Non-Championship F1 Races?

[Aislabie]

Could there once again be a market for non-Championship Formula 1 races?

Okay, that probably sounds a bit mad since there haven't been any in the last 30 years, but bare with me. Teams currently have a very restricted testing schedule, so it's possible that these non-Championship race meetings could serve as de facto testing sessions. In particular, these races could be oh-so-valuable for backmarker teams as they try to make up the performance gap to the rest of the field.

If it was a non-Championship event, there would be no need for teams to send over the usual two drivers - if they wanted, Red Bull could send a skeleton staff of mechanics and just one car for Pierre Gasly, while Manor could send out an array of cars with Haryanto, Rossi, Stevens, and whoever else wants to shell out for the chance to drive them.

Such races could also be used to try out new rules - perhaps as a means to experiment with the qualifying format rather than just chucking something straight at the World Championship and hoping it works (2005 two-lap qualifying, for instance), or trying two races in a single weekend, or trying shorter races, or longer races, or shorter tracks (F1 cars belting around the Brands Hatch Indy circuit). If you wanted to boost the entry list, you could even open up the entry list to any Indycar, Super Formula or GP2 teams that want to take part.

It could be used as a testing ground for prospective F1 tracks (rather than New Jersey falling off the schedule, or Baku being rubbish), or a nursing home for old ones (like any of the older ones in places like France that can't cough up the sanctioning fee).

I'm not saying we need a schedule of sixteen non-Championship races like in 1955, but perhaps five or six could do the trick. Something like this:

1. 1 Jan - Scheckter Cup (Phakisa Freeway)
2. 5th March - Grand Prix of Andalusia (Circuito de Jerez)
3. 5th June - Grand Prix of America (Port Imperial Street Circuit)
4. 17th July - Brands Hatch International Trophy (Brands Hatch)
5. 7th August - French Grand Prix (Circuit Paul Ricard)
6. 16th October - Thai Grand Prix (Chang International Circuit)

It wouldn't add undue travel for the teams, and would serve as a dry run for possible Grand Prix circuits. But what do I know?

[IceG]

Will Bernie make even more money out of this?

[girry]

I'd say there are well enough Grands Prix in the calendar at present...

However, I'd like it if the World Championship was shrunk into 16 races with some events alternating between WC and NC status every year, with the NC events allowing different machinery and encouraging developmental drivers to partake. Alas, doubt that could ever happen as long as F1 business model stays as it is.

[shinji]

but bare with me

I'd rather not, it's fairly cold and I don't really know you well enough.

[Bobby Doorknobs]

Non-championship races were abandoned because of rising costs. There was nothing to really justify their continued existence, and I'm inclined to say the same to a potential re-introduction.

Modern day F1 circuits are required to conform to a very strict set of safety standards and the cost of upgrading such facilities at, say, Brands Hatch, would be astronomical. And no matter what it's still going to mean the teams will have to spend extra for what is really little gain. They may as well just be glorified test sessions. Teams like Sauber and Manor are already on a very tight budget as is.

[More_Blue_Flags]

What if non-championship races were only available to non-strategy group teams? For this proposal to have any possibility of being cost effective, I imagine you would need to confine these races to existing FIA Grade 1 circuits in Europe, but could the de facto additional testing effect offer some development advantages to the midfielders/backmarkers? (Not to mention offering an opportunity to give more drivers a shot at actually racing an F1 car)?

Maybe if Bernie gets his way an Italian GP at Monza could be the next non-championship F1 race?

[yannicksamlad]

mmmmmm...
So Bernie needs to approve, so it mustn't 'compete' with the championship , and he needs a bit of money ...but in return things are freed up. He sells the TV rights separately ( cheaply to free-to-view channels to maximise coverage ) and as part of a tie -up with manufacturers perhaps to cover teams costs..

To cut circuit costs it all happens on one day - single run quallie ( or whatever quick quallie works ) and then one or two races . So just one day of circuit costs.

Travel expenses need to be limited - so piggyback on any non-European races.

Allow last year's cars to be used (might suit some ) , maybe?
Ensure that there is always a home hero ( or 4?) to generate some interest ...and allow a manufacturer to sponsor the whole day , and have demos of their own cars etc ( Like Renault World Series ?)?

Top up with F4 races etc and signing sessions

....sounds fun , but can't see the finances quite working out

[Aislabie]

mmmmmm...
So Bernie needs to approve, so it mustn't 'compete' with the championship , and he needs a bit of money ...but in return things are freed up. He sells the TV rights separately ( cheaply to free-to-view channels to maximise coverage ) and as part of a tie -up with manufacturers perhaps to cover teams costs..

