The president and CEO of Formula 1 has been very open with fans regarding future developments and potential ideas to implement. Stefano Domenicali recently added some more to the list of those already under consideration.
One potential suggestion was quite surprising: shortening the length of Grands Prix in an effort to cater to younger audiences.
It feeds into younger and newer generations, which supposedly have shorter attention spans compared to older people. Domenicali is giving serious consideration to capitalizing on the shortcoming he believes has crept into society.
The typical Formula 1 Grand Prix lasts around 90 minutes, with some being slightly shorter and some being slightly longer. Other motorsport series differ, as Formula E races can be half as long as F1 races while NASCAR races can be over twice as long as F1 races.
The new F1 concept is bound to fail
The length of a Grand Prix has literally never been an issue until Domenicali brought it up. Races during the first few decades of F1 used to last much longer than what they do currently, and the modern length is what current drivers have become accustomed to.
Shortening the length of a Grand Prix does not add much value, if it all, especially given the fact that sprint races already exist. While there are different aspects of excitement in sprint races compared to a normal Grand Prix, a full-length race simply holds the traditional roots of the sport.
Tradition and history have been something Formula 1 and Domenicali have valued when making big decisions in the past. However, during times when they have been willing to overlook it for the sake of growth, their decisions typically revolved around a substantial financial gain or a major development in the sport.
But when it comes to simply shortening a Grand Prix just for younger audiences, the true long-term value is not apparent, and it's best to leave well enough alone.
If the idea were to move toward actual implementation, there would certainly be pushback from drivers, team principals, fans, and other key figures. While it appears Domenicali is just fielding ideas to consider, shortening a Grand Prix would not be a successful one.