Verstappen warns F1 CEO: Don't mess with basic race format
Mar.31 - World champion Max Verstappen has warned F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali not to tinker too hard with Formula 1's basic race weekend format.
Prior to the Australian GP weekend, Domenicali said he was pushing to eliminate as many practice sessions as possible from the existing schedule.
And in Melbourne, many of the top drivers agreed with him.
"No practice would be too little," said George Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.
"But I really enjoy the sprint races and having action on a Friday, I think, is vital for all of us and also for the entertainment factor."
Pierre Gasly agrees that there is "no need from a driving point of view" to have so many practice sessions.
"I think one, two maximum, is more than enough or us," said the Frenchman.
Max Verstappen talks with Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg added: "I quite liked Formula 2 at the time, having only 30 minutes and then thrown into qualifying."
But back-to-back title winner Verstappen bucked the position of many of his rivals by warning Domenicali to ensure the "DNA" of the sport is left intact.
"It's no secret - I'm not a fan of sprint weekends," he said. "I'm also not a fan of this jam-packed calendar.
"We also have to be very careful with experimenting too much with Formula 1 in other ways, otherwise we'll lose the soul of Formula 1," the Dutchman added.
As for the specific proposal of scrapping or dramatically reducing the number of free practice sessions, Verstappen said F1 should have other priorities.
"Well, if we do this many races, maybe you can cancel a practice session," said the Red Bull driver. "But I wouldn't change anything else.
"I think the focus should instead be on finding ways of getting the field closer together. That's what would lead to more exciting races.
"I think that's more important right now than tinkering with the format."
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Sprint cars in America have the format of a short practice session, followed by qualifying, then sprint races and a final feature race. Domenicali has proposed that format for F1, which works well for the sprint cars, but absolutely unsuitable for F1 owing to the logistics involved and the tyranny of distance between events.
A single practice session for each event is enough.
Domenicali is all now just about the money and no real passion for F1 racing His true colors are now starting to show now he has his feet under the table. Shame I thought he was an alright guy
Its not him , its his employers holding all the ammunition, Steffi is just firing the gun
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