For the six sprint rounds this season, starting in Azerbaijan later this month, the Saturday races are expected to transition to become standalone events with no bearing on the main Sunday showpiece.
Previously, the finishing order of the shorter sprint race set the grid for the following grand prix. But drivers argued that this disincentivised riskier late overtakes.
As such, a bonus qualifying session for the sprint race will replace the redundant FP2 slot on Saturday to keep the day’s events self-contained.
Meanwhile, the Friday afternoon qualifying session will independently decide the full GP grid.
While a formal vote is required for this to be adopted in time for Baku, Vasseur says the entire field is behind the proposal that is conceived to create a more exciting spectacle.
He said: “For once I think all the teams were aligned. It’s not very often that is the case, so we have to jump on it.”
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal and General Manager, Scuderia Ferrari
Photo by: Ferrari
Vasseur said that a second practice session offered little to fans, hence the shift to a more “dynamic” arrangement.
He continued: “For sure, the format is more dynamic.
“You can discuss about to do it so late but at the end of the day, I think that if we are all aligned then we have to push for it.
“I like the format. I’m not a big fan of the usual FP2. Sometimes it’s a bit boring.
“Not for us, because we have a lot of data. But I can imagine for the spectators, if you don’t know about the level of fuel, the engine mode and so on, it’s probably a bit boring.
“To try to have something more dynamic during the weekend is a good decision.”
Vasseur then drew comparison with football, saying that F1 was out of step with all major leagues – where they do not broadcast private training sessions.
He said: “On the other hand, I think that also it’s true that if you watch football, you are not watching the session on Wednesday when they are training in the stadium.
“We are probably the only sport where we are putting on TV the training session.”
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