The simple solution to F1’s grid delay ‘vacuum’

But while the arguments about the pros and cons of the penalty system look set to rage forever, one thing that the paddock seems united on is that a lengthy wait for a confirmed grid order is not a good look for a modern sport like F1.

The near four-hour wait for the provisional grid at Monza prompted anger on social media and criticisms about some of the antiquated ways things are run.

While that may be a matter of opinion, what the events at Monza have done is re-opened a debate about what can be improved in the future and added fresh impetus to what Motorsport.com understands will be an analysis within the FIA this winter about how things can be improved as the sport heads into 2023.

Rather than delayed grid confirmations being a major problem that hangs over the sport, the solutions are actually quite easy.

Italy confusion

At Monza, as qualifying came to a wrap just after 4pm, drivers, teams and media were at a loss to know for sure exactly what the starting order would be for the race on Sunday.

Max Verstappen’s five-place grid drop from 2nd on the grid meant the Dutchman was quite convinced about where he should start.

“I think it’s P7. Unless I’m stupid,” he said. “But I think it’s P7. No, seventh. You need to read the rules.”

But rival teams were not so sure, and some squads were throwing around their predicted order for Verstappen to be shuffled back up to fourth thanks to Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton also moving back.

Down in the television pen, Fernando Alonso reckoned that he was going to start from the 7th place that Verstappen reckoned he would be having.

Some journalists and broadcasters boldly made their predictions for how the grid should shake up, only to rapidly be forced to correct it when the official confirmation came.

AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly also took to Twitter to ask if anyone knew where he would be starting

“Can someone tell me in which position I will start tomorrow’s race?” he asked.

In the end, it took until 8.45 pm for the FIA to issue a grid. (Although 10 minutes later, the governing body issued a corrected version that removed the word ‘final’ from its document and changed it for ‘provisional’)

For a sport as cutting edge as F1, which is enjoying a massive boom in popularity, having fans, drivers and teams being forced to wait almost four hours to be totally sure of the grid order falls far short of what should be expected to be the norm.