Formula 1 should grasp the opportunity to trial reforms

Back-to-back races at Spielberg and Silverstone? Yes, please! Formula 1 took a step closer to starting the 2020 season, announcing that the first eight races would all be held in Europe, starting in Austria on 3-5 July. There will be back-to-back races in Austria and Great Britain, with the latter commencing after the first break of the season on 31 July.

There have been plans to introduce an experimental sprint race. The idea would see Saturdays’ qualifying replaced with a thirty-minute sprint race – with the starting order based on championship positions, but in reverse. The results of the sprint would determine Sunday’s grand Prix grid order. A proposal was launched for the second races at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone in order to eliminate a repetitive pattern of what the previous races would show.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said the proposal gained “overwhelming support” when it was presented to the teams and the Fédération International de l’Automobile (FIA), adding that it “would seem the perfect time to try something different at [the] second event.”

Toto Wolff believes the format would interfere with Hamilton’s title bid

Zak Brown, McLaren team principal, agreed: “It would certainly add some jeopardy and some excitement to the sport, so I personally would be a fan of experimenting because we might find we go: you know what, this is actually a pretty good idea, let’s pull this forward into future use.”

Mercedes and Racing Point have opposed the idea; without unanimous support, a new rule can’t be enforced.

Mercedes have argued that the excitement generated by the sport alone should be sufficient, without the need for artificial measures. The Silver Arrows are pushing for Hamilton to achieve a record-equalling seventh championship – a feat only previously accomplished by Michael Schumacher.

Toto Wolff believes the format would interfere with Lewis’ seventh world championship bid, and it would be “too much of a variable.” F1 boss Chase Carey does not want these ideas to be “gimmicks,” admitting that history and tradition must be respected.

Montréal will surely be welcomed and could be a realistic option

For the F1 championship to be made official, at least eight races on three continents must take place. Once Europe is completed, races in China, Vietnam and Japan are expected to follow. Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are scheduled for 6 and 13 December, respectively, and are anticipated to be the final races of the season.

Hosting a race in China, however, may be met with controversy and F1 could choose not to race there. Racing in Europe and Asia leaves one continent left. Given the Covid-19 situation in Brazil, a race in South America seems unlikely. Montréal, a fan favourite, will surely be welcomed and could be a realistic option to satisfy FIA rules.

Unfortunately, because of the high rates of COVID-19, a Grand Prix is less likely to take place in the United States, Mexico, Azerbaijan and Russia. The changes leave a total of 18 races to be held, and F1 bosses expect at least 15 to be completed by the end of 2020.

George Russell has compared a closed-doors event to Formula 3 and 4

All drivers are delighted with the news, especially Hass driver Romain Grosjean: “We’re going to go racing. That’s awesome. Very happy to hear that we finally get some dates and we can go racing… I can’t wait to go racing, to see the team again, feel the car… it’s going to be a bit different than it was before for a little while but we go racing.”

George Russell has compared a closed-doors event to Formula 3 and 4 where there are just a couple of hundred people watching.

A reverse grid would give Formula 1 plenty of entertainment. We would see drivers usually running at the front overtake the pack. Midfield drivers would be forced to defend against the top three teams. Mercedes see this as a situation where, rather than creating dynamic overtaking situations, we would see a stream of slower cars overtaken with ease.

More autumn and winter races could mean more wet weather events

Whilst this is true to an extent, we will be able to see which drivers have natural talent and differentiate those from those who rely on the speed of the car. This is perhaps why Red Bull are very keen on this format, with star driver Verstappen a proven over-taker. Lewis Hamilton, however, less so.

Additionally, a mix of strategies would ensure a spectacular event. The paddock should take advantage of these unprecedented times to try out new things. Could this become the norm if successful?

As for the new calendar, two races at circuits that rarely disappoint will be amazing, albeit without the crowd, and more autumn and winter races could mean more wet weather events. Now that is something to look forward to!