83 replies to this topic

[tom]

Havent seen another topic on this.
I would start a vote on it if I didnt seriously lack the technology guru genes.


I felt having no friday practice was a bit boring, not that I watch the whole practice sessions, but I'm used to having time sheets, comparing teammates etc, speculating over who ran light etc.

So for me I'd hate to have 1 day less f1 each weekend.

[Beri]

Do it more often. And preferably on tracks that are or either new to the calendar, or renowned for abrasive asphalt.

[smitten]

Something and nothing, for me.  Don't really see the point for the future (but understanding why it was in place for Imola)

 

Felt like everything was a bit rushed for the teams, but if it became the norm then they'd all just adapt.  Lots of jeopardy for the practice session, and will probably encourage drivers to be more conservative at the risk of not being able to run in quali if they prang it hard.  Won't change the pecking order and won't save the teams much money, but will reduce sponsor TV time. 

[SophieB]

Havent seen another topic on this.
I would start a vote on it if I didnt seriously lack the technology guru genes.


I felt having no friday practice was a bit boring, not that I watch the whole practice sessions, but I'm used to having time sheets, comparing teammates etc, speculating over who ran light etc.

So for me I'd hate to have 1 day less f1 each weekend.

 

I did you a poll! Hope it's what you would have asked.

[Marklar]

They can do it for races where a low attendance is expected but beyond that, no, it massively sucks for attending fans and in the end it probably doesnt make a great deal of a difference for the teams. As a TV viewer it's great though.

[Trust]

They can do it for races where a low attendance is expected but beyond that, no, it massively sucks for attending fans and in the end it probably doesnt make a great deal of a difference for the teams. As a TV viewer it's great though.

This. If I'm out there with a ticket, I would like as much time as possible. But as TV viewer it's kind of interesting when teams go to qualy without crucial information. There is possibility for more gambles than usual with strategies.

Edited by Trust, 09 November 2020 - 08:50.

[Branislav]

Personally I would like to see 2 days weekends and more races

 

Who need practice?

[Ruusperi]

I love free practice. It's sometimes more interesting and more action-filled than your typical processional F1 race with zero retirements. I would love if F1 had full Thursday themselves from 9am to 6pm and they would do full coverage of the day. Just imagine, 9 hours of action at Imola. Well, they basically did that around the year for decades when testing was still allowed. It's too bad they have limited budgets nowadays.

 

So yeah, I dislike limiting any track time. The more the better. The only exception might be races like Abu Dhabi, Sochi and Saudi Arabia, where, instead of a 3-day weekend, they should do a 0-day weekend (see what I did there?).

[P123]

As I rarely pay much attention to FP can't say I noticed any difference at all.  If F1 is to resort to two day weekends then they will need to find a way to fill Fridays.  Although anything would be better than a turgid FP session.

[Anja]

I rarely watch practice so personally I wouldn't care much if the friday action was gone, but at the same time I don't think it made a noticeable difference for the quali/race in Nurburgring or Imola (and those were "new" circuits so on regular ones it would probably matter even less). So without much advantage in that aspect I'd keep the practice for the sake of fans watching in the stands, but I don't have a strong opinion either way. 

[Burtros]

I love free practice. It's sometimes more interesting and more action-filled than your typical processional F1 race with zero retirements. I would love if F1 had full Thursday themselves from 9am to 6pm and they would do full coverage of the day. Just imagine, 9 hours of action at Imola. Well, they basically did that around the year for decades when testing was still allowed. It's too bad they have limited budgets nowadays.

So yeah, I dislike limiting any track time. The more the better. The only exception might be races like Abu Dhabi, Sochi and Saudi Arabia, where, instead of a 3-day weekend, they should do a 0-day weekend (see what I did there?).

Ever considered that all this practice might be why we get boring races? The teams get the unexpected out of the way in the oceans of practice time they are given every weekend. To much of a good thing is absolutely what is happening here.

Give them 60 mins of practice on a Friday after lunch using only the hardest tyre compound available for the weekend.

