Domenicali: We can’t leave F1 in the hands of the drivers

Under the age-old plan to make F1 more 'entertaining' for the masses. A process that began long ago when they first fiddled with the points system until they pegged into the current one. Then they tinkered with Qualifying for ages until we reached the place we are now. All in the name of keeping up with the times.

Fair enough. However, the process of boosting the 'entertainment' factor continued. Fast forward to today, where six rounds are now Sprint Race weekends for the purpose of 'The Show' with an extra race and qualifying thrown into the three-day weekend mix to spice up the show and make running more relevant.

Therein lies the rub that Red Bull ace Verstappen objects to. The soon-to-be triple F1 World Champ told RacingNews365: "I am concerned about the sport that I have always loved. I still like it, but only to a certain extent. It's not that I'm completely against change, as is sometimes said.

"But they must be adjustments that benefit Formula 1. Why do you have to change certain things when things are going well? I think a traditional Qualifying session is well set up in that form. It shouldn't just be about money," reckoned Max.

But when it comes to F1 it is always about money, even before Liberty Media took control. Hence, for that reason, drivers won't be tapped up seriously if it affects the bottom line (money) no matter what they say.

Domenicali claims he welcomes the input when he told Dutch news outlet Die Telegraaf: “I think it’s good that Max gives his opinion but we can’t leave F1 in the hands of the drivers.

“Not because they can’t be trusted, since we listen to them, but because they have to look at the bigger picture. And they don’t always do that. Their goal is to go as fast as possible, but we as an organisation are in charge of doing what is best for the sport," explained the F1 Chief.

"We have done [the best for the F1] in recent years," explained Domenicali. "Otherwise, we would not be in this position. As you can see, MotoGP and other sports are also abandoning the traditional approach and we were the first to do so,"

Verstappen is the most oft-quoted driver on this matter because his colleagues on the grid do not have or feel the privilege of two titles (soon three) to speak their minds as he does. But the consensus is that the others think pretty much the same as the man they chase weekend in and weekend out. As do many fans, and pundits. Too much of a good thing is bad.

Why is he complaining? Max should be happy with the current scenario, more races, and more sprints, mean more races for him to win. But, as a racing man first and foremost, his concern for the sport's direction is worth noting and applauding.

Even the obvious F1 money grab during this boom time, to increase the F1 calendar to bursting point (24 GPs scheduled for 2024) concerns Verstappen: “It’s too many for me at least. We just have to deal with it. I think it’s a bit more logical the way it’s planned at least, so I guess that’s better for everyone.

“More things will have to come together for me to make my mind up over whether I stay longer [than 2028] or not. But I think that these things are definitely not helping for sure," said Max, the 25-year-old reigning King of F1, a sport with a history of Chiefs not known for listening to drivers.