Vettel: Pointless to change F1 format

Sebastian Vettel fears changing the Formula 1 race format would not solve any issues and has urged the sport to look into other options.

Following Daniel Ricciardo’s support to shake-up F1 race weekends to have ‘less laps of nonsense’, the Ferrari driver has hit back at the idea and feels the Grand Prix format needs to be held on to.

While Vettel accepts fresh concepts and plans are needed to add excitement back into the sport, he’s urged Liberty Media to look elsewhere from changing race formats.

Rumours had been growing about introducing a Formula 2-style sprint race on Saturdays, with reverse grids also given consideration to provide closer racing.

“I think the format is fine. I think it’s wrong to look at changing the format,” Vettel said. “It’s not my decision so it’s a bit pointless to talk about it but I wouldn’t be a fan. I think it has been like that for a long time for a reason.

“I think the 300km Grand Prix is a Grand Prix. If you should make it half, then maybe for some people then a boring race is only half as boring but that’s not the way I look it.

“I think it’s a challenge, it’s a Grand Prix distance, when you do your first race and you’re surprised by how long the race can be and that’s a physical and mental challenge for that duration and I think it if it becomes a sprint race, I think it would be a different sport in a way. I wouldn’t mess with the format.

“I think we need to find other ways to get excitement and get the grid together and whatever but not the format.”

Any potential F1 race weekend changes would be introduced as part of the major rules overhaul planned for 2021.