F1 CEO Backtracks on Race Format Change After Max Verstappen Criticism

Stefano Domenicali provides clarity on his notion to make F1 races shorter following Max Verstappen's criticism on the status qup.

F1 CEO Backtracks on Race Format Change After Max Verstappen Criticism

Max Verstappen (via Red Bull), Stefano Domenicali (via Sky Sports)

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Formula 1 recently went through a controversy after F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali talked about shortening the races. A majority of the grid, including the drivers, were wholly against this idea and criticized it heavily. Among many others, Max Verstappen was one of them, and he insisted that the sprint races were ‘crazy enough’ and the sport did not need to bring any more changes. Now, Domenicali has done a complete 180 on his previous claims and provided clarity on the matter.

Max Verstappen insisted that sometimes the races were bound to be boring while others were very exciting, no matter the length and duration of the races. As such, Verstappen was completely against cutting the races shorter just to cater to the up-and-coming audience of the sport. However, the current generation is all about short-form content and does not have an attention span long enough to endure a full two-hour race.

The most recent Italian GP was the shortest race in Formula 1, being just 1 hour and 13 minutes. Hence, it proved that short races weren’t the answer, as there was barely any racing action at the Temple of Speed. Now, Stefano Domenicali retraced his original words and suggested that he never considered cutting the distance of the races just to make them shorter.

However, Stefano Domenicali continued that the span of attention of the people today was very short, as compared to before. As such, F1 wanted to be more attractive to this era of fans of the pinnacle of motorsport. Domenicali insisted that the sport needed to consider all its options and then decide which format for races was the best and helped garner new audiences, all while retaining the current one.

I never said we need to cut the distance of the race. What I’m saying is that the span of attention of the people today is very short, so we need to be attractive. We need to understand if the format of racing is the right one or not. It could be longer or shorter. Every idea has to be considered.

Stefano Domenicali told The Observer

Max Verstappen reveals ‘positives’ of shorter F1 races

Max Verstappen wasn’t completely against the idea of shortening F1 races. While he accepted that the races were boring at times because of no racing action in some races, some changes were definitely needed. Verstappen has criticized racing at some venues, especially the Monaco GP, and it being too boring for him. As such, the Dutchman pondered over the positives of shorter F1 races.

Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)
Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

Speaking on the potential changes to the race format, Max Verstappen insisted that he saw the positives of a shorter format. Verstappen said, while smiling, that people would make more money with the proposed changes to the race format. The Dutchman also sympathized with the fans who visited a race weekend to see races and competition, and not just practice sessions, as the format changes would cater to them more.

Yes, I see the positives – people are making more money. I can understand, of course, when fans come to the track, it’s of course more exciting to see cars race than just lap around in practice.

Max Verstappen said, as reported by planetf1

Formula 1 has gone through major changes since its inception in 1950 and will continue to do so. The pinnacle of motorsport has continued to gain massive additions in viewers and audiences following their efforts to increase the sport’s popularity. Hence, the recently proposed changes, although seemingly useless at first, could help propel the audiences by multiplefold in the coming years.

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