Ross Brawn hints reverse grid races back on F1's radar

Italian Grand Prix

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Brawn hints reverse grid races back on F1's radar

F1 completed its second sprint trial at the Italian Grand Prix

Sam Hall

Saturday 11 September 2021 19:20

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Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn has revealed reverse grids could again be considered by the sport despite teams previously voting against the concept.

The second trial of the sprint weekend format at Monza resulted in Max Verstappen securing pole position for the Italian Grand Prix.

But the race was relatively tame, leading Brawn to reveal the drivers have suggested the format needs "more jeopardy" and "more reward", with some open to revisiting reverse grids.

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“We had a session with the drivers after Silverstone and I must say they were very positive," said Brawn.

"But it’s true that some of them felt there should be more reward for the sprint and there should be more jeopardy in the sprint.

“If we are doing that then maybe a standalone event is a consideration. So I think qualifying on a Friday, race on a Sunday but a standalone with some decent reward but maybe a bit of jeopardy in the grid with how you start it.

“But we’ve always got to be conscious that we don’t want gimmicks. We don’t want an artificial outcome, we don’t want to cannibalise, we don’t want to affect the integrity so it’s a difficult balance but there is definite potential there.”

Sizing up the dilemma further, Brawn added: “One of the big questions is, does it exist, as we have now, where it is a sequential event where you have Friday leading into Saturday and Sunda?

"Or do we make it a standalone event with perhaps more points and some mix up of the qualifying order?

“Those are the decisions we have got to make after the season has finished.”

F1's tightrope with gimmicks

A common opinion among those who previously spoke out against reverse grids, including Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, was that it would harm the "meritocracy" of F1.

Pre-empting comments it would be a gimmick too far, Brawn explained: “I understand the gimmicks. I don’t want gimmicks either. We want the integrity to be maintained.

“But we’re getting much more engagement with the fans on a Friday than we have had recently.

"The numbers I’ve seen, that we were able to measure so far, are stronger than they were at Silverstone so everything is positive.

“We don’t want to lose that but we don’t want to go too far and turn people off.”