Todt: F1 race weekend format won’t change for now

FIA President Jean Todt says the current Formula One race weekend format won’t change for now, despite several drivers asking for a revamp.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen recently spoke in favour of a more condensed format after heavy rain massively disrupted the United States Grand Prix, saying “it would be much nicer to run two-day weekends.”

The FIA itself brought the idea of a reshuffle forward last summer when it announced “several exciting and innovative changes to the qualifying and race weekend formats” in the wake of a Strategy Group meeting.

Still looking for innovative ways to give F1 a fresh impetus amidst decreasing fan interest and race attendance, the sport’s governing body even explained that such overhaul could happen as early as 2016.

“It's quite simple: so far, we have not found anything that would appear to be better than the current format,” Todt is quoted is saying by Speed Week.

“If we find something that we truly think represent a step forward, then we would look at it very closely.”

Raikkonen is not the only driver supporting a change in weekend format, so is newly crowned triple world champion Lewis Hamilton.

In order to spice things up, the avenue of having two races per championship round – something fairly common across the feeder series – has also been explored, though several drivers appear less keen.

“I love racing, but I'm traditional on some things so I'm not in favour of it,” Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel had declared at Silverstone earlier this year.

“A grand prix should be a grand prix. I know it's only a qualifying race but it will take some of the spectacle from Sunday.”

Also quizzed on the topic during the same British Grand Prix weekend, Mercedes rival Nico Rosberg shares his countryman’s views in terms of respecting the sport's history and heritage.

“We're all here anyway, so it's something to look into,” had said the Mexican Grand Prix winner.

“The only thing I find a pity is it goes away from the Formula One tradition, that's the biggest thing that would bother me.

“It's like suddenly having seven Grand Slams in tennis instead of four, that would really bother people.”

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