F1 News: Drivers Call For Huge Changes - "Don’t Need That Anymore"

Practice sessions with red-flag interruptions can cause long delays.

Valtteri Bottas was one among many drivers who called for a shortening of the practice runs during F1 race weekends. He argues that considering the simulator practice drivers get, three free practice sessions are "too much" in the modern era. 

Last weekend in Abu Dhabi saw FP2 being limited to around 15 minutes for drivers after the session was interrupted by two red flag delays. The session was paused for around 30 minutes after Carlos Sainz crashed in the early stages. Nico Hulkenberg also crashed soon after the session was resumed, after hitting the barrier at Turn 1. 

The weekend before the Abu Dhabi GP showcased a similar scenario in Las Vegas when FP1 was cancelled after Carlos Sainz's SF-23 crashed into a manhole cover at high speeds. The hurdles and the lengthening of the sessions have prompted questions about whether F1 should grant teams and drivers extra practice running to compensate for delays.

The practice session duration was modified for 2021 when both FP1 and FP2 were reduced from 90 minutes to 60 minutes, with a third practice session held before qualifying on Saturdays lasting 60 minutes.

However, the Sauber Alfa Romeo driver is of the opinion that, due to advanced simulator tools, three practice sessions are no longer necessary. When asked if he would welcome more practice time in the future, Bottas told PlanetF1.com:

“No, I don’t think so, because it’s the same for everybody – and we have too much practice nowadays anyway.

“Three practice [sessions] is too much. We don’t need that anymore with the simulation tools [and] simulators that we have nowadays.”

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen also gave a similar short answer by saying, “No, it’s fine," when asked the same question. On the other hand, his teammate Hulkenberg revealed that he didn't mind the extra practice time as long as it didn't interfere with other elements of the day's itinerary. He added:

“I think it’s a very fair point.

“There’s obviously other implications – how the rest of the schedule has to be changed and TV times and all these things, it’s probably not as straightforward as we think – but obviously we lost a good 20 minutes with Carlos’s red flag with the barrier repair.

“It’s going to be a talking point now going forward.”

During the last sprint weekend of the 2023 season in Brazil, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc revealed that having three practice sessions in a regular race weekend “is really long and can sometimes get a bit boring.”