Fernando Alonso addresses F1 boss Stefano Domenicali's latest proposal about the sport's future

In Picture: Stefano Domenicali and Fernando Alonso. Credit: Getty Images
In Picture: Stefano Domenicali and Fernando Alonso. Credit: Getty Images

Fernando Alonso disagreed with Stefano Domenicali after the F1 chief spoke about reducing the length of the race. In a recent interview, the Aston Martin driver mentioned how the "problem" is not with the sport, but it is with the society and kids.

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Following the conclusion of the Dutch GP, Stefano Domenicali, the Formula 1 chief shared his thoughts about the duration of the races. Speaking to the media, the F1 boss said the need to have shorter races to cater to the younger generation.

Disagreeing with the F1 boss, Fernando Alonso slammed him ahead of the Italian GP at Monza. Speaking about this, here's what the two-time world champion said:

"No one is talking about having 60 minute football matches or something like that. It's a problem with society and the kids but not the sport, so probably it's not needed." (Via The Race)
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Domenicali's statement backed F1's rising popularity around the world, both on and off social media, thanks to Drive to Survive. The sport has become immensely popular on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

In the aforementioned platforms, it was observed that the reel or short video sections, which highlighted the turning points of the races, receive maximum views. And the maximum viewers were young fans.

Backing this, Stefano Domenicali urged the importance of having shorter races, to hold on to the viewer base. The average duration for a full-length F1 race is around 1 hour and 35 minutes. Shortening it will make it similar to Sprint, a shorter version of the race (100 kilometres) introduced in 2021.

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What did Stefano Domenicali say about shortening of F1 races?

In a recent interview, Stefano Domenicali, the F1 boss stated that the young generation of fans only cares about the highlighted and key moments of the races. Speaking about this, here's what he told the media:

Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group - Source: Getty
Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group - Source: Getty
"There's the issue of race length: we believe it's a bit too long for younger viewers. We're seeing on many of our channels that highlight reels are hugely popular-perhaps for those of us who grew up with the full format it's fine, but a large portion of the audience only wants to see the key moments."
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"Things are going very well today, but precisely because of that, we shouldn't rest on our laurels; we need to think about the next step forward," Domenicali further added.

Formula 1 is in Monza, the temple of speed in Italy for the 16th race of the 2025 season. Oscar Piastri is leading the Drivers' Championship with 309 points after 15 races and three Sprints, and has a 34-point lead over his teammate, Lando Norris. McLaren is leading the Constructors' Championship with 584 points, ahead of Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull.

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Edited by Sabyasachi Biswas
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