Not a second more and not a second less.

That’ll spice Sunday’s up.

Quality over quantity.

Edited by Burtros, 09 November 2020 - 09:41.

[Imperial]

I am "other" to both.

 

I'm normally working on a Friday, so in terms of action on the television, it didn't affect me one bit as I very rarely bother to tune in. In terms of how Saturday and Sunday turned out....it didn't really make any difference whatsoever. Whether that is in favour for or against making it permanent, I don't know.

 

I like to go to one or two European races, so in terms of on-track action I would be disappointed to permanently see no on-track F1 action on a Friday. But then, I also don't sit and watch all of practice at the track either. It's nice to see the cars on track again after a while away, but then after about 15 minutes it's time to go and wander the far more interesting attractions around the circuit.

 

I guess I'm really probably saying it doesn't matter one bit whether there are F1 cars on track on a Friday full stop...

[taz]

Do it for back-to-back races, this gives the teams a day extra for logistical reasons

[Lights]

The only downsides I can think of with having 2 day F1 weekends is that Friday's are great for most attending fans, and taking that away from them devalues their ticket.

As a result tickets should be made cheaper (lol, would they though?), less food, drinks, and F1 merchandise will be sold, which means less income for the circuits.

Then there's the commercial impact for F1 with sponsors getting less airtime. I don't know enough about it to conclude the impact of it all, but it doesn't sound positive, despite a decrease in running costs.

 

Ignoring the above, and as someone who's never going to attend another Grand Prix, I personally couldn't care less about losing the Friday. If they can make it work financially, I'm all for 2 day F1 weekends.

I rarely closely follow practice and I think one practice session on a Saturday morning is the right amount. With the increase in simulation nowadays more practice than that is simply overkill.

Another upside is that spending 1 day less at the circuits should in theory give the mechanics and staff more rest, and with the crazy amount of races we'll be having in the future that could be really needed.

[Clatter]

The only downsides I can think of with having 2 day F1 weekends is that Friday's are great for most attending fans, and taking that away from them devalues their ticket.

As a result tickets should be made cheaper (lol, would they though?), less food, drinks, and F1 merchandise will be sold, which means less income for the circuits.

Then there's the commercial impact for F1 with sponsors getting less airtime. I don't know enough about it to conclude the impact of it all, but it doesn't sound positive, despite a decrease in running costs.

 

Ignoring the above, and as someone who's never going to attend another Grand Prix, I personally couldn't care less about losing the Friday. If they can make it work financially, I'm all for 2 day F1 weekends.

I rarely closely follow practice and I think one practice session on a Saturday morning is the right amount. With the increase in simulation nowadays more practice than that is simply overkill.

Another upside is that spending 1 day less at the circuits should in theory give the mechanics and staff more rest, and with the crazy amount of races we'll be having in the future that could be really needed.

 

I feel more or less the same. I was away last weekend, so didn't even notice, but in general as a TV viewer I won't really notice. I'm also unlikely to attend another GP unless someone else is paying, but I do think the paying customer is going to be short changed with the new format. Whether that impacts on the gate is an unknown, but Friday attendance does appear to vary greatly depending on the country. Not really expecting it to have much impact on the racing, but there is the chance that some will not get their setup sorted. Chances are it will be the smaller teams that are affected most though.

[Ruusperi]

Ever considered that all this practice might be why we get boring races?

That's so far-fetched explanation it has never occurred to my mind. Without doubt, Mercedes will win even if there are no practice sessions. Races are boring because the teams are locked in terms of pace, and since they are not allowed to test, they can't improve during the season. Races are boring because all overtaking is artificial due to DRS. Races are boring because reliability is so good nowadays. Exciting races result from unexpected conditions like rain, technical problems, safety cars, collisions etc.

 

Besides, from a fan's point of view, I don't really mind what teams are doing in testing. I just want to see cars circulating tracks, it's wonderful, it's relaxing, it's pure. I understand casual viewers care only about races and fights, but F1 is so much more. A lot is missed if Friday is taken away.

