Stefano Domenicali is revisiting the idea of introducing reverse grids to Formula 1 sprint races.
The Formula One Group CEO has been pushing to make the sport more entertaining to appeal to a growing international audience. Since taking the helm at the group in 2021, the Italian has introduced a series of changes, central to which is the sprint race format.
Despite all the changes, the fundamentals of sprint racing remain the same: a short race before the main race to entertain the spectators and build excitement for Sunday.
However, the format is not without its critics: some say that with so many races in a year, each event takes on less importance, while the drivers themselves have complained about feeling less prepared, with two fewer practice sessions over a sprint weekend.
Still, sprint races have been around for a while and are likely to continue to be around, with F1 heavyweights insisting they are beneficial to the sport. Now Domenicali wants to take it to the next level by reversing the sprint qualifying positions and showing more overtaking and onslaughts.
There’s nothing fake about it.
In an exclusive interview with motorsport.com, Domenicali spoke about the changing perception of the sprint format. He said: “I remember when we introduced the sprint format there was a lot of criticism from purists. We always have to listen to their opinion, even if it’s the opinion of people who are not happy with the format.”
“But now I feel the situation is completely reversed. I think the changes we’ve introduced this year, such as separating qualifying and parc ferme, are the right ones for many reasons. The flow today is much better,” F1’s CEO said.
Domenicali went on to suggest that a reverse grid could be the next evolution for F1. He added: “And of course there are certain topics that are always quite controversial. We could debate again whether the grid should be reversed, or whether half the grid should be reversed like F2 and F3 are doing.”
“So I would say that these are things that keep your mind active and keep you interested in things.”
A reverse grid was considered in F1 a few years ago but was met with a negative reaction from drivers and teams across the grid, but Domenicali is still intrigued by the idea and would be open to discussing it again: “Personally I would say why not, there’s a lot of action, there’s overtaking, you’re fighting for points.
“Some people might say, ‘Oh, that’s a fake way of racing.’ Fake? There’s nothing fake about what you believe to be the right format that produces great action. So I’d be interested in discussing that again, yes,” he concluded.
The next sprint race will take place on Saturday, October 19th during the United States Grand Prix weekend.
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