Alonso: F1 “too worried” about trying to improve show

Fans and several drivers took aim at F1’s sprint race format following a flat second trial run of the experiment at the Italian Grand Prix, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez labelling it “very boring”.

F1 is open to considering ways to improve the format going forward, including the prospect of introducing a standalone sprint race - possibly with a reserve grid -  that wouldn’t impact the starting order for the grand prix.

But Alonso said F1 doesn’t necessarily need to tweak its format and pointed to how other sports such as football don’t shake up their rules following “boring” goalless draws.

“I think Formula 1 is always pursuing an improvement that sometimes this is not needed, in a way,” said the two-time world champion. “I don’t see any other sport being so worried about making or improving the show.

“I see football, which normally is the king of sports, and there are so many games that are so boring. And the following week there is not any drama, there is not any change.

“There are no suggestions how to change the game to make the goal bigger, to play without a goalkeeper to improve the show. There are no dramas.

“The sport is at it is and Formula 1 should be happy and proud as a show because it is a very big thing.”

Alonso said he is not a fan of a reverse grid idea and instead suggested that F1 could return to one-shot qualifying if it wants to try to improve things.

“My feeling is that the Friday is what is maybe dictating the rest of the weekend, because the qualifying is made by the car performance and not by the driver input,” he explained.

“When you have only one set of tyres or one attempt - okay the car is the most important thing but the driver has to deliver in that minute and a half.

“When you have one hour and six sets of tyres, you make one mistake, you make two mistakes but then you put another set of tyres, and again you finish in the position you deserve, or the car deserves.

“So I think we should really add some difficulty to the Friday, maybe even only one attempt not six.”

F1 last used one-shot qualifying in 2005 before switching to the current three-stage format the following year.

“Imagine one lap in Monaco and you only have that lap and there is track evo, or maybe there is weather,” he added.

“Maybe the leaders of the championship start first, and you make a mega lap, with the track evolution and you start on the first row of the grid, something like that.

“Maybe there is one weekend where you are lucky, and you can perform something extra.

“Now, your hands are tied. Even if you have inspiration one day, if your car is the fifth fastest, you will finish ninth and 10th.”