[BopeDolaNeone]

Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo calls for Formula 1 revamp - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

Luca has some views on F1 costs but this interested me: Looking at young people, it [the length of races] is too long. Maybe I'm wrong but I think we have to look very carefully what we can do to improve the show of F1. I give you one example, one and a half hours is a long time for young people; maybe it is good instead to have the race in two parts. Maybe it is a mistake, but we have to think of something, we cannot stay always the same. So "young people", do you agree with Luca? Is your attention span too short to cope with "long" races?

[Tumarimmicdak]

SO he wants races to be shorter!Well look at rallies ,in the seventies rally ran over 3 or 4 days,more or less non stop.We may have had an overnight stop on the RAC at Windermere,but it was popular likes by all including the likes of Mikkola,Blomquist,Waldeguard etc.Now we have 3 day rallies ,the drivers go to bed every night,they do 8 stages a day sometimes,and rallies are now uunpopular,so much so the
That this months GBRally has barely 40 entries.F1 is very popular,and watched by millions because it is a challenge,and a certain duration which is popular ,do we want to see F1 go the way of the WRC ? The only problem I see is that F1 is far too expensive for fans ,there need to be a method where by the fans who cannot afford high spectator prices are catered for with say a standing ticket for say £20 per day

[ballerturfali]

I personally love disciplines with shorter races, but I don't find the F1 races to be too long. They are OK. Three hours is long, not an hour and a half.

[shinesw]

1. anything this guy says is through the lens of "how can I get Ferrari to dominate?"
2. he is wrong, if anything the races are not long enough, or just right IMO. Monza is going to be over in less than 90 minutes
3. Asking for a cheaper F1 is an age old story and as much as folks may try it will never happen without fundamentally changing the nature of the sport...which would then not make it F1 in my book

[RLRWai4B]

At least he managed to go five minutes without banging on about three cars.

Shorter races: stupid idea.

[Catalogov]

Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo calls for Formula 1 revamp - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

Luca has some views on F1 costs but this interested me:
So "young people", do you agree with Luca? Is your attention span too short to cope with "long" races?

Luca should stick to something he is good at. Maybe throwing TVs out the window, maybe backstabbing people. But he should keep silent about F1.

[drugimpotence]

I am young-ish (26) but I have also watched F1 for around 20 years already, and I think Luca is speaking rubbish.

Monza is slightly too short for me. I would have it as a 60 lap race and forget about the distance rule.

Anyway I love F1 as it was and sometimes is.... so I don't agree

[exchpaypaleg]

Of course, we wouldn't do anything other than criticize Monty's opinion, just because we're used to having this kind of races and we wouldn't like it to change. But it's not a surprise that something between 90 and 120 minutes might be a bit too much for casual viewers, specially in these races where pretty much nothing happens. Many people who don't follow F1 much find it boring because the races are too long for them and sometimes everyone is in the same position more or less from the beginning to the end and that is not really entertaining - although I'll concede that hasn't been the case in 2012 so far.

Anyway, I wouldn't be happy to see F1's format changed, but we'll have to admit that it might make races more exciting and entertaining for casual viewers, even if it's crappy for hardcore fans.

[SkHukV3N]

Provided there are not red flags, recent F1 races are rarely longer than a simple football match! I think they could be even made a bit longer!

[ancexiaepidge]

I think it's okay to talk about possible changes, though. Anytime anyone makes a suggestion for change there are always so many people who disagree just because they don't want change. They're just suggestions, people, ideas, from the same type of people who invented turbos, safety cars, ground effect, refueling, drive-through penalites etc.

I personally don't like the idea of shorter races, mostly because changing the racing format means severing F1's links with its past. It would be impossible to compare drivers across decades with such changes, and it would just seem like a totally different racing category.

[Afigenatjola]

Has LDM heard of a sport called football?

The world's most beautiful game.

At least 90mins, sometimes longer in tournaments.

[opelayday]

I know there is a case for wanting to pull in casual viewers, but really isn't a sport for the fans of the sport and while welcoming new fans it shouldn't go out of its way to find them.

Don't see the point. Any fans who want to watch F1 but only if its all action all the time need to find a new sport to watch.

It sounds harsh but I dont want 20 minute F1 races and medals or whatever else gets suggested.

LEAVE F1 ALONE.

