The paddock hasn't even closed the door on winter testing yet, and the bombshell has already dropped. Flavio Briatore, back at the helm of Alpine F1 Team, wants to revolutionize the Grand Prix weekend: 24 sprint races. One per weekend. No exceptions. A format that already exists in MotoGP…
And if he doesn't get that? Otherwise, let's get rid of Friday altogether! " HAS 75 For years, the Italian has lost none of his taste for provocation, launching this frontal attack against "useless" Fridays. BriatoreThe problem is simple: Friday doesn't serve the show.
He doesn't mince words: What do fans see on a Friday? They are just engineers working on the settings »
Translation: too much calculation, not enough action. Free practice sessions have become a hermetic technical laboratory, far removed from the expectations of a public that pays to see cars fight, not to observe simulations of long runs.
His reasoning is clear: if F1 wants to remain a global premium product, it must offer competitive content from day one.
The MotoGP model in the sights of the Flavio Briatore version of F1
Briatore Look elsewhere. And especially towards the MotoGPSince 2023, the motorcycle discipline has incorporated a Sprint race at each Grand PrixResult: constant tension, stakes from Saturday onwards, increased visibility.
For him, F1 should draw inspiration from this dynamic: "with the Sprints, The pilots are fighting for something »
He reportedly even brought up the subject directly with Stefano Domenicali : to make the Sprint a fixed element of the weekend, no longer an exception reserved for a few appointments.
In short: Friday = competition, Saturday = competition, Sunday = Grand Prix. No more breathing room. No more gradual build-up. Non-stop entertainment.
Naturally, the proposal is divisive. Purists believe that increasing the number of sprint races would dilute the value of Sunday's Grand Prix. That too many races kill the event.
But Briatore reverses the logic: People want to see competition, not a glorified workout »
For him, F1 can no longer be satisfied with a weekend built around a single key moment. In the age of streaming, social media, and instant consumption, each day must produce its climax.
The question goes beyond the simple arithmetic of Sprints. It touches the very heart of the product. F1Should we preserve the tradition of technical Fridays, or accept that sport is becoming a permanent spectacle? FIA Will she dare to take the plunge? Will the teams follow?
One thing is certain: with Briatore In this room, the debate will never be lukewarm. And if Formula 1 refuses to change, he seems ready to push it to its limits.
The message is clear: either you offer 24 weekends of maximum tension, or you admit that Friday is no longer useful. In either case, the status quo is over.
