Formula 1 set for weekend overhaul in 2015

[Rob]

Formula 1 is poised for a revised weekend format in 2015, with Friday's practice schedule set for an overhaul, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

Teams have been debating various ideas to try to reduce costs in the future, and one proposal that has gained support is to revise the Friday timetable next year.

Sources have revealed that teams have now provisionally agreed to scrap the current format of two 90-minute sessions that has been in place for years.

Instead they want just a single 90-minute practice session on Fridays in 2015 - which is likely to take place late in the afternoon. It could even begin as late as 5pm.

The idea behind this move is that it will allow teams and personnel to arrive at grands prix one day later than they currently do, which will save significant costs on hotel and other related travel expenses.

Although there will be less official track action, teams believe the change will also be acceptable to race promoters because the later start gives local fans more opportunity to attend without having to miss a whole day's work or school.

Although the proposal has been supported by teams, it still needs to go through the Formula 1 Commission and the FIA World Motor Sport Council for approval before it can be put into the 2015 regulations.

Meetings of both these bodies are scheduled for later this month, and it is unlikely - although not impossible - that the idea gets rejected.

F1's race promoters, who sit on the F1 Commission, may not support the teams' view that the new format will be good for Friday ticket sales.

Other proposals that are understood to have been approved are a ban on in-season testing and a reduction in pre-season running, plus tighter parc ferme restrictions on grand prix weekends to stop teams flying in last-minute updates.

While there has been a push to change sporting regulations to reduce costs, F1's smaller teams are still eager for a cost cap as well.

However, the FIA has abandoned its push for this idea because of resistance from bigger outfits.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/114297

[Rob]

This, im not a fan of. 1 practice session of 90 minutes, people moan now about not enough track action.

[Hornet]

Are they trying to give the fans even more reasons to NOT spend on attending a GP.

I mean look at the grand stands here in FP2 session, I'd say they look pretty crowded. Fans do attend Friday practice and they want to see action throughout the day.

[PadGeT]

This, im not a fan of. 1 practice session of 90 minutes, people moan now about not enough track action.

And what do they do in FP1 anyways?
1 practice session is fine for me, maybe because I wont be able to attend any GP weekends in the forseeble feature.
But if you are talking about increasing track efficiency, it better if they can somehow compensate that with in-season testing days.
That would certainly be more beneficial for bigger teams like us.

[Rob]

And what do they do in FP1 anyways?
1 practice session is fine for me, maybe because I wont be able to attend any GP weekends in the forseeble feature.
But if you are talking about increasing track efficiency, it better if they can somehow compensate that with in-season testing days.
That would certainly be more beneficial for bigger teams like us.

Less running time, less testing new parts etc etc. Ticket prices will, i reckon stay the same. That 90 minutes session, will be bad dash. No real good running or testing the new parts. Not good.

[Suzie]

Rubbish idea.

[PadGeT]

FP1 is too short to have a proper testing and evaluation of new parts anyways. They have to juxtapose them with the usual settings parameter changes.
That's why I say it would better if they could have a full day testing day at their expense. After all we want to see faster cars. Thats one way to ensure that.

[Nero Horse]

I like it just the way it is right now. Two FPs on Friday and one on Saturday is perfect. Sometimes I think they're trying to change things just for the sake of changing something.

[Greig]

Rubbish idea.

This.

[Alonso14]

Oh yeah, let's do that. Hell, let's even remove all FPs, having qualy decided by a coin toss and 3-lap races.

[tifosi1993]

So no in-season testing & less free practice time? what a load of rubbish.

[PadGeT]

Its all becoming a simulation game.

[LivingHitokiri]

IF they are trying to promote and sell tickets to the fans i think they are doing it wrong.

[Suzie]

IF they are trying to promote and sell tickets to the fans i think they are doing it wrong.

Definitely - especially if the one session happens to be wet and people don't come out until the last few minutes, if at all. Spent most of FP2 in Monaco looking at an empty track because of the hailstones beforehand.

[Alessandra]

Take a look at the photo at the top of this thread. Isn't that beautiful?
F1 is beautiful. The various settings of the tracks and the sight of these lovely machines, not to mention the noise they make - so I won't - is one of the reasons I fell in love with F1 many years ago. At a practice session.
These practice events are unique to F1. I can't immediately think of another sport where you can just drop in and watch the teams practising.

I liked the notion that dropping P1 would stop people bunking off school and work! F1 management in a fit of virtuousness is always funny. When we were at Spa and were leaving the track at lunchtime a crowd of children from the local primary school, in the care of their teachers, were just arriving for a look around and an opportunity to see for themselves the reason for their small town being almost closed down to anyone not connected with the race. They were so excited!

Not everyone can afford the price of attending race+quali days, but practices are relatively cheap. If they’re really thinking of the fans then they should leave practice days well alone.
I’m not an accountant or an economist so whilst agreeing that F1 needs to scale down its costs I leave such people to work on that, but I would suggest that perhaps races in places where the sport is not of interest to or affordable to the local working communities perhaps should be abandoned?We know who they are - they're where the seats are empty or covered so we won't see them.
Don’t withdraw a practice session, which may be the best many ‘real’ fans can hope to attend.