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Doubling down on his help for the Dash, F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali additionally believes that reverse grids are the way in which to go.
These new followers received over by Drive to Survive, the relentless social media push and subsequent yr’s blockbuster film starring Brad Pitt, will not know any completely different, however for these followers of a barely completely different classic the game is heading in a wholly completely different route to what they’re used to, basically pop live shows with a little bit of racing in between.
One in all many modifications the brand new house owners have delivered to F1 is the Dash, a subject which continues to divide followers and drivers alike.
Stefano Domenicali is a fan of the idea launched simply a few years in the past and which now options at six races every season.
“I keep in mind after we launched them we had quite a lot of criticism from the purists, who we have to at all times hearken to, even to those who will not be pleased with it,” he tells Motorsport.com. “However I really feel that now the factor has shifted utterly the opposite approach round. I feel that the change we have launched this yr is the best one for a lot of causes, with separate qualifying and parc ferme. The circulate is a lot better immediately.
“I feel that we’re not ready to say that we will be like MotoGP, for instance, with a full race calendar scenario of sprints,” he provides. “However there’s margin to develop, perhaps for one third of the calendar. That could possibly be a chance.
“After which, after all, there are particular matters which are at all times fairly debatable,” he continues. “We will actually as soon as once more talk about if there’s the necessity to reverse the grid, or half of the grid like what F2 and F3 are doing. So these are at all times issues to maintain the thoughts alive, if I’ll say, with the intent to maintain one thing at all times fascinating.”
A favorite idea of the likes of Ross Brawn, is the reverse grid, one other suggestion which can have the purist apoplectic on the very thought. Not so the F1 CEO.
“Personally, I might say, why not?” he says. “It is quite a lot of motion. It’s overtaking. You are preventing for factors? Some folks can say, ‘Oh, it’s a faux approach of racing’. Pretend? There may be nothing faux associated to what you imagine is the best format to supply nice motion. So I might have an interest to debate that once more. Sure.”
Like Brawn, Domenicali, a former boss at Ferrari, is poacher turned gamekeeper, now closely in favour of what would have been unthinkable in his earlier function.
At Ferrari, like Brawn, Domenicali craved each second of observe time accessible in an effort to take a look at his vehicles, brazenly lamenting the times when testing was a free-for-all. Now, in his gamekeeper function, he sees follow periods as a waste of time.
“Is it a very good leisure for folks coming already on a Friday to see vehicles going across the observe simply to arrange higher for qualifying and the race?” he asks. “I imply, is that what folks wish to see?
“There’s a big funding in simulation instruments to do this,” he continues. “So my dream will likely be: each time that you just go on the observe, there’s something to struggle for. That is the character of racing. That is the character of the drivers, as a result of they wish to be the primary each time, and that is why we needs to be aiming for this type of goal sooner or later.
“I feel that we’re on the best path,” he provides. “We’re doing the best issues, and the joy that we convey within the Dash could be very clear, as a result of quite a lot of promoters wish to have them. So now it is a good second to see what’s the finest venue to have good motion, and likewise the perfect place to be divided within the calendar to create the best frequency.”
One other criticism by way of the way in which the game is growing is the transfer away from conventional racing circuits to avenue tracks, venues in vacation spot cities the place the good and the attractive can attend, watch the race then get pleasure from a brief limo trip to the subsequent part of the leisure.
“I might say we wish to be balanced,” he insists. “We do not wish to transfer from one facet to the opposite facet of the dimensions, however for us is it is essential to have good racing. I keep in mind one of many largest criticisms that was on the desk earlier than the Las Vegas Grand Prix was, ‘Oh, come on, you’ve gotten a race the place there will likely be no overtaking, no drama, no motion, and so forth’. Really we proved that those that weren’t ready to talk till after the occasion have been completely unsuitable. We had an unbelievable race.
“For positive it’s essential to respect the historic venues,” he provides. “However historic isn’t every little thing; historic is an effective base to speculate for the longer term.
“We’re not anxious to search out the best answer, to have the best leisure, the best fan, and everybody can have a distinct opinion. There are drivers who love the everlasting tracks, others who like to attempt to drive within the cities. As I mentioned, the best reply, as at all times, is to be balanced. And that will be my strategy, for positive.”
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