The modern era of F1 has been distancing itself from the sport’s roots with each passing season. Since the arrival of Liberty Media, changes have been made to the very fabric of the sport – often in the name of entertainment and fan engagement.
Formula 1, under the leadership of Stefano Domenicali, saw radical changes that have garnered mixed responses from fans and drivers alike. Sprint Weekends were introduced to spice up the racing action in 2021, and the number of races on the calendar increased to 24. Domenicali and the other bosses, however, want to add one more Grand Prix to the list.
Now, the latest change being proposed will revamp the structure of an F1 Grand Prix weekend. As per Domenicali, the sport is considering doing away with the traditional weekend format. That is to say, F1 might scrap free practice sessions completely going forward.
️ | Stefano Domenicali raises concerns if free practice sessions are good entertainment for the audience
“Is it a good entertainment for people coming already on a Friday to see cars going around the track just to prepare better for qualifying and the race? Is that what people… pic.twitter.com/VpCJnHLWSs
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“Is it [Free Practice] a good entertainment for people coming already on a Friday to see cars going around the track just to prepare better for qualifying and the race?” Domenicali asked. “Is that what people want to see?”
F1 has witnessed massive growth in viewership since Liberty Media took charge, and it is because they have focused on the entertainment aspect heavily. They want to make the sport as commercially appealing as possible, and introducing more racing action at the cost of practice sessions is the way to go, per Domenicali. The end goal? More revenue.
The F1 CEO feels that Free Practice sessions make no tangible sense because teams have simulators that can do the job. “So my dream will be: every time that you go on the track, there is something to fight for. That’s the nature of racing,” he added.
F1 scrapping Free Practice sessions might not be the best option for the sport. Drivers and teams need to get a proper feel of the car on a given race weekend, to fine-tune their set up which would maximize their performance.
While the teams have made huge investments to make their simulator tools top-notch, they cannot replicate the exact feeling a driver gets on the track.
