How Formula 1 could join the Olympics

Formula 1 should be included in the Olympic Games. That opinion will not go down well with the purists, not least former International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, who ruled out the notion in 2012 just before his tenure came to an end. But there is no reason why it shouldn't be.

When Rogge made his comments he said he had the "highest respect" for F1 drivers, who compete in one of the world's biggest sporting categories. But he added that the Olympics is about the athletes and not the equipment and therefore F1 has no place.

Of the 39 events on the Rio 2016 schedule, 18 require equipment that could theoretically impact on the performance of the athlete. So, on that basis, should they all be removed from the competition?

The equestrian events feature horses, which presumably have varying levels of ability. And if the horse isn't feeling in great shape on the day, there's nothing the rider can do no matter how good they are. So that event isn't really about the athlete alone.

In the riding element of the modern pentathlon, athletes have to compete on a horse they have only just met. They get just 20 minutes to get to know their horses, and then they have to get on with it. How is that about the athletes?

In athletics, competitors go head-to-head without any additional equipment, less their running spikes. But the notion that they are on a level playing field is nonsense. Some countries will have better training facilities, better kit deals, better dieticians. That creates an edge.

In cycling, even if they were all given the same bike, national governing bodies would find other ways to get ahead, whether it's building the best velodrome or delivering the ultimate training regime. It's the nature of sport, the constant strive for perfection.

As for the argument that motorsport is too elitist - if that's the case, what is dressage doing in the Olympics?

Those who only want sports that represent the pinnacle to feature in the games have a good point. But then the likes of golf should not have been added this year. Football and rugby sevens should have no place either. And sports such as squash should be included. But that's not likely to happen.

The Olympics has changed, evolving into a competition that is all-encompassing while continuing to reward an athlete pushing the limits in a bid for success. F1 is all about the pursuit of excellence, striving to be faster, fitter, better, stronger. Those ideals echo those of the Olympic charter.

So how could F1 join the Olympics? Steps have already been made towards that. In 2007, a clause that read "sports, disciplines or events in which performance depends essentially on mechanical propulsion are not acceptable" was removed from the Olympic charter.

The FIA was then granted full recognition status by the IOC, after committing to respect the Olympic charter and signing up to the World Anti-Doping Code, in 2013.

The next stage is to work out the format and the machinery. While a one-make category would perhaps be the fairest option, people will want to see F1 cars because they are the pinnacle of motorsport - and that's what the Olympics should be about. In football, men's teams are restricted to under-23s with a maximum of three over-age players. But shouldn't the best be allowed to compete?

Getting a grid of F1 cars, all the same spec, is not likely. And if it was, who would cover the cost? So the best option would be an Olympic Grand Prix. It would be a full championship round, involving the current field, with world championship points awarded to drivers and constructors, and take place in the host country. So for the next Olympics in Japan, either you rebrand the grand prix at Suzuka, or add a second race at nearby Fuji.

The race weekend format would be identical, but the value would increase because Olympic medals would be presented to the three drivers who make the podium.

The Olympic charter says each federation must establish its sport's rules for participation in the Olympic Games, including qualification criteria, in accordance with the charter. Drivers would have the choice over whether or not to compete, as they would not be paid for the event in line with the Olympic rules. But it would be in their interests to do so, with championship points on the line.

All drivers would have to qualify for the Olympics. This would take the form of a qualifying weekend at the host track, where teams run their race drivers as well as reserve and development drivers and any others they wish to put in the car.

There will be one practice session and then a qualifying session in which all drivers will have the chance to achieve the Olympic qualifying lap time standard. Should more than two drivers achieved that standard, it would then be up to the teams to choose the drivers it wishes to put in the two cars. Come the Olympics, competition will take place over three days with the usual format.

Based on current form, gold is likely to be a battle between the Mercedes drivers, but dominance in Olympic sport is not unusual - China tends to dominate the badminton and the diving, Britain the rowing and the United States the swimming.

The biggest obstacles are commercial. There will be a number of sponsor clashes - the IOC would want control over all trackside sponsorship, and it will likely have issues with the branding on the cars.

But at the start of the tobacco ban, F1 teams found ways round it by removing brand names and being creative with logos. Similarly, alcohol brands are also removed in countries where such advertising is banned.

So a way forward can be found for the Olympics. It would require forward planning and a pragmatic approach, with the requirements written into sponsorship contracts.

The upside for everyone is clear. According to the London 2012 broadcast report, Olympic broadcasters had the potential audience of 4.8 billion with a reach of 3.6 billion. What advertiser or promoter wouldn't want a slice of that?

It will open up Formula 1 to groups of people who would never have considered watching it. F1 needs this. Viewing figures are dropping. Last term, the global audience was 400 million, down 25m from 2014 and down 50m since '13.

London 2012 proved that sport can engage the pubic. Fans were drawn in from the start and stuck through it to the end. The challenge will be to maintain that interest - something most Olympic sports struggle with, but F1 has the finances to make it possible. It just needs a proper gameplan to harness the interest.

While the sponsors may not get a return on the Olympic Grand Prix, they will stand to benefit if just a small proportion of those fans decide to watch the remaining races of the season. Teams and drivers, too, would gain from a greater following and the potential upturn in merchandise sales.

Formula 1 has a place in the Olympics, and the Olympics - if it wants to be a truly inclusive event - should welcome it.