![\"F1](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/XPB_1368384_HiRes.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStefano Domenicali has suggest F1 races could be shortened in the future to appeal to younger audiences. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStefano Domenicali has suggest F1 races could be shortened in the future to appeal to younger audiences. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
Speaking earlier this week, Domenicali said fans and race promoters are \u201ctired of free practice\u201d and that weekend formats could be reshaped to deliver more on-track action.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a topic on the table concerning the format we\u2019ll use in the coming years, starting with sprint weekends,\u201d Domenicali told media ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The F1 chief argued that condensed formats could appeal to younger audiences who prefered the \u201cexciting moments\u201d of the weekends.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s also the issue of the length of the competitions, he said. \u201cWe believe they\u2019re too long for young people.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerhaps for us, who were born with this format, it\u2019s fine this way, but there\u2019s a large segment of the audience that only wants to see the highlights.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, everything is going very well, but precisely for that reason, we shouldn\u2019t rest on our laurels, but rather think about what the next step will be.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also suggested that drivers\u2019 attitudes have shifted.<\/p>\n
\u201cInitially 18 were against the sprint and two in favour \u2013 today it\u2019s the opposite,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe discussed it at the dinner we organised in Austria and everyone spoke in favour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Driver reactions at Monza highlighted a split in opinion.<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen, long a critic of sprint races, said the idea of shorter grand prix distances does not appeal to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Verstappen said when asked if he backed shorter races.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou all know, of course, how I think about sprint races, but the length of the race, I think it\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes one-and-a-half hours, sometimes close to two. In other sports as well, sometimes you have an exciting game, sometimes [it\u2019s] absolutely boring and you fall asleep.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s sport for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Verstappen added that part of F1\u2019s appeal lies in unpredictability.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot always make it exciting, because if it\u2019s always exciting, it becomes boring too\u2026It always needs to be a surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes it can be surprisingly exciting, sometimes it can be surprisingly boring\u2026From my side, I\u2019m probably more of a traditional guy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s more important that all the teams are closer, because then you get more racing anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso was equally outspoken, framing the debate as a societal issue rather than a sporting one.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a problem of the society and the kids, but not the sport, so probably it\u2019s not needed to change,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Alonso compared grand prix lengths to football matches, noting that fans do not always watch the full 90 minutes but that does not warrant shortening games.<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso was asked about making F1 races shorter to cater to younger fans with shorter attention spans \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/qKoO70gqMJ<\/a><\/p>\n