Marko and Briatore endorse F1's vision for race format

Stefano Domenicali has found unlikely allies in his push to make Formula 1 weekends more of a spectacle, with both Flavio Briatore and Helmut Marko lining up in support.

Traditionalists have bristled at talk of extra sprints, shorter races or even reverse grids. But Briatore told La Gazzetta dello Sport that F1 must give more back to its fans.

“I completely agree,” said the 75-year-old Italian. “F1 fans are our heroes, they support our sport in all conditions, in the rain, in the cold, in the scorching heat, and we don’t give that much back. I believe it’s now moving in the right direction.”

Briatore, who has long argued for more showbiz in the sport, called free practice outdated. “No-one’s interested in Friday’s free practice sessions,” he declared. “If you start on Friday with some competition, the weekend becomes engaging.

"We could do sprint races every race weekend. We’ve tested them gradually, and they work, so that’s the next step.”

He cited Monza’s full grandstands and the boom in US attendance as proof of the trend. “In Italy there’s always passion, whether Ferrari wins or loses,” he said. “What surprises me is seeing grands prix in the United States packed with people, when until a few years ago that kind of response from America was unthinkable.”

Still, Briatore warned that the 2026 regulations may be a step backwards in F1's recent progress. “They’re very complicated, and this will lead to an unclear situation on the track, both for us and for the fans,” he said.

“Right now the show is incredible, and teams spend a lot of money on changing engines and cars. The track will give us the answers.”

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko also admitted his stance on sprints has changed, as has Max Verstappen’s. “Max wasn’t a fan of it at first either, but has since accepted it,” the 82-year-old told Kleine Zeitung.

“The sprints have benefited the organisers, as they make Friday and Saturday more attractive. The show and excitement must be maintained.” But he rejected reverse grids outright. “With the current cars, you can’t overtake, so that’s pointless in Formula 1. We’ll have to wait for next year and see if the cars react differently.”