Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the series is “not even thinking” about holding sprint races at every grand prix following opposition from fans in a global survey.
On Thursday ahead of this weekend’s US Grand Prix, results from the F1 global survey were released, with 167,000 responders giving their views of the current state of the sport.
F1 has trialed sprints at Silverstone and Monza so far this year to see if it could become a regular part of the weekend format.
A third is scheduled for next month’s Brazilian Grand Prix, and F1 chiefs are keen to expand the revised format in 2022.
The survey found 7% of fans felt the introduction of the sprint events improved the show, but 60% rejected the idea of them being held at every race.
Reflecting on the survey’s results, Domenicali was encouraged by the support for sprint races, but recognised fans didn’t back the idea of staging them at every grand prix over a season.
“The number is very, very encouraging,” Domenicali said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “We see, from what we see as a figure, the mixed feelings of more traditional fans [who are] less happy for the change, while the new fans are really happy to see things moving in a different way. So it’s basically the thing that I see is correct to consider.
“And that’s why, as I state on the survey, we are not even thinking to go with all the grands prix in a different format.
“We believe that we can create a very fixed number, that will be I think six in the near future, with this format, with changes that we are thinking [about] together with the teams in order to improve the quality of the offer.”
F1 plans to sit down at the end of the year to review the sprint race format, with a series of changes mooted for next year, such as running them as a standalone event.
Prior to the sprint event, F1 had considered introducing reverse grids to improve the on-track spectacle, but 68% of fans disagreed with the format that would see the fastest qualifier start at the back of the grid.
Speaking on the fans verdict over reverse grid races, Domenicali said: “We know that it’s not part of the discussion we are having. “So I think that [the results are] encouraging, and the trend is confirmed by this kind of mix, the avid or traditional fans versus the new fans.
“That is why this is really the right place where we need to find the right compromise.”
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