion for travel drew him into Formula 1 where his first gig was driving trucks for a catering company before he went on to work with multiple teams in different roles including Lotus, Tyrrell, Benetton, Honda, Renault, Toro Rosso and Williams.
Later on, he worked as a sporting director in Formula 1 and the FIA before Flavio Briatore brought Nielsen on board last year to lead the day-to-day running of Alpine.
“I think I’ve been lucky first. If the 21-year-old Steve came along now, I probably wouldn’t get hired. Because the sport has moved on so much, and the standards have gone up.
“To do my job now, I probably have to be a lawyer or something, and I’m not. So I think I was very much a product of the time,” said Nielsen while reflecting on his four-decade-long journey.
From a poorly marketed sport in the 80s to the sporting behemoth it has become, Nielsen has witnessed the phenomenal rise of Formula 1 first-hand.
“I got involved in it when it was quite a niche sport. Formula 1 was popular with the enthusiasts, but didn’t really have widespread appeal. It wasn’t marketed properly, it wasn’t broadcast properly.
“But of course the sport is in a completely different place now. And with that, it’s brought huge interest from a lot of people. Whether it’s graduates from university or fans sitting on their sofa at home.
“A lot of people want to get involved in the sport. All Formula 1 teams now can afford to take the best of the best.”
He credits Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone for making the sport global and feels current owners Liberty Media have exceeded his expectations in taking Formula 1’s popularity to the next level.
“The sport owes Bernie a huge debt of gratitude. I started in the mid-80s, and if I just use my own experience, from the mid-80s through to the late 2000s, 2014, 2015, whenever Mr. E stopped, I mean the sport changed, but you cannot believe this amazing facility in Singapore now.
“When I started, it was nothing like this. It was all permanent racetracks. The only street circuit was Monaco. And the level of professionalism in the teams and in the sport, sponsorship, commercial side, has just changed.
“Most of that was Bernie. And then Liberty Media came along in 2017, bought it from CVC, and it carried on that journey in a way that none of us thought was possible. Honestly, I thought Liberty Media overpaid for F1, and couldn’t grow it, and look at us now. So you never know how far this sport can go.”
There was a time when Formula 1 was very much confined to Europe. The new owners significantly expanded its presence in the United States while adding more races in Asia. The list of countries wanting to host the mega event keeps growing.
The Indian government recently formed a task force to revive Formula 1 in the country. Nielsen did travel for the Indian Grand Prix from 2011 to 2013 before it was dropped from the calendar due to financial and taxation hurdles.
He is all for the sport returning to India as long as there is enough interest in it.
“I was lucky enough to go to the Indian race in 2012. So good memories from that. It’s a shame we stopped going. Formula 1 is growing. We add new races to the calendar all the time.
“If there’s a passion for motorsport in India, then it makes sense. Formula 1 is very competitive now. 20 years ago, it was difficult to find regions or cities that wanted races, and now it’s the opposite. So India would have to compete with other places.
“It’s no secret that there’s interest from Thailand and other countries, Africa and so on. So I guess India is in that mix. And Formula 1 will decide where the best place to take the sport is,” added Nielsen.
According to the latest figures provided by Formula 1, India’s fan base stands at 98 million.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.