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'Liberty should scrap Friday practice sessions'

Published on 01 Feb 2017 10:51
10
By: Rob Veenstra

F1 should shake up its weekend format by eliminating the Friday practice sessions. That is the view of Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul, when asked by the French magazine Auto Hebdo what Liberty Media should do after taking over the sport and ousting Bernie Ecclestone.

"Liberty Media should be given a few months to analyse the situation," he said, "before it can comment on this issue. But generally, the current format of the race weekend has to change. Friday practice does not play any role. We need to think about this, because there are ways to make formula one more dynamic without spending money and without affecting the structure of the teams," Abiteboul added. (GMM)

bremgarten

Posts: 38

Cyril,
Don't call us. We'll call you.

1
Feb 1 2017 - 11:02

F1 News Renault

Replies (10)

bremgarten

Posts: 38
Cyril,
Don't call us. We'll call you.
- + 1
- Feb 1 2017 - 11:02
Kevin

Posts: 5,341
Agreed. Never watch these practice sessions, get rid of it.
- + 0
- Feb 1 2017 - 16:10
calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
Im mixed with this, but I think he is right. FP1 at least is generally considered pointless anyway, so they might aswell scrap that session.
- + 0
- Feb 1 2017 - 20:32
Victory2011

Posts: 17
For those of us attending, it's very enjoyable and an opportunity to scope out the cars without the milling throng of quali and race day. Boring as hell for the TV crowd, sure, but an enjoyable Friday for those attending in person. Does it also not afford the teams some set-up time for the actual site?
- + 0
- Feb 1 2017 - 21:45
bremgarten

Posts: 38
The Friday practice sessions are important.
This is the period where the teams fine-tune the cars and their strategy for the track, temperature and weather.
- + 0
- Feb 1 2017 - 22:13
f1fan0101

Posts: 1,804
Friday sessions are very important, I always enjoy getting up to watch them it'd be a shame to lose them
- + 0
- Feb 1 2017 - 23:10
RacetoWin

Posts: 95
friday practice should be testing and devolpment sessions infront of the public, open 2 shr windows for testing without engine and transmission restrictions or penalties.

friday is needed also to rubber in the track.

getting rid of fridays is going the wrong direction. young develoment drivers would also lose they're driving time.
- + 0
- Feb 2 2017 - 00:49
- bremgarten
  
  Posts: 38
  Nice points, I totally agree.
  + 0
  
  Feb 2 2017 - 06:25
mclarenfan1968

Posts: 1,027
Teams don't go out there because they have to preserve their precious resources, tyres, engine, parts and rebuild times from costly crashes or offtrack excursions. Obviously the solution here is not to let everyone go at it in free-for-all style, that just makes the costs higher as the rich teams will have more on track action while the not so rich stay indoors most of the time.

Eliminate one FP session on Saturday.

Having one session on Friday and another one Saturday will help teams if one of the sessions becomes a total waste to due horrid weather.

There is another problem most are overlooking. The 3 day event brings in a lot of business to the shops and restaurants around the track area. If there is no action on Friday those businesses stand to lose big time.
- + 1
- Feb 2 2017 - 06:29
mclarenfan1968

Posts: 1,027
Teams don't go out there because they have to preserve their precious resources, tyres, engine, parts and rebuild times from costly crashes or offtrack excursions. Obviously the solution here is not to let everyone go at it in free-for-all style, that just makes the costs higher as the rich teams will have more on track action while the not so rich stay indoors most of the time.

Eliminate one FP session on Saturday.

Having one session on Friday and another one Saturday will help teams if one of the sessions becomes a total waste to due horrid weather.

There is another problem most are overlooking. The 3 day event brings in a lot of business to the shops and restaurants around the track area. If there is no action on Friday those businesses stand to lose big time.
- + 0
- Feb 2 2017 - 06:29
- Vet5
  
  Posts: 225
  Agree'd! Bin practice 2 on saturdays!
  + 0
  
  Feb 2 2017 - 14:51