F1 not giving up on Uncle Sam

Stefano Domenicali, the new president and chief executive of F1, is proposing several changes to the sport. They appear to be a continuation of Liberty Media’s Chase Carey and Ross Brawn’s objective of making Formula One more exciting for fans, especially the younger generation. Yet again the hierarchy seems to believe appealing to a fresh market will bring more enthusiasts and boost global interest in the sport. Past endeavours have not been successful and neither have television pay walls.

Domenicali has been busy since his appointment and has proposed reversals of changes introduced by his predecessor. One is to reinstate the original 2pm start time for all European races, rather than the 3.10 pm brought in by the new owners. The latter was an attempt to assist television companies in their pre-race preparation and make the time slot more favourable for the projected new fan base in the United States.

A lot of emphasis has been placed on building the “home” market by Liberty Media and so far the results have not been overwhelming. Attempts to introduce more Grands Prix in the US have met with opposition. Perhaps the long-established local race series – and there are many – are too well entrenched and satisfy local enthusiasm.

According to Domenicali, F1 is still working hard to bring the sport to the US. He believes there is not enough exposure of F1 on a daily basis and this is the key to grabbing the interest of the American public. He is reported as saying: “Let’s say you have an incredible publicity push one week before the Austin race and then be silent – that is wrong.

“What we need is a plan of communication quite strong in the US. We need to hammer information with the right channels in a continuous way.”

I would love to see that budget.

Happily, the Italian has ruled out the reverse grid scenario, which is the best news in a long time – the sport does not need such gimmicks. But one idea still in mind is the introduction of a sprint race to be held on the Saturday of a Grand Prix weekend. Domenicali believes this would allow young drivers to get more practice time.

The young drivers he refers to are those who already contribute to F1, such as reserve drivers, those who spend hours on simulators and, of course, test drivers. Currently these up-and-coming F1 stars have a limited amount of real track time to hone their skills – basically FP1 and FP2 with limited post-season testing at Yas Marina.

A good point, but the concept requires serious discussion, particularly as he is considering the possibility of trial runs in the current season – an ambitious target. Time is a commodity in short supply due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and teams are being pushed to the limit with a demanding schedule of 23 races. This is where I have to question the whole concept of sprint races.

There is possibly time for this during a Friday’s two free practices, but there is currently a proposal that both be reduced from 90 to 60 minutes per session, a loss of one hour of track time.

With teams limited on annual test time and an intense race schedule, every minute becomes more valuable for car set-up, so the chances of the reserve driver getting in the seat becomes more unlikely. Then I must question what time during the Saturday is it proposed to run such a race, as there is a third practice session and qualifying still to take place.

Which cars would the rookies use? To be of any benefit it would have to be the latest car, although an older model could suffice. But this would mean an extra car with spares for each team would have to be transported to the circuit.

Add to this, the tyres in various compounds. If it is an older car, what diameter and compounds would the tyres be and would they work on an earlier generation chassis? If the latest-generation car is to be used, then the race would surely have to be held after qualifying when race grid positions are decided.

If the race were to be held earlier, the risk of a car receiving either mechanical or accident damage could result in a non-start in the qualifying session, jeopardising the team’s grid position for the Grand Prix. But if it was run after qualifying and received damage, engineers would face an all-night session and a dispensation to break the FIA-imposed curfew. This does not take into account engineers and crews who already face a tight working schedule.

If an older third car was utilised, would this mean the addition of another pit crew to assist with its preparation? You have to question how this would all fit into the teams’ limited annual budget allowance introduced this year and which will reduce over future seasons?

Next Monday, the first contender for the 2021 title arrives, as McLaren launches the MCL35M – now back with a Mercedes power unit and to be driven by the new pairing of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.

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