Domenicali nuances statements: 'Should not be afraid of new things'

Stefano Domenicali has given some more explanation to Sky Sports about his statements about doing away with practice sessions. The Formula 1 boss says he does not necessarily want to get rid of practice sessions completely but does not want to get stuck in old routines either.

Domenicali recently evoked the ire of fans and several drivers when he suggested that Formula 1 could also do without practice sessions because it would be "not interesting for the fans." Drivers like George Russell and Pierre Gasly already reached out to Domenicali by suggesting that perhaps one or two fewer sessions could be done if it meant more testing time would go to the other series.

Speaking to Sky, Domenicali now explains his statements a bit more. "When you talk about an ant, it becomes an elephant!" the Formula 1 boss laughed. "There needs to be time to practice. Formula 1 has no free practice outside of the Grand Prix and people come to see the performance. The more chance you give to the teams and drivers to see who they are, the better it is for the show. On the other hand, we can't forget about the rookies. There needs to be a balance. Altogether we are thinking and working out what is the best plan."

'We have to understand what the fans want'

"F1 is very popular at the moment," Domenicali continued. "We should not be afraid and we should be assertive in trying new formats. Not because we don't respect tradition, but because it would be wrong not to try anything new. You have old fans like me who have a certain idea of what a weekend should look like, and you have a new generation asking for something new. The sport continues to evolve and change. It is a mistake not to recognise that. It's important to recognise what the fans want."

"We have to consider that we are at the start of an incredible period where F1 is strong," Domenicali continued. "It's not because we don't respect the tradition, but it would be wrong not to think about it. We don't have to be shy. There are people like me, old fans, that have certain ideas of the formula for the weekend, but also the new generation are more aggressive in asking for something different. The sport is evolving. If we don't realise that, it's a mistake. That's why we have to be on the front foot to understand what the fans want."