Formula One Needs Shorter Races?
Luca di Montezemola
Formula One’s team grouping, Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), is set to meet in the Monza paddock on Thursday, according to Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Top of the agenda is a proposal to shorten grands prix from their current distance of 300kms.
Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali said:
“An hour and a half for a race is too long. We must aim to reduce the time, because often in the second half nothing happens.”
Ferrari president, and FOTA chief, Luca di Montezemolo is to chair the Monza meeting, whilst Honda team boss Ross Brawn takes charge of technical matters.
The other main topic for discussion is a FOTA Constitution, with all ten team chiefs expected to sign up.
Neal’s View: This is a big mistake. Formula One is the pinacle for race drivers. Shortening the race will mean drivers do not have to be as fit. Also, shortening the race means fewer pit-stops, which is where most of the changes in race order currently take place. How does shortening a boring race help: this would mean exciting races are also cut. A better idea is to continue working with the Technical Working Group (TWG) to get regulations that promote overtaking.
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@Neal:
I totally agree with you. Shortening the races would reduce the excitement. The longer the race continues, there’s more chance that something dramatic will happen.
Overtaking should be promoted, but races are a lot more than that. Its a test of the driver’s temperament and the car’s durability. Look at the Le Mans 24 hour race for example. I feel shortening the length of the races would do more harm than good.
I do agree with Neal.
And I think that they have to work in order to make more atractive the hole weed-end not only Sunday.
For example, may be would be interesting to have a small race the Friday (a very boring day) with the 3rd. pilots…
Agreed. As per lately, Domenicali is off point. Though I am not, by nature an antagonist of Ferrari, I must say that the typical Ferrari standpoint is one that is merely self-serving and not best for the sport. If he were to look more than two positions lower than his team’s own cars, he might notice that there is often mid-field racing that goes on until the race’s conclusion. If we wanted short races, we would be watching C.I.K. events instead.