The two-day format Formula 1 is using for the first time at Imola could be adopted at more races in 2021.
This weekend, teams and drivers have only had one 90-minute practice session on Saturday ahead of qualifying compared to the usual two on a Friday and another hour of running in FP3.
As F1 adds more and more races to the calendar, talk of reducing the length of a race weekend isn’t new, particularly with many feeling there is now too much practice.
So even though right now, there doesn’t appear any plans to use the shortened format more frequently, Haas boss Guenther Steiner says it can’t be ruled out.
“There was no talk about formats [in Monday’s F1 Commission meeting] but I think there will be like we are doing here, a two-day format to see how that works,” he said via Crash.net
“That could be made into the outcome if we agree on it, we could apply this format – if it works – through to some races next year, for example, if there are triple-headers it could be a two-day format.
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“I do not know all the contracts with the local promoters and the FOM so it’s maybe not right for me to say what they can and can’t do but I think we just need to be trying to be creative and apply what we learn.
“If we learn this weekend that this two-day format works well, why wouldn’t we apply it if it is legally possible with the contracts.”
Promoters are understood to be against the plan, given the revenues generated from Friday ticket sales and more, but with 23 races included in the draft 2021 calendar, F1 does need to do something to lessen the workload.
However, as it currently stands, there’s another threat lingering over next year from the continued Covid-19 pandemic.
And as more countries go back into lockdown as cases rise, the Haas chief was asked if the proposed calendar was too ambitious.
“If you start off with compromises you never get anything done,” he replied.
“F1 is working diligently to get a full race calendar in and if a few drop out, it’s never good, but it’s not as bad. If you wait until everything is 100 percent sure with this pandemic, you will never be until it’s over and that could be years away.
“But we will get smarter with how to work with it and maybe there is a vaccine. There are a lot of maybes out there which I am not able to answer but I think it is the right approach.
“Go wide open as if it would be normal and then go back from that one rather than build it up slowly.”