Raikkonen back 2 day GP weekends

[Scott]

I can't not love the guy, but really, did they have to ask probably the laziest driver on the grid?  Of course Kimi would prefer to only work weekends. 

Of course if you damage your car, it means the mechanics are under far more stress to get the car up and running again if it has to run again later the same day.

As a fan going to races, I would say I prefer the Thurs-Sun format.  Sure, it costs more (two more nights hotel, food etc...), but I like the more relaxed schedule and time to wander around the circuit, not just watching non-stop racing. 

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121542

[Jericoke]

Sure, the whole F1 programme can be condensed, but what does that mean for support series?

I know that fans are (mostly) paying for the main event, but the support series are fun to watch too, and it's a fantastic opportunity for the next generation of F1 drivers to be in front of a crowd.  If F1 is using the track all the time, there's no room for anyone else (especially if they have to clean up after a crash, which seems to be de rigeur these days)

I also enjoyed having extra time to explore.  If everything is compressed it will hurt the vendors.  If I'm stuck in my seat watching F1's compressed schedule, I'm not off looking for a Kimi hat or maple doughnuts.

[Scott]

I'm not off looking for a Kimi hat or maple doughnuts.

   

[Jericoke]

I'm not off looking for a Kimi hat or maple doughnuts.

   

Seriously, there was a trailer selling maple dipped potato doughnuts right next to the corner we set up at.  It's like they knew the fat girl was going to be there!

And everyone was selling Kimi hats.  Schumacher, Hamilton, Vettel and Villeneuve caps were there too, but I think the Kimi hats were the most popular.

[Scott]

I'm not off looking for a Kimi hat or maple doughnuts.

   

Seriously, there was a trailer selling maple dipped potato doughnuts right next to the corner we set up at.  It's like they knew the fat girl was going to be there!

  Sounds delish

[Andy B]

I'm not off looking for a Kimi hat or maple doughnuts.

   

Seriously, there was a trailer selling maple dipped potato doughnuts right next to the corner we set up at.  It's like they knew the fat girl was going to be there!

And everyone was selling Kimi hats.  Schumacher, Hamilton, Vettel and Villeneuve caps were there too, but I think the Kimi hats were the most popular.

I never saw the doughnuts but I did see all the hats and was going to buy a Lotus hat but they were selling last years with the Renault logo on it, when I said no thanks I want this years hat she seemed  little put our as other around me then realised too.
Having been to quite a few GP's over the years I'm in favour of keeping Thursday to Sunday what they need to do if anything is make Friday a test day to get the cars on track more or at least specify they have to do X number of laps in each session.
They need to make the teams more accessible to the fans as its all quite distant even test days at Silverstone once down in the pit lane they put up the barriers so very little could be seen only McLaren put up a display of an engine and a show car for the fans to see and photograph.
Just my thoughts.

[Irisado]

Condensing the weekend's running could have the benefit of making setting up the car more difficult and make the racing more dynamic as a result (see my comments in the COTA discussion thread for further details of what I'm referring to).  However, I agree that this would be a bad thing for the mechanics and could make the event as a whole less appealing for fans who want value for money.  That said, if there are fans who cannot take time off during the week, then losing Friday wouldn't be an issue for them.  Quite the conundrum.

I think that the best way forward is to ban simulators.  Drivers need to learn new circuits at the track not by driving around playing glorified computer games.  Grand Prix weekends as a whole would be more interesting if the drivers and teams didn't have everything worked out through simulation before hand, and this would lead to more meaningful running taking place on Fridays.

[John S]

Nah Kimi's wrong, sure it would make things a little bit more exciting having to condense everything - but what about us people who rely on borrowing friends Friday GP tickets some years. 

The incredible prices that they charge now, well for the British GP anyway, means most of us can't afford to go for the whole weekend unless we make it into a proper holiday and go camping at Silverstone as well. We need 3 days then to make it worthwhile.    

[cosworth151]

Some firms no longer insist that a week's vacation be taken as a Monday - Friday week. I used to take the USGP week Wednesday - Tuesday. I'd leave for Indy Wednesday so that I could be waiting at the gate when they opened on Thursday morning. Also, I always ran into team personnel at a few of the Downtown watering holes Wednesday night.  I'd also spend Sunday night in Indy. That way I didn't have to drive 3-1/2 hours home after the race. Not only that, but there were always lots of post-race parties that night!