Cash Is King- F1 Could Change the Fabric Of the Sport For Profit

Cash Is King- F1 Could Change the Fabric Of the Sport For Profit

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.

“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.

Post Edited By: Srijan Mandal
F1 Stefano Domenicali

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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