[Burtros]

That's so far-fetched explanation it has never occurred to my mind. Without doubt, Mercedes will win even if there are no practice sessions. Races are boring because the teams are locked in terms of pace, and since they are not allowed to test, they can't improve during the season. Races are boring because all overtaking is artificial due to DRS. Races are boring because reliability is so good nowadays. Exciting races result from unexpected conditions like rain, technical problems, safety cars, collisions etc.

Besides, from a fan's point of view, I don't really mind what teams are doing in testing. I just want to see cars circulating tracks, it's wonderful, it's relaxing, it's pure. I understand casual viewers care only about races and fights, but F1 is so much more. A lot is missed if Friday is taken away.

I’m not a casual viewer.

And you are deluding yourself if you think it’s ‘far fetched’ that all the practice helps make races boring.

Practice goes towards eliminating errors and the unexpected and optimises performance in all walks of life... We wouldn’t practice anything if it didn’t. So yeah, go ahead and argue F1 is the exception to that rule.....

Edited by Burtros, 09 November 2020 - 10:23.

[rf90]

With no fans allowed, I'm perfectly ok with just 2 days. When we allow fans again I think Friday should be a part of the F1 weekend, for their benefit mainly,  but maybe reduce the FPs to 1hr each.

[ANF]

I didn't like that the weekend started only a couple of hours before qualifying. It felt very rushed.
How about giving them an hour of free practice on Friday afternoon and an hour on Saturday morning? The current four hours is way too much.

[PayasYouRace]

The teams have so much data available that they don’t need more than an hour of practice for each race, just to do final checks. The four hours or so they currently have are just to much, so they generally go into qualifying with everything sorted.

Fridays can be devoted to support race action. Seems like they’re going that way with 3 races for F2 and F3 anyway.

[Kalmake]

I didn't like that the weekend started only a couple of hours before qualifying. It felt very rushed.
How about giving them an hour of free practice on Friday afternoon and an hour on Saturday morning? The current four hours is way too much.

Because the point is to cut a day off the schedule.

[PlatenGlass]

It makes no difference to me watching on TV whether it's two or three days. As for those at the track:

 

Fridays can be devoted to support race action. Seems like they’re going that way with 3 races for F2 and F3 anyway.

This makes sense. I've been to races before and watching F1 practice on Friday isn't that exciting. More support races would be better.

[Risil]

It felt like part of the weekend was missing, but Friday was no great loss for me sitting at home.

 

I'm not 100% sure that this would be a great move for the competitive balance: surely the bigger teams with more data and simulators will arrive better-prepared than the smaller ones? You might get more randomness and incident but it's probably more likely to ruin Williams' weekend than Mercedes'.

[BRG]

The teams have so much data available that they don’t need more than an hour of practice for each race, just to do final checks.

Exactly.  A three day meeting with so much F1 practice is just a symptom of the chronic F1 disease of flushing as much money down the toilet as they can manage.  If the novices in F3 and F2 can manage with so much less practice, why can't the gods of F1?  Racing is for the weekend, not for weekdays - unless you are NASCAR of course.

[ANF]

Because the point is to cut a day off the schedule.

I see the point but I think it's a bad idea.

[ANF]

It felt like part of the weekend was missing, but Friday was no great loss for me sitting at home.
 
I'm not 100% sure that this would be a great move for the competitive balance: surely the bigger teams with more data and simulators will arrive better-prepared than the smaller ones? You might get more randomness and incident but it's probably more likely to ruin Williams' weekend than Mercedes'.

It's probably more likely to ruin the weekend for rookies as well?

[Marklar]

Fridays can be devoted to support race action. Seems like they’re going that way with 3 races for F2 and F3 anyway.

as somebody who has only attended F1 races in the past 8 years for practice sessions I disagree with that. During practice you are mostly allowed to run freely around the track, checking out F1 cars at every corner is an unbeatable experience that practice offers you that other sessions simply cant.

