Ross Brawn is open to reviving non-championship races in Formula 1 as a way to try out new ideas before implementing them to grand prix weekends.
Ex-Ferrari and Benetton technical chief Brawn returned to F1 in January after three years away, taking up the role of sporting managing director following Liberty Media's takeover.
Brawn has been tasked with improving F1's on-track spectacle and bringing stability to the series following a period of constant change in the sporting regulations, the most recent example being the failed attempt to shake up qualifying at the start of 2016.
Speaking to Reuters in Barcelona during the first pre-season test, Brawn said that he was open to bringing back non-championship races as a way to trial new ideas instead of directly impacting race weekends.
"We often had non-championship races in the old days but getting it all to work is another matter," Brawn said.
"It needs to be commercially viable of course, and that's the challenge.
"Again, it couldn't just be 'pick ideas out of a hat'. It needs to be properly thought through, but maybe an opportunity."
Non-championship races were common in F1 from the formation of the world championship in 1950 until the 1980s. The last non-championship race was held at Brands Hatch in 1983, won by Keke Rosberg from pole position for Williams.
Discussion about this post