[Czrzftmz]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the length of the race. And again with the show... again with the let's make it appealing to the average slow witted spectator. I have a better idea. Why not make another fake race for them... with an awesome script, plenty of passes, engines blowing off and maybe a little side show too... imagine Alonso just ran over Hamilton's someone dear and the race cames where Hamilton has to revenge his poor somebody dear... of course Hamilton has too start dead last because the news of the evil deed made him lose the qualies but the race day comes and he passes everybody, comes close to the red car of his evil enemy... the evil enemy tries of course all sorts of dirty tricks... sprayes oil in hamilton's path, throws dust in his face and so on... but he surpasses all difficulties and passes Alonso and sends him into the barriers. the race is over and on his hospital bed Alonso finds out his wife is having an affair with Hamilton and swears revenge... everything setup for next race.. and the morons will just die for it come.

[Gmvkgkmn]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the length of the race. And again with the show... again with the let's make it appealing to the average slow witted spectator. I have a better idea. Why not make another fake race for them... with an awesome script, plenty of passes, engines blowing off and maybe a little side show too... imagine Alonso just ran over Hamilton's someone dear and the race cames where Hamilton has to revenge his poor somebody dear... of course Hamilton has too start dead last because the news of the evil deed made him lose the qualies but the race day comes and he passes everybody, comes close to the red car of his evil enemy... the evil enemy tries of course all sorts of dirty tricks... sprayes oil in hamilton's path, throws dust in his face and so on... but he surpasses all difficulties and passes Alonso and sends him into the barriers. the race is over and on his hospital bed Alonso finds out his wife is having an affair with Hamilton and swears revenge... everything setup for next race.. and the morons will just die for it come.

This gave my a smile. Exactly right.

However the concern is if you were to send it to Bernie. It would be in for next season.

[newpiknicker]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the length of the race. And again with the show... again with the let's make it appealing to the average slow witted spectator. I have a better idea. Why not make another fake race for them... with an awesome script, plenty of passes, engines blowing off and maybe a little side show too... imagine Alonso just ran over Hamilton's someone dear and the race cames where Hamilton has to revenge his poor somebody dear... of course Hamilton has too start dead last because the news of the evil deed made him lose the qualies but the race day comes and he passes everybody, comes close to the red car of his evil enemy... the evil enemy tries of course all sorts of dirty tricks... sprayes oil in hamilton's path, throws dust in his face and so on... but he surpasses all difficulties and passes Alonso and sends him into the barriers. the race is over and on his hospital bed Alonso finds out his wife is having an affair with Hamilton and swears revenge... everything setup for next race.. and the morons will just die for it come.

Didn't the japanese do this already in the 60's?, Mach Go Go Go.

[v74ClzKY]

Of course, we wouldn't do anything other than criticize Monty's opinion, just because we're used to having this kind of races and we wouldn't like it to change. But it's not a surprise that something between 90 and 120 minutes might be a bit too much for casual viewers, specially in these races where pretty much nothing happens. Many people who don't follow F1 much find it boring because the races are too long for them and sometimes everyone is in the same position more or less from the beginning to the end and that is not really entertaining - although I'll concede that hasn't been the case in 2012 so far.

Anyway, I wouldn't be happy to see F1's format changed, but we'll have to admit that it might make races more exciting and entertaining for casual viewers, even if it's crappy for hardcore fans.

I think the big problem is not considering changes, the big problem is his idea of splitting the race into 2 parts, when you read that part, you can't but think he is simply throwing any dumb idea he can think of.

[VewCoorkPow]

When so many people follow and love something for what it is, why experiment with a change that could backfire.

[b3JOkwXL]

When I was watching Lauda, Piquet, Prost etc. go around as a wee lad, I would watch races go to two hours. Sometimes there was the possibility that the race might be cut short because of time.

If this statement is true "one and a half hours is a long time for young people" then does this mean to say that when I was 5 and 6 years old, that I had a longer attention span than people of today?

Or is it more correct to suggest that Luca di Montezemolo still thinks he's "young" but is having nanna naps in the afternoon?

[Tapupah]

I think some of you are being a little harsh on ol' Monty. In the quoted exerpt at the top if this thread he says "...Maybe it is a mistake, but we have to think of something, we cannot stay always the same."

In this is the point - F1 is like any other enterprise. It needs to move with the times and keep fresh. I disagree that the Yoof of today are being dissuaded to jump on board, but in many instances I agree that many Yoof have attention spans that make goldfish seem like Zen masters.

He is playing devils advocate here, and he has some form in making things work - look at Ferrari in the mid '70s - an utter basket case. He and Lauda grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and turned it into a championship winning team.

Anyway, I don't necessarily agree with much of his public output, but in this instance I think he has a point.

[BgpOoGI2]

Terrible idea.

If F1 is watered down into 2 "sprint" races then thats why I turn off my TV. Not interested.

The "Grand Prix" can not be two races, or a short race, it just is not right, pure and simple.

di Montezemelo should retire, or go and run a team in a different series.