Tue 29 Jan 2008
F1 Racing - unsubscribed, direct debit cancelled
Posted by Craig under Formula 1 with the tags f1 • F1 Racing • magazines • sportI spoke about this before, it had to happen really and now it has.
February’s edition of F1 Racing flopped through the door over a week ago - normally a very exciting thing which would make me eager to sit down and read it from cover to cover as soon as possible.
We were heading away last weekend and I had just finished the book I had been reading so the timing was perfect to leave the new book at home and take the magazine instead - but it was Ben Elton’s book I picked up and F1 Racing I left at home.
And there it has sat until this morning when I flicked through the news section, and found that very little in there that was actually news to me. In the past the magazine was my only real source for F1 information apart from the usual half page article in the newspapers which preview and then follow each race.
Rather than waiting until F1 Racing arrives to update me once a month, I now subscribe to various F1 blogs and websites which keep me abreast of any news as and when it happens.
Because of this, I feel my subscription has run it’s course. It has served me well over the last few years, but the time has come for us to part our ways.
If the magazine continued to include interesting articles which were not found elsewhere then I dare say I could justify the monthly outlay but to be honest I feel it has gone downhill recently and the departure of the old Editor hasn’t really seen a sudden upturn in the magazine’s quality (or quantity - it seems to get thinner month by month).
I’ll keep an eye out for it on the shelves of WH Smiths, etc and no doubt read an article or two while browsing through it but the days of F1 Racing being a monthly must-read for me are long gone.
January 29th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I can of have that feeling. I don’t subscribe but i just to buy F1 racing religiously for a decade. Now that I read your blog(Which by the way found on a link I have on my site squidoo.com/speedxtra)I realize that i haven’t being getting the wagazines for a while.It seems that I will continue to get it but not as frecuent as i used too.Great blog btw.
January 29th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
My sub was cancelled earlier in the month as well. I too came to the realisation that it was of no benefit to me as pretty much everything is covered as and when it happens on t’internet. Although some of the articles are well-written, and despite me owning every single issue, I replaced it with another magazine whose topic is covered so well online.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Ollie » You have to take some of the blame for F1 Racing’s downfall of course - BlogF1 was the final nail in it’s coffin!
I’ve taken out a subscription to a photography magazine instead, a subject which is not quite so widely covered on the internet (or at least it’s not quite so easy to find good stuff for us beginners!).
January 30th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
So then Craig let us into the secret which F1 blogs and websites do you read?
January 30th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Simon »
Hi Simon, thank you for stopping by. I currently keep an eye on the following sites and blogs using RSS - BlogF1, Pitpass, ITV-F1, F1Fanatic, Renault F1 Blog, Autosport, F1 Insight Blog, Sidepodcast, Formula1Sport.net and Times Online Blog - plus other sites I follow also feature F1 posts from time to time, such as DoctorVee.
With all that lot, no wonder a simple magazine can’t compete!
February 1st, 2008 at 9:08 pm
“whose topic is not covered so well online”. Surfing. Although if I ever site number four up and running. It’s a shame TimesOnline F1 Blog doesn’t run over the winter.
February 1st, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Ollie » I thought that was what you meant
I was a bit surprised that The Times doesn’t keep it’s blog going especially when they do have the odd F1 story in the paper itself as well as online - strange, but then again the season starts again soon so it’s no big deal really.