To cut circuit costs it all happens on one day - single run quallie ( or whatever quick quallie works ) and then one or two races . So just one day of circuit costs.

Travel expenses need to be limited - so piggyback on any non-European races.

Allow last year's cars to be used (might suit some ) , maybe?
Ensure that there is always a home hero ( or 4?) to generate some interest ...and allow a manufacturer to sponsor the whole day , and have demos of their own cars etc ( Like Renault World Series ?)?

Top up with F4 races etc and signing sessions

....sounds fun , but can't see the finances quite working out

Okay, if we look at circuits that are Grade 1, but don't currently host F1, that gives us:

• Buddh International Circuit, India
• Chang International Circuit, Thailand
• Dubai Autodrome, UAE
• Estoril Circuit, Portugal
• Fuji Speedway, Japan
• Imola, Italy (nr. San Marino)
• Indianapolis GP Circuit, USA
• Istanbul Park, Turkey
• Jerez Circuit, Spain
• Losail Circuit, Qatar
• Magny-Cours, France
• Moscow Raceway, Russia
• Mugello Circuit, Italy
• Nurburgring GP Circuit, Germany (nr. Luxembourg)
• Paul Ricard Circuit, France
• Yeongam Circuit, Korea

Now, I'm not saying that they would all be practical or even viable, but there must be one or two - such as Paul Ricard, perhaps as a prelude for Monaco - which could be tagged quite sensibly onto the calendar

[Wallio]

Keep in mid non-championship races were banned during the FISA-FOCA war, 1981 I believe, when the old world championship for drivers was suppressed ad the FIA World Championship was born. 8w has a great piece on it.

Now a Formula Libre race is a-ok, (the last NC F1 race in South Africa was officially a Libre race). But good luck getting teams to run it.

And there is technically BOSS GP as well, which is pretty close.

[yannicksamlad]

So Aislabie has identified some tracks, and there are huge issues ...but thinking positive - we are considering something that clearly doesn't compete with the Grand Prix and Bernie will accept.
Looking at the tracks I see Fuji and Qatar - your Fuji race can give Japanese stars ( and Vandoorne) a match-up against F1 drivers in F1 machinery as a draw , and Toyota as owners can put on a big show, and stump up some money?
Qataris might pay for something to happen in their part of the world...and same for Dubai. Estoril has good crowd capacity , and is accessible as well as a good place to test..so maybe someone would pay up to showcase their stuff?
So perhaps there'd be some money for Bernie and the teams to appear, and why not? If the format is unlike Championship races then it doesn't devalue the 'real thing' and it gets the cars out on track. Add in sponsored home- heroes paying for a drive ( but not too much ) and getting Alex Rossi back in the public eye...
Its not a bad idea , really .

[dr-baker]

If you were to have small, regional F1 series (in the spirit of the old South African and British F1 series), could you relax the rules slightly and allow running on Grade 1 and 1T tracks? I think this would allow a few more tracks on the Iberian peninsular and England's Rockingham as examples? I can easily imagine a EuroF1 series taking in Imola, either Hockenheim or Nurburgring (whichever does not feature in World F1), Estoril, somewhere in Spain, Rockingham, and ending in Fiorano. You could also have a Middle Eastern and Asian series taking in many of the other tracks mentioned previously. And I guess that a North American series could take in a number of road/street tracks that IndyCar are not currently using?

So there would still be championships that could be used as good test sessions, testing the cars and test/junior drivers, providing new revenue for teams and Bernie?

[Waris]

Now a Formula Libre race is a-ok, (the last NC F1 race in South Africa was officially a Libre race). But good luck getting teams to run it.

And there is technically BOSS GP as well, which is pretty close.

I think you'll find that Auto GP now with the new rules is practically Formula Libre as well.

[WeirdKerr]

I'd like to see Support races at selected events with 2010-2013 cars driven by Test/Development drivers and some GP2 drivers these could take the form of say a 20 to 25 lap sprint race on sunday morning

[Waris]

I'd like to see Support races at selected events with 2010-2013 cars driven by Test/Development drivers and some GP2 drivers these could take the form of say a 20 to 25 lap sprint race on sunday morning

Hmm, perhaps a good idea for Auto GP? Since they allow old F1 cars now, maybe the teams could pop their test drivers in there for a support race. But I guess GP2 would get in the way of Auto GP driving on the same circuits as F1. Hmmm, maybe the two should merge...

[Aislabie]

Also, it might have been nice to see the lunatic new qualifying rules trialled in a couple of non-championship races before being rolled out.