Domenicali Hints at Major 'Sprint' Format Overhaul for 2024 F1 Season
Nov.6 - F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali admits that significant tweaks to the 'sprint' weekend format are likely to be made for 2024.
The topic of format tweaks, potential reverse grids, sprint race prize money, a separate sprint championship and many other floated proposals will be considered by the Formula 1 Commission at its forthcoming Abu Dhabi meeting.
"We have our antennas in every direction when it comes to making our sport more attractive," the sport's chief executive representing commercial rights holder Formula One Management is quoted by Speed Week.
"We have to try out new formats and stay open to everything. This is particularly true when it comes to the topic of sustainability."
On the 'sustainability' front, the FIA, F1 and Pirelli initiated an experiment with a reduced tyre allocation per driver in Hungary and Monza this year - involving a tweaked weekend format dictating use of certain compounds in the segments of qualifying.
It's possible that initiative - where drivers have 11 sets per weekend rather than the full 13 - could now be extended into several more races in 2024, or maybe even the whole season.
"Two sets doesn't sound like much, but if we can do it over a whole season, we'll save the production, transport and recycling of 3,500 tyres," says Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola.
"Basically, the experiment was a success," the Italian added. "There are still a few details to work on, but overall it was good."
It is believed a majority of the teams share Pirelli's position.
"I think most of the fans weren't even aware that there was a different tyre allocation at all," admitted McLaren boss Andrea Stella. "The attractiveness of Formula 1 has not been diminished in any way."
The proposal to make the experiment permanent is likely to be on the F1 Commission's agenda at the 2023 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
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I'm okay with the sprint format at its present format.
However, in any case, I hope the six circuits or rather three assuming Red Bull Ring, Interlagos, & Losail remain, would be Yas Marina Circuit, Jeddah, & Albert Park or Suzuka instead of either Jeddah or Albet Park, but at least YMC among those six.
The best overhaul would be to scrap the crap...
It's really spoiling the GP and like sex without a happy end.
Could they not run the sprint in parallel to the Grand Prix , I know this is against the price cap but allow one extra car to be brought to the sprint races. And the team drivers for the sprint races must have one female driver and use the test / development driver.
Try a reverse grid for the sprint. Qualifying for the Sunday race as normal but that grid setup is reversed for the sprint, so Max will always start last for the sprint races!
Sounds better, but I think reversed grids are much to risky, because the big points are given during the GP and it's simply stupid, because nobody wants to go fast then during squali, because you only can loose.
It would be interesting if they make the circuits safe for driving the otherway around and do that with sprint races.
It also would be better if they qualify on Friday for the Sprint and drive that on Saturday morning and do the quali for the GP after the Sprint, so teams can alter their quali setup/race setup according the tyre data they generated during the sprint.
Please also stop talking about sustainability!!!
Racing is useless! So it will never be "green"...especially if you keep flying around the globe with 20 Boeing 747's with a race schedules like this year. Flying from Japan to Qatar to the US 20! hours, to Mexico, Brazil, back again to the US! and 20! hours back to Abu Dahbi again...?
And we then haven't begun about baking carbonfiber...producing those 'green' batteries.
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