Briatore Calls for Two-Day Grands Prix

Renault team chief Flavio Briatore has called for the introduction of two-day Grand Prix weekends and the abolition of the current three-day format.

The colourful Italian, who came into Formula One as Luciano Benetton's team manager in the late 1980's, has become one of the most forthright and creative thinkers in the sport in the last decade.

His team have stolen a march on some of their midfield rivals this year after signing up to take part in testing on a Friday morning - and that has given them added performance on the track.

Now Briatore wants further change.

"The show today is too long and too boring for the spectators," said Briatore, at Silverstone for this weekend's British Grand Prix. "It would be much better if it took place over two days instead of three. Qualifying should be on the Saturday afternoon and again on the Sunday morning.

"It would give the spectators much better value. Then Friday can be left for practicing and testing. The whole format needs thinking about. It is too predictable and it is no good people taking a look at something when they know the outcome before it starts. After the qualifying for the Grand Prix, it is almost over.

"People do not want to pay to watch a predictable and boring event. They want something that is unpredictable. Something that is exciting. Why do 100,000 people pay to go and see Real Madrid play Barcelona or Manchester United? And why do they not go to see Real Madrid play some other smaller team in the Spanish league?

"They want to see the unexpected and they want to see something exciting. They don't want a rehearsed and predictable event like Formula One is now."

Briatore believes his current Renault outfit, with drivers Fernando Alonso of Spain and Jarno Trulli of Italy, is threatening to become the new standard-setting team in terms of attitude and image, as well as on-track performance.

But he is worried that most of the other teams lack imagination and flair and care little or nothing about the need to do something to improve the 'show', or the racing.

"I don't know what the others think, you will have to ask them," he said when asked if Ron Dennis or Frank Williams, two of the sport's senior and most staunch conservatives, were in favour of a switch to a two-day weekend with a brighter show.