REVERSED GRID BACKLASH
Formula 1 chiefs and teams are unmoved in their determination to run experimental reversed grid races next year, even though drivers have labelled the idea as “bullshit”.
F1 owner Liberty Media aims to revamp grand prix racing from 2021 onwards and has been discussing trialling experimental race-weekend formats next year. Given the rules stability, and possibility of the action getting a bit stale with a 22-race schedule, it wants to run a Saturday qualifying race at three or four events. The grid for these races will be determined by reversing the drivers’ championship order.
The idea is this will spice up the weekends, and also provide a relatively unambiguous means of determining whether such
concepts should be carried forwards. While teams are in agreement that experiments are worthy, drivers are not.
A number of them have spoken out against the idea, and Sebastian Vettel was the most pointed. “I think it is complete bullshit, to be honest,” he declared.
The drivers’ remarks prompted F1 CEO Chase Carey and managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn to address them privately, and explain why they believed the experiments were needed. While Brawn would not elaborate on the specifics of what was discussed, he did explain F1 needed to think outside the box to keep fans entertained.
“The solutions we are working on will not be a panacea for all our woes, but they are necessary if we are to change,” he said. “Staying put and hoping that an ‘invisible hand’ will make everything right, and achieve all the goals we and other stakeholders set ourselves when we began this work two and a half years ago, is not realistic.”
Despite these assurances, the drivers’ stance has remained consistent. They believe F1’s biggest focus should not be on ‘band aid’ solutions such as reversed grids.
Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director Romain Grosjean told F1 Racing: “I think the GPDA point is that, and it’s from 100% of drivers, that the problem is not the way the weekends are, the problems are bigger than that.
“It’s tyres; why there is such a big gap [on track] between the cars: because the tyres are just so sensitive. Also it’s money distribution, when the money is spread out like this, how can you get a close championship? Then it is weight of the car, which is very much related to helping the tyres. And aero sensitivity, which F1 is working on.”
For now the drivers look likely to lose the battle against reversed grid races; but they could yet win the war if their four key demands are put into place for 2021.
“THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE WAY THE WEEKENDS ARE, THE PROBLEMS ARE BIGGER THAN THAT. IT’S TYRES, IT’S MONEY DISTRIBUTION, IT'S WEIGHT OF THE CAR ROMAIN GROSJEAN