Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the sport must contemplate shortening the distance of its races to help attract younger fans to the category.
Today every grand prix runs to 305 kilometres under standardisation rules introduced in 1989. The fixed distance ensures races can be completed within a two-hour window while still featuring variable strategies.
The Monaco Grand Prix is the only exception, running to 260 kilometres to account for its very slow average speed.
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So far this season the average race duration is just over 90 minutes. The longest was the 102-minute Australian Grand Prix, while the Italian Grand Prix last weekend was the shortest in Formula 1 history, lasting just 73 minutes and 24 seconds.
But Domenicali believes Formula 1 must question whether races today are too long to capture the interest of younger fans, which he says are characterised by a shorter attention spans.
“There’s also the issue of the length of the competitions,” he told Italian media, per Motorsport Italy. “We believe it’s a bit too long for young people. “We’re seeing on many of our channels that highlights are very popular.
“Maybe for us, who were born with this format, it’s fine as it is, but there’s a large segment of the audience that only wants to see the highlights.”
But the Italian boss was clear that shortening the grand prix duration was more of an open question worth contemplating in the context of Formula 1’s ongoing evolution rather than being a concrete proposal.
“Today everything is going very well, but precisely for this reason we mustn’t rest on our laurels but think about what the next step will be.”
Fernando Alonso, the most experienced driver in Formula 1 history, said he trusted Domenicali’s judgment but noted the sport wasn’t unique in its running time.
“Stefano knows better than anyone, so if he thinks that it’s needed, we are in good hands with him in this kind of decision,” he said. “But I don’t know.
“Football matches are a little bit long. When I sit in front of the TV, I’m not watching the 90 minutes fully concentrated. I go to the kitchen, come back — there’s always some moments of distraction, and no-one is talking about having 60-minute football matches or something like that.
“It’s a problem of society and the kids but not the sport, so probably it’s not needed, the change.”
There are, however, some more solidly formed ideas that will keep the sport fresh that Formula 1 is actively considering.
Unsurprisingly the biggest question about the weekend format remains the role of sprint races and where they fit into the narrative of their respective weekends and the broader championship.
Currently the season comprises six sprint weekends, which feature just one hour of practice before a short version of three-part qualifying on Friday evening to set the grid for the 100-kilometre sprint race early on Saturday. Grand prix qualifying and the race then follow in their usual timeslots.
It’s the third iteration of the sprint format and the least intrusive to the flow of a grand prix weekend.
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But their infrequency and irregularity mean they remain novelties rather than core parts of the Formula 1 experience, something that Domenicali believes must be addressed — though only in terms of expanding the number of short races, which he claimed have won over drivers and teams as well as fans.
“We need to figure out whether to increase these weekends, how to increase them and whether to use different formats than the current ones,” he said. “We’re having some discussions with the teams to figure out the direction we should take for the future.
“Going back to the drivers, I can say that their initial approach to the sprint format wasn’t favourable. Today things are looking up. We discussed it during the dinner we organised in Austria, and everyone expressed their support — even Max [Verstappen], who I spoke to alone, admitted that it makes sense — so I see everyone evolving. Ultimately, drivers are born to race.
“And we must consider that today’s teams have incredible simulation tools. Many things can be done differently than a few years ago. We must imagine what will be possible in preparing the cars with the ever-increasing implementation of artificial intelligence.”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the youngest driver on the grid, said he would be supportive of more sprint weekends.
“Sprint weekends are fun because you have a lot of activity,” he said. “You have to be on point straight away because you have one practice, then qualifying and then you go into a sprint race.
“Having more of them wouldn’t be bad.”
Domenicali said the abandonment of practice was desirable to give fans more meaningful on-track action more often.
“I’m saying this a bit provocatively, obviously, but these days free practice is only for super-specialists,” he said. “The general public is more interested in the action of a sprint weekend.
“I think everyone wants to see drivers on the track racing for a result, whether it’s qualifying, a sprint race or a grand prix.
“The promoters and the fans want to see action, and now that they have begun to understand that it can be done. Our polls tell us that the vast majority of the public want to see the drivers fighting for a result.
“To put it simply, they are tired of free practice. This is an objective fact that we cannot ignore.
“The direction is clear: I can guarantee that in a few years the demand will be for every weekend to have the same format.”
Although he suggested traditionalists would not be completely forgotten in the sport’s pursuit of new fans.
“Aside from a few older fans, the public is increasingly demanding sprint weekends,” he said. “The promoters are pushing for this format, and now there’s interest from the drivers too.
“I’m not saying we’ll be like MotoGP, which offers a sprint at every race; that would be too big a step for us. I see it more as a maturation process that must be continued while respecting those with a more traditional approach.”
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Perhaps more alarmingly for older fans, however, is the prospect of reverse-grid races. Momentum appears to be gathering to at least trial the novelty, presumably in a sprint race, so analyse the results.
Reverse gird have long been used in sprint races for Formula 2 and Formula 3, for which the top 10 and top 12 respectively are inverted for the shorter Saturday races. Grids for the longer Sunday feature events remain in qualifying order.
Feature race wins are generally regarded as more significant in a junior driver’s career than wins from sprint pole.
Domenicali’s all-ideas-welcome approach, however, suggests Formula 1 is likely to sample reverse grids for itself at some point soon.
“It’s a topic on our agenda,” he said. “We’ve discussed it in the past, but in the coming months we’ll need to have the courage to push the discussion forward.
“I’ve even heard from several drivers who proposed it. Initially they were all against it, but at the last meeting many of them said, ‘Why don’t we try?’
“I believe it’s an area where there’s no right or wrong position; all opinions count.
“We’ll make our assessments together with the FIA. We’ll have to interpret the evolving trend as best we can, that’s for sure.”
Domenicali has never been afraid of kite-flying in his role as CEO. Commonly the boss has aired ideas for public debate, sometimes to gauge interest and at other times to prepare the ground for change.
It’s undeniable that Formula 1 is healthier today than it ever has been before, having grown massively in its post-2017 Liberty Media era. All 10 of the current teams are profitable, and the sport is set to welcome General Motors into the fold for the first time next season via its Cadillac brand.
But Domenicali clearly doesn’t believe in simply riding the wave of Formula 1’s booming global popularity. In part that’s likely informed by his time running the Ferrari team in the late 2010s, when the sport was generally considered to be on a long, slow decline in interest and relevance.
Today Formula 1 is an international sport leader, and Domenicali believes change is the only way to maintain that status.
“Some of the greatest sports in the world have taken inspiration from our work,” he said. “So for us it’s time to take another step forward.”