[noikeee]

Idk for the premier category of the sport I kind of like having drivers and teams well practiced and optimised at their best, rather than still getting up to speed throughout the sessions that count - and it will only make it even harder for rookies and make teams less keen to take risks on drivers choice. Though I can see why practising to oblivion isn't conductive to good racing, and I can see the cost cutting argument too.

Sitting on the fence of this one.

[dissident]

Didn't like it and on the long run it would do nothing for the "randomness" many are hoping for.

 

I would however support a single 2H session instead of the 2x 90m sessions we have now.

[SenorSjon]

The teams have so much data available that they don’t need more than an hour of practice for each race, just to do final checks. The four hours or so they currently have are just to much, so they generally go into qualifying with everything sorted.

Fridays can be devoted to support race action. Seems like they’re going that way with 3 races for F2 and F3 anyway.

 

But if you are wrong, you can't correct it and we see Mercedes run away with another race. 

 

Those condensed weekends are very bad for rookies, who hardly can test as well. Iirc, there is a new rule parc fermé starts friday 9.00 (or saturday morning depending on 2 day weekend) so you race what you bring and can't do a thing about it. So hello locked in advantage. As if F1 doesn't want to learn from their tokenspell with the engines.

[Garndell]

This is only economically viable at Dictator-Tracks like Bahrain, China etc, while tracks like Silverstone, Spa etc simply can't afford to lose the Friday revenue, ticket prices are already at the upper range of acceptable before numbers drop off too much.

[Arundo]

Dont like it and dont want it in the future. 

 

Missed the friday last weekend, the reason was clear last weekend why they went for a two day weekend.

But the idea to make F1 more random with 2 day weekend is again in the same spot as DRS and reverse grid races, the FIA cant fix the issue with the cars to get close racing so they come up with these BS measures.

Edited by Arundo, 09 November 2020 - 13:35.

[Peter Perfect]

No and no.

 

Personally I'd like to see multi-race weekends with plenty of practice beforehand. Less practice time means less time to prove developments and correct design mistakes (see McLaren previously using multiple races as test sessions to work out what was wrong with their design, and Ferrari this year). I want to see a competitive F1, not a lottery.

[F1Gui]

I would rather they brought back Friday qualifying. 1hr for practice and 1hr for qualifying for both fri and sat. Would make it much more interesting.

[SenorSjon]

I would only agree with 2-day weekends if they would lift the testing ban. Since the ban, only Red Bull and Mercedes (in '09 as Brawn) won championships. Since 2008, either a Renault or Mercedes powered engine won the title.

[Calum]

I'm able to have at least one eye on the most Friday practice in years this season!

 

Work-from-home means the TV can be on in the background. I'm sure I'm not the only one taking advantage... 

[flingsofdeon]

Turn Friday into a Young Driver / testing day - with the race drivers only driving on the Saturday and Sunday ala Imola.

To be honest, so much of the format I’d shake up...

[Clatter]

I would only agree with 2-day weekends if they would lift the testing ban. Since the ban, only Red Bull and Mercedes (in '09 as Brawn) won championships. Since 2008, either a Renault or Mercedes powered engine won the title.

 

2009 was more Honda than Merc.

[SenorSjon]

I doubt the Honda PU could make it work. the Merc was a better engine and more reliable.

[Frank Tuesday]

The cars are only on track for 7 hours on a 3 day weekend.  Such a massive waste of time.  A full Friday just to have 3 hours of practice, in which absolutely nothing important happens.  With simulations and restrictive rules, the cars are so close to ready to go right out of the box that Friday's are completely unnecessary.  They could do a one day race meeting and almost nothing would be different during the race.  The same cars will be at the front, and the same cars will be at the back.  Just have Practice from 9.00-10.00, Qualifying from 11.00-12.00, and race from 14.00-16.00.  To make the weekend worth while, have support races and an open paddock with drivers doing signatures on Saturday.  

 

And have Friday open for limited test days with number of day restrictions based on previous year's constructor results.  P1-P10 get 2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and 12 Fridays respectively to use as testing throughout the year. 

Edited by Frank Tuesday, 09 November 2020 - 15:00.

