What is really behind Domenicali’s “cancel” F1 practice comments

During a visit to the opening round of the MotoGP season in Portugal, Domenicali was interviewed by Portuguese channel SportTV for his thoughts on various topics.

But it was one remark that caused a stir as it suggested that he was looking at a bold shake-up of the F1 weekend timetable.

“I am a supporter of the cancellation of free practice sessions, which are of great use to the engineers but that the public doesn’t like,” he told the broadcaster.

With F1’s owner Liberty Media not afraid to push new boundaries when it comes to overhauling the grand prix format – having introduced sprint races – Domenicali’s remarks inevitably triggered thoughts of something bolder being planned.

However, the possibility of F1 getting rid of practice sessions completely is something that would be unpopular with competitors and fans.

Practice remains a vitally important part of a grand prix weekend, as it is essential for drivers and teams to work on set-up and tyre strategies prior to the competitive elements of qualifying and the race.

Furthermore, with in-season testing banned, the Friday sessions are critical for allowing teams to try out new developments in the bid to help move them closer to the front of the grid.

For fans too, solid attendances at events on Fridays show that there is an interest in seeing cars running extensively throughout the day even when there is no reward up for grabs.

Domenicali’s comments should not be interpreted as F1 pondering the removal of practice sessions completely though.

Instead, it is understood that it is more about ongoing discussions that are taking place at F1 Commission level regarding potential future changes to the grand prix weekend format to help make the current amount of running more exciting.

For there is an argument that on a typical grand prix weekend, three practice sessions are too many.

The concern is it gives teams almost an excessive amount of time to hone their set-ups and strategy for qualifying and the race, and therefore remove any potential jeopardy that comes from being under-prepared.

One of the successes of the sprint weekend format is that the reduction in practice running, with just a single session before qualifying, has added a greater intensity to the event.

Teams…