F1 still pushing to improve 'show' during Grand Prix
Sep.28 - Formula 1 is already working on the next set of measures designed to spice up the sport's spectacle.
F1's governing body, the FIA, announced on Tuesday that the amount of 'sprint race' weekends will be expanded from three to six from 2023.
"The sprint provides action across three days with the drivers all fighting for something right from the start on Friday through to the main event on Sunday," said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
The start during the 2022 F1 Grand Prix of Austria Sprint race at Red Bull Ring (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images)
But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims that more potential rule changes to improve the 'show' are already in the works.
For instance, DRS could be enabled from the very first lap - or drivers could be given a DRS allocation per lap so they can decide where the overtaking aid is deployed.
And Formula 1 may also be pushing for the permanent addition of a second qualifying session for the sprint weekends - one on Friday to determine the sprint race grid order, and another on Saturday for the main grand prix.
It would mean that every official session is more meaningful to the spectator.
"A last-minute change for 2023 requires 28 out of 30 votes," reported Auto Motor und Sport editor Michael Schmidt.
"The chance of that happening is rather small, which is why the current target is for 2024."
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Great for profit but the beginning of the end sadly or is F1 as a so-called sport unfit for the modern world on so many levels?
One thing is for sure, the owners will insist on more and more control over the outcome of the races, they don’t understand the concept of a sporting contest only maximum profit by any means. The sooner they can turn it into pure spectacle the greater their profit.
Having read the AMuS article through an automatic on-site translator, regarding the points:
Red-flagging only for true necessity.
Full SC is better than VSC only when a safer choice for a given situation, so VSC whenever something is small enough for VSC option to maintain safety.
I’d be okay with some changes to DRS use, but nothing is wrong overall. However, enabling DRS for the very first lap in races would be risky, so going this route would be unworthy.
After all, DRS has always been disabled for the first two laps in any given race, & the first two post-SC phases for a reason.
I wouldn’t mind having two QLFs for Sprint events & something different for non-Sprint events featuring more competitive sessions & thus fewer non-competitive ones.