[Atreiu]

I would like to see profound changes to the weekend format, but this is entirely inconsequential.

I am indifferent to it.

[cjm321190]

They should do it for European races so we can have more races. Then we can get Portugal, mugello imola Turkey, or 2 of these back on the calendar.

Have the fly aways a 3 week gap Europe then a break before the final leg.

[SenorSjon]

The cars are only on track for 7 hours on a 3 day weekend.  Such a massive waste of time.  A full Friday just to have 3 hours of practice, in which absolutely nothing important happens.  With simulations and restrictive rules, the cars are so close to ready to go right out of the box that Friday's are completely unnecessary.  They could do a one day race meeting and almost nothing would be different during the race.  The same cars will be at the front, and the same cars will be at the back.  Just have Practice from 9.00-10.00, Qualifying from 11.00-12.00, and race from 14.00-16.00.  To make the weekend worth while, have support races and an open paddock with drivers doing signatures on Saturday.  

 

And have Friday open for limited test days with number of day restrictions based on previous year's constructor results.  P1-P10 get 2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and 12 Fridays respectively to use as testing throughout the year. 

 

With the day roughly from 9.00-17.00 they are on track for 7/24=29% of the time. You have other classes in the same weekend, time to clean up the track, time for ceremonies, etc. 

 

The current rules are not written with rookies in mind.

[alframsey]

I enjoyed the trial and could understand why it happened but, I absolutely have no idea whether it really changed much over the weekend. I personally enjoy having three days of cars on track.

[Frank Tuesday]

With the day roughly from 9.00-17.00 they are on track for 7/24=29% of the time. You have other classes in the same weekend, time to clean up the track, time for ceremonies, etc. 

 

The current rules are not written with rookies in mind.

Support races on Friday and Saturday.  Sunday is exclusively for F1.  An hour between P and Q, and 2 between Q and R is plenty to clean the track, particularly if you don't have mediocre support class drivers making messes. 

[tom]

Opinions are alot more divided than I expected.
I'm in the 'something was missing' camp.

Just having a day less f1, there was a noticeable lull in the weekend.
I live in New Zealand so any f1 action is usually occuring while I'm snoozing.
But when I wake, that F1 action is the first thing I check/watch. So Saturday really lacked something.

Maybe the fact I missed friday practice means I dont have enough going on in my life?
But hell, we all no the off season is torture so us F1 junkies need all the track time we can get before then.

Edited by tom, 09 November 2020 - 16:50.

[CHIUNDA]

I'm able to have at least one eye on the most Friday practice in years this season!

Work-from-home means the TV can be on in the background. I'm sure I'm not the only one taking advantage...

Absolutely. I am a TV fan and still hated the format. F1 cars and noise are hard wired somewhere in my brain after years of watching everything over the weekend, so I was very disoriented.

Besides, it disadvantages everyone and usually that means the smaller poorer teams will fall farther back and have worse reliability. Who wants that?

[SenorSjon]

Support races on Friday and Saturday. Sunday is exclusively for F1. An hour between P and Q, and 2 between Q and R is plenty to clean the track, particularly if you don't have mediocre support class drivers making messes.

Unless someone bins it and can't compete in the race...

[AustinF1]

 I like the buildup and the tempo increasing throughout the weekend, from a slower start on Friday...and I miss the Friday running. Friday is my favorite day when attending in person. Easy, cheap, 3 hours of track time, not at all crowded, at least not at COTA.

 

I do think less running time might make it a little more unpredictable, but if that's what they want, imho a surer and better way would be leaving the schedule unchanged and reducing the amount of data acquisition the teams can do via the airwaves, thus cutting into the crazy amount of simulation they do.

[Frank Tuesday]

Unless someone bins it and can't compete in the race...

Don't bin it.  Yes that sounds simple, but making good decisions is part of being a success.  Part of having a successful race would be to not miss the race because you wrecked your car.  Best drivers in the world should be able to do that almost all of the time.  And if they can't, they know the risks and rewards of what they are doing.