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F1 CEO Given 'Full Confidence' Backing Over Radical Race Change Proposal

Originally posted on F1 on SI | By Ewan Gale | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 6:08 AM ET

United States Grand Prix boss Bobby Epstein has thrown "full confidence" behind Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali after the Italian touted radical plans to help the championship evolve.

Former Ferrari team principal Domenicali sparked debate at the Italian Grand Prix weekend following comments during a call with Italian media where it was interpreted that he wanted to shorten the length of grands prix - though this is something that has since been denied.

"There's the issue of the length of the competitions: we believe it's a bit too long for young people," said Domenicali. We're seeing on many of our channels that highlights are very popular."

Domenicali: "We mustn't rest on our laurels"

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"Maybe for us, who were born with this format, it's fine as it is," he added. "But there's a large segment of the audience that only wants to see the highlights. Today, everything is going very well, but precisely for this reason, we mustn't rest on our laurels but think about what the next step will be."

The apparent suggestion was met with discussion across the Monza weekend as a number of drivers warned against the idea.

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli pointed out the current issue of easy one-stop races that don't allow for flexible strategies to help inject intrigue into events.

"I don't think it would really work," Antonelli said at his home race. "Already now with long races we do one-stop strategies with the tires we have, and you know they would have to implement so many more rules for a shorter race in terms of pitstop. I think also with the longer race, probably you have also more time to build your race."

What does a promoter think?

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For a race promoter, the idea of shortening an event could be seen as decreasing the value of what fans pay tickets for and goes against the idea of introducing sprint weekends, where the draw is more competitive action on track.

Giving his thoughts during a call with select media including Grand Prix on SI, Circuit of the Americas chairman Epstein explained: "I think he [Domenicali] would only do that if he thought it was in the best interests of the sport.

"Part of what makes Stefano such a brilliant leader is his ability to help F1 evolve and remain relevant without sacrificing the sport's rich heritage and tradition.

"It's a tough balance but he does it with passion and without sacrificing the interests of either the fans, the teams or the competitors. We will keep focusing on providing a great fan experience and let Stefano decide what's best for the sport itself.

"I've got full confidence in him."

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This article first appeared on F1 on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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