The 2024 F1 season brings few novelties. Within the framework of a stable and unchangeable regulation until 2026, which will produce cars in continuity with the models of the 2022-2023 biennium, the season will unfold with 24 races. No new circuits compared to the previous year, except for Imola, skipped due to flooding, and Shanghai, an old acquaintance returning after the challenging years of Covid-19.
The six sprint race weekends that have become a pillar of the all-entertainment model desired by Liberty Media Corporation are also confirmed. The venues for these events will be Shanghai, Miami, Austria, Austin, Brazil, and Qatar. There is a possibility, discussed in the F1 Commission, that the qualifying or the sprint race itself may undergo further modifications.
Over the years, the system has undergone changes that, apparently, do not fully satisfy the ownership, which aims to increase the average fan engagement to sell the product even better. The sprint race weekend needs to be perfected, especially regarding related issues such as those concerning the Parc Fermé.
F1, Sprint Race: Changes to Parc Fermé and More
After the Austin Grand Prix weekend, criticism of Parc Fermé erupted. The accusation is that the system is not compatible with the fast-race format because it limits the definition of the setup to only Friday morning. The events in Texas are well known: two cars, Ferrari No. 16 and Mercedes No. 44, did not comply with Article 3.5.9, paragraph E, of the technical regulations.
The disqualification for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton was automatic and unappealable. Both involved teams, after observations by Jo Bauer, the FIA’s technical delegate, had sent a representative to speak with the stewards, trying to explain that the high wear of the non-slip pads was likely the result of a combination of a bumpy track and the sprint race schedule, which had minimized the time to set up and check the car before the race.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
Understandable justifications but ones that could not generate exemptions not provided for by the rules. The stewards had no choice but to exclude the two cars from the finishing order. In other circumstances, no one would have complained, but the fact that Austin coincided with a sprint race weekend has, in fact, triggered reactions from those penalized and others. What has emerged is a transversal movement that loudly calls for some changes in the Sprint Race system to avoid situations similar to those in the United States.
But this is not the only flaw in the system. What is missing, especially in the 100 km sprint, is that pinch of spice that makes the dish tastier. Often, the GPs have been a series of trains without excitement that could be guaranteed by a means of artifice that would have the merit of bringing a bit of unpredictability: a mandatory pit stop that would also determine a wider range of tire choices.
Zak Brown, McLaren’s team principal, has proposed a change that could be relatively easy to implement: “I think we need to review the format, and we are doing that,” he explained on the Track Limits podcast. “I think mandatory pit stops would be a good thing. If we had super-soft tires that wear out halfway through the race, you would have to decide whether to keep them or change them.”
“I believe it would be a way to condense the race into a mini Grand Prix and make it more effective because currently, there is no strategy.” An interesting perspective that would be easier to accept than convoluted measures like the one proposed, among others, by George Russell, who advocated for the inverted grid. A too significant gimmick even for the least reactionary fans.
Clearly, we are in the realm of proposals that, if necessary, need to be evaluated by the F1 Commission, which is responsible for regulatory changes of such magnitude. There is plenty of time to change things in 2024. Also, because Formula One has accustomed us to last-minute changes, especially when they meet the favor of the teams.
Source: Diego Catalano for FUnoanalisitecnica
Leave a Reply