Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn confirmed that the sport may not continue with Sprint qualifying if the new format will not be appreciated by the public, while at the same time adding that the format will not be used merely at those venues willing to pay the highest price.
The 2021 British Grand Prix at Silverstone marks the debut of Sprint qualifying, the controversial new format that, it is hoped, will revitalise race weekends and spring a few surprises. Ironically, the format is introduced at Silverstone, one of a handful of circuits that can claim to be the ‘home of motorsport’, and the venue that hosted the very first round of the Formula One World Championship back in 1950.
With many fans (and drivers) expressing doubt over the format, the F1 PR machine has been in overdrive, and once again Ross Brawn has become its public face.
Ross Brawn insists that this weekend, and again at Monza and another, as yet unspecified, venue, the sprint qualifying format is a trial and if it doesn’t work it will be dropped.
“We will never force this through if it is clearly not a success. There’s no incentive in doing it if the audience don’t engage, if we don’t see a strong engagement from the fans, and we don’t see the benefits. One of the great things about what’s happening is that it is three races, it’s not the season. In the past, F1 has always struggled with the fact that when it’s made an adjustment, it’s made it theoretically for the season.” – the Formula 1 managing director added.
“We all remember the qualifying fiasco, a few years ago,” he continued, referring to the elimination format that was dropped after just a few weekends, “which luckily sort of got corrected partway through the season. I think that was one that everybody forecast was going to be a struggle, and it turned out to be. This is three events where we’re going to trial this format. And if it’s not a success, if we don’t get the response we hope, then we’ll put our hands up and then we’ll stay where we are and we’ll look at other initiatives.” – the former Ferrari boss continued.
While the new format has its very own sponsor, there are fears that if it is successful and becomes a regular feature at selected events, it will be a case of selling it to those venues willing to pay the most.
“In any organisation you have people at each end of the scale. We have our commercial people beating the commercial drum, and we have our racing people beating the racing drum. So it will be up to Stefano and myself, and one or two others, to make a recommendation of who should be the primary candidates, and the teams will have a say in that as well. But it will be a blend. I hope we can get the commercial benefit from all the venues that we go to, because then that will be a stronger argument for the teams to want to do it,” he admitted. “So I don’t think we will sell out on this, because it has to be a success. If we go to circuits where it doesn’t work and it doesn’t offer any overall benefit, then we know it will have a short life. I think we need to make sure we go to circuits where we can demonstrate the value of this and the excitement and success of it, and then we’ll go from there.” – Ross Brawn concluded.
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