Flavio Briatore believes that Formula 1 does not offer enough entertainment to spectators on Fridays. His solution is radical: to establish a Sprint race during the 24 Grand Prix weekends.
Read more McLaren warns against recruiting Max Verstappen: «Why change everything?»
Flavio Briatore believes that Formula 1 must continue to evolve to meet the expectations of spectators. While the calendar now includes 24 Grands Prix and the stands are almost full everywhere, the Italian considers that the entertainment offered during a race weekend can still be improved.
Interviewed by The Race Business, the executive advisor of Alpine particularly criticized the Friday schedule, which he finds unattractive for fans present at the circuits.
« We must offer more to the spectators. Friday morning is just technical practice. The cars do two laps, return to the pits, then go out again. For the public, not much happens. »
A Sprint at each of the 24 Grands Prix
To remedy this situation, Briatore defends a very clear idea: generalize the Sprint format to the entire calendar.
« If it were up to me, I would organize a Sprint race at every Grand Prix. We have 24 races, so let’s have 24 Sprints, like in MotoGP. »
According to him, this format offers a real additional sporting challenge and greatly enriches the spectators’ experience.
Read more The FIA officializes the schedule of the Bahrain Grand Prix… held in Malaysia
« With a Sprint, you have two starts, two races. The drivers race for something, not just for the engineers. »
« Look at Silverstone »
To illustrate his reasoning, Briatore cites the example of the British Grand Prix. According to him, the exceptional attendance observed as early as Thursday and Friday is directly linked to the presence of a Sprint race during the weekend.
« At Silverstone, I arrived on Thursday and there were already a lot of people. Ten years ago, there was almost no one on Thursday. Today, Friday looks like a Sunday from a few years ago. »
A proposal that will divide fans
Briatore’s vision goes however against part of the Formula 1 enthusiasts, who consider that Sprint races distort the traditional format of Grands Prix. Since their introduction in 2021, they remain one of the most debated topics in the paddock.
The former head of Benetton and Renault fully assumes his position: for him, the current commercial success of Formula 1 requires continuing to enrich the entertainment offered to the hundreds of thousands of spectators who attend each weekend at the circuits.
Read more Max Verstappen thanks Red Bull for a rare privilege in Formula 1