Aims and Rationale
The concept, people and targets.
Rationale
This survey was developed to boost the volume of the fan’s voice in the organisation of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The intention is not to change or to alter the sport, but to inform those in power about the issues that fans hold dear to them. We, the fans, feel that the organising parties in charge of the WEC listen to the media and listen to the teams, but that fan representation in the decision-making process is not adequate.
This survey was produced to gather opinions from fans and generate useful impartial data. This is then supplied to the FIA, WEC and ACO with the hope of generating a dialogue between the fans and the management with regards to the future of a sport that we all want to succeed and grow.
Participant Sourcing
The survey was put together online using Google Forms. This is a service that requires the use of a Google account to participate, but the system was set up such that I, the survey writer, did not get access to any names or email addresses of those who took part.
All participants undertook the survey of their own volition and no compensation was awarded to anyone involved. All participants remained anonymous except for identifying themselves in terms of age and nationality.
In total, 519 people participated in the survey. Due to the structure of the questionnaire, no question was made mandatory. As a result, the number of participants for each question may vary, though total participant numbers are provided within the findings for each question.
Once the survey was published online, a link was shared on sites that should target suitable candidates. Below is a list of known sites shared where the link was shared by the survey writer.
- /r/wec
A popular online discussion group for WEC fans hosted on the Reddit platform. More than 12,000 Reddit users have subscribed to the forum. - Midweek Motorsport Listeners Collective
A Facebook group for fans of the Midweek Motorsport online radio show conducted by and produced by Radio Le Mans. More than 5,700 Facebook users have joined the public online group. - TGR Fans Twitter
A Toyota Gazoo Racing fan-site run via Twitter. The stream specialises in information about various Toyota teams but features in-depth coverage of the WEC team. More than 2,300 Twitter users follow the account. - Andy Blackmore Twitter
Andy Blackmore is a graphic designer specialising in motorsport livery design and spotter guides. More than 5,000 Twitter users follow the account.
Targets
Hard copies of this 48-page report were sent via registered mail on November 28th, 2016 to the following:
- Mr. Pierre Fillon
President of the Automobile Club De L’Ouest - Mr. Gerard Neveu
CEO of the World Endurance Championship - Mr. Graham Stoker
Deputy President of Sport at the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile
It was important to target one representative from each of the three organising bodies responsible for the championship and to promote cross-body discussion about the issues raised in this survey.
What can you do to help?
If you were one of the participants in the survey, you already have helped. If you want to do something positive now, consider social media.
You can post links to this site by sharing medium.com/wecfan and tagging relevant accounts in your messages.
Here are links to some social media profiles of note:
