'Grand Prix lengths not to change'

In the wake of Liberty Media's changes to Formula 1, one thing they intend to keep the same is the length of a Grand Prix, according to managing director Ross Brawn. Liberty announced their plans to shake up the sport in order to make it more enjoyable for fans, however, the Grand Prix appears not to be on their list of modifications.

"I like the heritage of a race. I think an hour 40, an hour 45 is a great period for a race," Brawn said. "And that’s traditionally what we’ve had. I think it’s a good time period. Some people say ‘let’s have shorter races because the public’s attention span is shorter these days’.

"Well, with modern technology you can package the sport in whichever way people want to watch it. What we have to do is develop the sport so there is as much entertainment as possible during that period."

Brawn also met with MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta in a bid to avoid future clashes of the two series over a weekend:  "We’re not too proud to consult with other championships and work out the best way forward," Brawn said. "It’s difficult to juggle dates, and you can’t always achieve what you want, but at least we’re having a dialogue to try and work it out."

Fergal Walsh