Doubling down on his help for the Dash, F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali additionally believes that reverse grids are the way in which to go.
These new followers received over by Drive to Survive, the relentless social media push and subsequent yr’s blockbuster film starring Brad Pitt, will not know any totally different, however for these followers of a barely totally different classic the game is heading in a completely totally different path to what they’re used to, primarily pop concert events with a little bit of racing in between.
Certainly one of many adjustments the brand new homeowners have dropped at F1 is the Dash, a subject which continues to divide followers and drivers alike.
Stefano Domenicali is a fan of the idea launched simply a few years in the past and which now options at six races every season.
“I bear in mind once we launched them we had lots of criticism from the purists, who we have to all the time take heed to, even to those who will not be proud of it,” he tells Motorsport.com. “However I really feel that now the factor has shifted utterly the opposite means round. I believe that the change we have launched this yr is the fitting one for a lot of causes, with separate qualifying and parc ferme. The stream is a lot better at present.
“I believe that we’re not ready to say that we will be like MotoGP, for instance, with a full race calendar scenario of sprints,” he provides. “However there’s margin to develop, possibly for one third of the calendar. That could possibly be a chance.
“After which, in fact, there are particular subjects which are all the time fairly debatable,” he continues. “We are able to actually as soon as once more talk about if there’s the necessity to reverse the grid, or half of the grid like what F2 and F3 are doing. So these are all the time issues to maintain the thoughts alive, if I’ll say, with the intent to maintain one thing all the time attention-grabbing.”
A favorite idea of the likes of Ross Brawn, is the reverse grid, one other suggestion which may have the purist apoplectic on the very thought. Not so the F1 CEO.
“Personally, I’d say, why not?” he says. “It is lots of motion. It’s overtaking. You are combating for factors? Some individuals can say, ‘Oh, it’s a pretend means of racing’. Faux? There’s nothing pretend associated to what you consider is the fitting format to provide nice motion. So I’d have an interest to debate that once more. Sure.”
Like Brawn, Domenicali, a former boss at Ferrari, is poacher turned gamekeeper, now closely in favour of what would have been unthinkable in his earlier position.
At Ferrari, like Brawn, Domenicali craved each second of observe time accessible so as to check his vehicles, brazenly lamenting the times when testing was a free-for-all. Now, in his gamekeeper position, he sees follow periods as a waste of time.
“Is it a very good leisure for individuals coming already on a Friday to see vehicles going across the observe simply to arrange higher for qualifying and the race?” he asks. “I imply, is that what individuals wish to see?
“There’s a large funding in simulation instruments to do this,” he continues. “So my dream shall be: each time that you just go on the observe, there’s something to combat for. That is the character of racing. That is the character of the drivers, as a result of they wish to be the primary each time, and that is why we needs to be aiming for this type of goal sooner or later.
“I believe that we’re on the fitting path,” he provides. “We’re doing the fitting issues, and the thrill that we carry within the Dash could be very clear, as a result of lots of promoters want to have them. So now it is a good second to see what’s the finest venue to have good motion, and likewise the perfect place to be divided within the calendar to create the fitting frequency.”
One other criticism when it comes to the way in which the game is growing is the transfer away from conventional racing circuits to avenue tracks, venues in vacation spot cities the place the good and the gorgeous can attend, watch the race then take pleasure in a brief limo experience to the following part of the leisure.
“I’d say we wish to be balanced,” he insists. “We do not wish to transfer from one facet to the opposite facet of the size, however for us is it is essential to have good racing. I bear in mind one of many greatest criticisms that was on the desk earlier than the Las Vegas Grand Prix was, ‘Oh, come on, you will have a race the place there shall be no overtaking, no drama, no motion, and so forth’. Really we proved that those that weren’t ready to talk till after the occasion have been completely incorrect. We had an unbelievable race.
“For positive it’s essential to respect the historic venues,” he provides. “However historic isn’t every part; historic is an effective base to speculate for the long run.
“We’re not nervous to seek out the fitting answer, to have the fitting leisure, the fitting fan, and everybody can have a distinct opinion. There are drivers who love the everlasting tracks, others who like to attempt to drive within the cities. As I mentioned, the fitting reply, as all the time, is to be balanced. And that may be my strategy, for positive.”
