Haas team boss Guenther Steiner thinks Formula 1 should have at least tried the reverse grid idea during this year’s doubleheader races.
With F1 set to host multiple rounds at one venue for the first time ever in 2020, one way to make each race unique was to replace qualifying with a 30-minute sprint race with the grid formed by reversing the championship standings.
Ultimately the bid to introduce it was blocked by Mercedes, who were the only team to prevent the unanimous support needed and that left the Haas chief frustrated.
“I’m not against it,” he told Autosport this week.
“We had an opportunity as we never had two races in the same place week after week, so to mix up the order, I think it would have been a good opportunity to try it out and see how it works.
“Then we can decide if it’s a gimmick, if you like it or if you don’t like it. I always say, I’m always prepared to try something.”
Also Read:
- F1 likely to approve reverse grid races in 2021 thanks to new regulation
- Ricciardo: A lot of scenarios where reverse grid F1 races wouldn’t work
- Mercedes thought reverse grid races would ‘interfere’ with Hamilton, Red Bull claim
Commenting on the idea, however, ex-Red Bull driver Mark Webber claimed that, by legitimising reverse grid races, it would open the door to other previously unthinkable concepts.
“Next we’ll have weight ballast, balancing performance. How far do we go?” Webber said on the F1 Nation podcast.
“I love entertainment, I love a good race, don’t get me wrong. I like seeing one or two guys out of position, we all do. It’s quite a novel thing to go through.
“Let’s be careful. For the people at home, and let’s keep in mind now that converting new people to our sport, and continuing to have new customers for our sport, it’s not the easiest sport to understand.
“I think if we confuse the customer, it’s treacherous water really. I don’t think you want to over-complicate things.”
The Haas chief though would note that if F1 didn’t like the impact a reverse grid race had on a Grand Prix weekend, the sport shouldn’t have been afraid to simply revert back to the original format.
“Always you need to be strong enough to say that if it didn’t work, you’re not getting stubborn and saying because we tried it you have to do it now [because] I want to prove myself right,” he added.
“If we tried it twice this year…we have two races and then evaluate afterwards, listened a little bit what the people say, and then say, ‘Hey, is it worthwhile to do or not?’
“If it is a gimmick for F1, let’s be done with that. [We] don’t do it again, because we’re not going to do two races again in the future [anyway] so you’ve got already a way out of it.
“If it is fantastic, let’s talk about introducing it to all the normal races.
“I’m always for giving you an opportunity to try things, therefore I would have voted for it yes.”