Red Bull, McLaren AND Mercedes facing back of F1 grid starts

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Spain — Photo: © IMAGO

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Red Bull, McLaren AND Mercedes facing back of F1 grid starts

The top teams could receive a huge F1 blow

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 20 August 2024 17:57

The top F1 teams could be forced to start from the back of the grid after Stefano Domenicali proposed a significant change to race weekends.

After winning 21 out of 22 races last season, F1 fans resigned themselves to Red Bull’s continued dominance this year.

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However, after Lando Norris claimed a spectacular maiden win at the Miami Grand Prix, McLaren have been closing the gap to Red Bull.

Just 42 points separates them in the constructors’ championship, with McLaren emerging as the team to beat as the field becomes closer.

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Not only do Max Verstappen and Red Bull face competition from McLaren, but also Mercedes who have solved their performance woes.

Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have secured race victories in 2024, with Mercedes winning three of the last four races.

Whilst the racing has improved, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali could be planning to shake up the current order by introducing a reverse grid to grand prix weekend.

The planned changes would unsettle top teams such as Red Bull, McLaren and Mercedes, with a fully reversed grid forcing them to start at the back of the grid during the sprint race, should they qualify fastest.

“We can really once again discuss if there is the need to reverse the grid, or half of the grid like what F2 and F3 are doing,” Domenicali said to Motorsport.com.

Stefano Domenicali appears in favour of reverse grid races

“So these are always things to keep the mind alive, if I may say, with the intent to keep something always interesting.”

The F2 and F3 sprint reverses the top 10 fastest drivers from Friday's qualifying, which means the driver who set the fastest time will start the sprint in P10.

“Personally, I would say, why not? It's a lot of action. It is overtaking. You're fighting for points?" Domenicali added.

“Some people can say, ‘Oh, it is a fake way of racing.’ Fake? There is nothing fake related to what you believe is the right format to produce great action.

“So I would be interested to discuss that again. Yes.”