Former Ferrari driver Alain Prost concerned for image of Formula 1 amid planned changes

Former Scuderia Ferrari driver Alain Prost feels that Formula 1 has to remain “traditional” given the planned changes which will take place starting with the 2022 championship.

During the 2021 season, the new Sprint Race concept was tested at three race weekends, in the British Grand Prix, the Italian Grand Prix and the Brazilian Grand Prix, as the new format will also be seen next season, most likely for six events.

Former Ferrari driver Alain Prost says he understands that the idea of Sprint Qualifying may be appealing to Formula One fans, he still feels the traditional weekend format should be used:

“I am completely against the reverse grid [idea], for sure,” the former Formula 1 driver said in the In The Fast Lane podcast.

“Formula 1 should not accept that, even for the sprint. It’s not because Lewis [Hamilton] has done a fantastic race starting from last [in the Sprint Qualifying at the Brazilian Grand Prix] that we should think that it’s going to be the same every time and with every driver. That does not happen like this. So I am much more for the tradition, and Formula 1 has to stay the way it did. I must recognise that we have more and more young fans, with the Netflix series [Drive to Survive], and we have attracted some young people, [the] young generation, which is fantastic. And they obviously like this kind of race that we have seen, the sprint race and Lewis’ race in Brazil, but Formula 1 has to stay more traditional.” – he added.

Regarding the tradition and how Formula One should try to also keep its historic values and concepts, Alain Prost admitted that he has some worries about the 23-race calendar planned for the 2022 championship, that will therefore become the longest ever in the history of the competition.

The former Ferrari driver is not only concerned by the effect on personnel, but also on the image of Formula 1.

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“23 races is a lot . Very difficult for the teams, very difficult for the people travelling, some of the mechanics, engineers, team principals that [are] running all the races, some not always in a good condition, if you can imagine that, and it’s got to be very, very difficult. And [F1] has to stay also exceptional. 23 races is a lot. I remember, maybe not this year, but the first time we had three races in a row. And even for me, I was losing a little bit of interest in a way, because it’s too close. It’s a compromise between the number of races, number of fans and obviously the money that you can generate. But if you have more success and you will bring more sponsors in, maybe we could have also a little bit less races. [But] it looks like it’s not the way that we are going.” – the former Ferrari driver concluded.