Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has called for fleeting changes to ensure Formula 1 remains the worlds most popular motorsport series.
The outspoken Italian believes the race format no longer appeals to younger fans due to the length of the races, which he believes are far too long. He suggests they’re split in to two parts, much like GP2 is over a two-day period.
“Looking at young people, it [the length of races] is too long,” he said after a meeting with FIA president Jean Todt and Bernie Ecclestone in Monza.
“Maybe I’m wrong but I think we have to look very carefully what we can do to improve the show of F1,” he added. “I give you one example, how long is the race, an hour and a half? Maybe this is too long for young people, maybe it is good instead to have the race in two parts.
“Maybe I’m wrong but we have to look at how we can improve the show, we cannot always stay the same.”
He also suggested the races are held at an inconvenient time for fans who wish to be elsewhere on the weekend at that time of the day.
“I don’t think it’s good to race in July and August at 2pm when the people are in the sea or on vacation. Soccer plays at 6, 7, 8 o’clock.”
Continuing his argument that F1 must adapt, Di Montezemolo turned to cost cutting measures and says more must be done to reduce the amount spent on developments which go unnoticed by fans.
“We want an F1 with less cost. Tell me why we have to spend a huge amount to do a small wing flap that for the public [interest] is zero, for the television is zero, and for me as a road-car manufacturer it is less than zero because we will never use this for the road car?
“Ferrari has been in F1 for more than 60 years. The success in F1 is crucial. Ferrari will remain in F1 if F1 is F1 and not a race for electric cars or games. It is innovation and technology and, if you have to spend money, you spend it for the advanced research and not for something that is nothing to do with competition.”
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