World Cup of Motorsport & midweek races - How GP Blog would spice up Formula 1

For years Formula 1 has been criticised for being boring, repetitive, and un-competitive given how dominant the top teams are, but over the last season or so, some of the changes that have been forced upon the sport due to the coronavirus have made for some brilliant racing. We are currently in the middle of our first triple-header of the season and we are set to see sprint races later in the year, so we thought we’d take a look at a few other ways Formula 1 could innovate to make the sport more enticing and exciting for the fans.

Current plans

We’ll start by looking at some of the things Formula 1 are already experimenting with. We have completed one of three consecutive race weekends, something we became familiar with last weekend. It means more racing over a short period of time which in my opinion allows for more unpredictability because there’s less time to prepare between each race, especially if they are at different locations. We have to bare in mind that the drivers will need a break but I really think it could help add to the spectacle. Sprint races are also set to be introduced and are set to mix things up true and proper. There are three planned for 2021, the first of which will be at Silverstone. Quali will now take FP2’s place and the sprint race of around 17 laps will determine the grid for Sunday. A pit stop is not compulsory so it is going to be a flat out sprint to the finish. Now it has split opinions but we can’t wait, it’s something different and it could cause plenty of drama assuming it all goes to plan. There will be two other sprint races this season with Monza and Interlagos both rumoured to be the designations. 

Midweek races

Now this is where the video hots up as we pitch our ideas to spice up Formula 1, Liberty Media, I hope you’re paying attention. Forget the regular schedule of Friday, Saturday Sunday, repeat, we want midweek races. Lets say we run a standard race weekend in Austria as we have done, but instead of moving onto the next race the weekend after lets throw in a midweek race. Everyone loves midweek football under the floodlights so why not Formula 1. The grid could be a reverse of the previous race’s standings and you can even make it a sprint race to accomodate that. Shorter turn around, means less preparation for the teams and it means more drama for us fans, and hopefully the reverse grid will spice things up too and we’ll see some different drivers in the mix. 

Driver rotation

Next up we have driver lineups, lets turn these upsides down. Apart from last season where COVID forced some driver changes, nowadays we hardly ever see mid-season driver switch-ups. But what if there was an incentive, what if they gained a tactical advantage. I know I’ve already mentioned football but teams rotate their players based on their strategy, maybe F1 could do something similar. Say Lewis Hamilton was low on confidence going into a race and there was a track that didn't suit his driving style. Mercedes could opt to use a third driver lets say Stoffel Vandoorne who they think would have a better skill set for that race. Teams could have a squad of three or four drivers who they could rotate between. Now although this would affect the Drivers’ Championship significantly by just taking a week out we think maybe we could add in a rule where teams have to make changes at least twice a season say and it would depend on what their priorities were, the team or the individual. Most importantly I think it would place greater emphasis on the Constructors’ Championship which in my opinion is completely neglected. Fans would get their chance to see other drivers and all of a sudden the teams have a bit more personality to them and it gives the teams another factor to think about.

No F1 calendar should ever be the same

Now this one is maybe more realistic than the others but no Formula 1 calendar should ever be the same. By all means have your grade A races, eg Silverstone and Monaco, that always have a place but put them in different places on the calendar. Make it interesting like it’s a fixture reveal. The Grade B races well they interchange with each other, one year we go to Paul Ricard, the next we head to Kyalami. Lets get some of these old tracks back on the calendar and lets introduce new venues, I have no issue with that. If F1 wants to go to these different countries so be it, but lets not limit ourselves. That’s what Formula 1 is brilliant at, not being flexible, its so set in it’s ways and so driven by money. The sport is a global one, lets make it accesable to all. 

World Cup of Motorsport

And finally, the Euros are on right now so why not have a knockout tournament. One month, once every four years, representing their nation, all the drivers have to qualify so let's see if other drivers from other series can make an impact? Everyone races in the same car at a handful of circuits across the world. Lets crown a World Champion of Champions. 

I could go on forever with my ideas to spice up Formula 1 but as I said I want to hear yours. Let us know in the comments below.