Red Bull Racing F1 consultant Helmut Marko is slamming Liberty Media’s plans to experiment with short qualifying sprint races in the 2020 Formula 1 season. Currently, the plan calls for at two or three Grands Prix next year, the order of the grid for Sunday’s main race will be determined on the basis of a short sprint race held on Saturday. The grid for that qualifying race will be in reverse order of the world championship.
“These plans are absurd,” Red Bull’s Marko said. “If you did that on circuits like Monaco, Singapore or Barcelona, it would be pointless because overtaking is difficult or even impossible. You wouldn’t have to watch because nothing would change anyway.”
“Our sport is supposed to be like (soccer) or tennis, where the basic conditions have not changed fundamentally over the past 30, 40, 50 years,” he said. “The spectators must understand the rules of a Grand Prix. And in the end, the best man should win. There should be no artificial interventions.”
Marko said Liberty Media should instead try to make Formula 1 more exciting through smart technical regulations.
“What we should do is come up with regulations to equalize opportunities,” he said. “Above all, the importance of aerodynamics must be reduced. Today, certain races are boring because of how difficult it is to overtake.”
Source: Autoweek