F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali made some unexpected statements regarding changes to the race weekend format that will impact fan engagement. Currently, Formula 1 bosses are reviewing the current format and discussing possible courses of action. While no immediate announcement has been made yet, Domenicali went on to state that these decisions would adapt to the younger audience that is entering the sport.
For many years, an F1 weekend was composed of three main events: Free Practice, Qualifying, and Race. Nevertheless, since 2021, in another attempt at creating more excitement during a GP weekend, the Sprint race has been introduced. While at the beginning almost all the drivers were strongly against this new format, Domenicali states that their opinions changed significantly.
The best way to raise engagement
In a statement made after the Dutch GP, the F1 CEO admitted that the current events format is about to go into a remodelling period. According to Stefano Domenicali, discussions of extensive changes to the regular F1 race weekends are focused on captivating the younger generation and catering to their shortened attention spans.
“There’s a topic on the table concerning the format we’ll use in the coming years, starting with sprint weekends. We need to understand whether to increase them, how to increase them, and whether to use different formats. We have several discussions to have with the teams to decide the direction,” stated Domenicali.
Moreover, the CEO went on to say that these changes would only harm the older generations of F1 fans. Seeing as a majority of the drivers in the current grid are under 30, they appear keen on these possible switches to the format.
“I have to say that aside from some older die-hard fans, everyone wants sprint weekends. Promoters push for this format, and now the drivers are interested as well.”
An obvious direction ahead
Domenicali explained this reasoning, emphasising the general public’s lack of interest in the current F1 weekend format. Furthermore, he went on to make quite an interesting take, stating that Free Practice sessions, which outnumber the other events, are not compelling enough for the normal person.
“I’m being a bit provocative, but free practice appeals to super-specialists; people who want to see more action prefer a sprint weekend. There’s more to discuss and comment on from Friday – there’s a qualifying session – but I understand it has to become part of F1 culture.”
Apparently, the F1 CEO believes that these decisions will take form sooner rather than later. From his point of view, the Sprint format could overshadow the regular weekend format as fans know it. Making a comparison to MotoGP, Domenicali reassured everyone that F1 will not follow quite the same format yet. The premier motorcycle category has sprints every weekend.
“The direction is clear: I can guarantee that in a few years, there will be demand to have all weekends with the same format. I’m not saying we’ll get to MotoGP, which has a sprint at every round – that’s too big a step. I see it more as a maturation process that respects a more traditionalist approach.”
The drivers’ opinions on the discussions
Since the Sprint format came to the regular F1 calendar in 2021, most drivers were reserved, some adamantly against. However, Stefano Domenicali made a point to mention that “everyone spoke in favour” of these possible F1 race weekend modifications.
“As for the drivers, initially eighteen were against the sprint and two in favour – today it’s the opposite. We discussed it at the dinner we organised in Austria, and everyone spoke in favour.
“Even Max [Verstappen], with whom I spoke one-on-one, is starting to say it makes sense. So I see evolution from everyone. In the end, drivers are born to race.” The CEO mentioned the current world champion specifically. The Dutchman did not shy away from making his disapproval of the Sprint format loud and clear. But, according to Domenicali, even Verstappen appears to have come around to the idea now.
Appeasing promoters and fans
No matter what, Stefano Domenicali seems to think this is the right course of action for the future look of the F1 weekend format. In recent years, Formula 1 and Liberty Media have made it their prerogative to encourage a rise in younger audience members. With the Drive to Survive TV show and the new F1 movie that was released earlier this year, action and drama bring new fans to the sport.
“Promoters and fans want action. And now that they’ve started to understand it’s possible, our surveys show the vast majority of the audience wants the drivers to fight for a result. To put it bluntly, they’re tired of free practice. That’s an objective fact we can’t ignore.”
With one able to understand the boredom that an FP session could bring, Domenicali went further. The CEO confessed that even the races, the main event of an F1 weekend, “may be a bit too long for younger audiences”.
Focus on action over strategy
Another reason for these changes comes from the rise in views of race recap videos, such as Race Highlights. Stefano Domenicali spoke of the discrepancies between old fans and new ones when it comes to expectations and interest.
“We’re seeing on many of our channels that highlights do very well. For those of us who grew up with the current format, everything is fine as is, but there’s a large segment that only wants to see the key moments.”
While these discussions appear outrageous for traditionalists, Domenicali believes they will only bring improvements to the F1 weekend format.
“Things are going very well today, but precisely for that reason we must not rest on our laurels. We need to think about the next step.”
Reverse-grid format
If this whole statement was not enough, Domenicali went on to bring up another idea that could be implemented in an F1 weekend. The reverse-grid format is familiar to fans of F2, F3 and F1 Academy. His justification: “In F2 and F3, this format has been around for decades.”
“It’s on our agenda,” explained the CEO. “We’ve discussed it before, but in the coming months, we’ll need the courage to push the discussion again because I’ve heard several drivers propose it.”
Apparently, this discussion was also first met with some level of resistance. Yet, Stefano Domenicali made a point of mentioning how they came around, embracing the idea of change. He highlighted the importance of seeing every possible trend and debating opinions.
“At first, everyone was against it, but at the last meeting, many of them said, ‘Why don’t we try?’
“I don’t think there’s a single right or wrong stance here – every opinion has value. We’ll evaluate it with the FIA and interpret an evolving trend as best as possible, that’s for sure.”
