The format shakeup F1 should trial in 2021
Although calls to liven up the action with reversed-grids are well-meaning, they are totally anathema to everything F1 stands for. But that doesn't mean experimentation should be shut down altogether, and one alternative format may tick multiple boxes
Let's be honest, although the 2020 Formula 1 season had its moments, it was a totally one-sided affair yet again. Bearing in mind the outstanding effort by F1 to get the show on the road, and the relief and delight that any racing was at all possible, it would seem almost churlish to overly criticise the season. Yet in the unlikely event of a minor miracle, we are in for another dose of same this year, over (perhaps) 23 races rather than 17.
Last September, in the wake of Pierre Gasly's Monza miracle, Ross Brawn resurrected the old chestnut of reversed grids, proposed within the context of some experimentation with different formats in the closing races of the season once the championship chase was over. Toto Wolff, likening the idea to WWE or reality shows, killed the debate in its tracks. And many of the drivers voiced opposition too, perhaps conscious of the potential danger aspect.
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