Speaking for the first time since Azerbaijan’s format changed, the Italian said he preferred to play sprints in the third.

Based on F1’s expected 24-race Grand Prix calendar, that equates to eight per season, up slightly from the six planned for this year.

“We don’t want to go into a situation where all the games going forward are sprints,” Domenicali said on a conference call with Wall Street analysts.

“We want to keep a limited number, maybe a third of the calendar, and create something special in the game that we can give sporting value through trophies, and of course, there’s a commercial opportunity for that stuff. I think that’s the right approach .”

Domenicali insisted that all sports must evolve with the times, citing other examples where rules have been adjusted.

“I see a general trend in all sports today of instability, let’s say, not aligning with the old regulations,” he said.

“So we’re just looking at what baseball does, we’re just looking at what the NBA is doing.

“This means that all professional sports need to listen to the requests and new ideas of fans, promoters and partners to make the game more exciting.”

Domenicali also said he’s received positive feedback on the new indie model, while acknowledging that it’s harder to please longtime fans.

F1 hosts first standalone sprint race in Baku

Photography: Andy Horn / motorsport pictures

He did not rule out tweaking the new format ahead of the next sprints in Austria and Belgium.

“Of course we did what the teams and the FIA ​​asked us to do,” Domenicali said.

“Because, as you know, the idea is to make sure that during the racing weekend, there is always activity on the track.

“The results for the first one this year have actually been very encouraging. Every single one of our partners, promoters, media partners, and the team has been very positive about it.

“Of course, there are things we want to learn from and see if at the end of the summer we can learn something to do better.

“But overall the first weekend in sprint form was great.

“As always, when you want to do something different in a very standardized ecosystem, the traditional fan reaction is a long wait.

“But usually, with new fans, we see a very, very positive reaction. Promoters are pushing that.”

Meanwhile, Liberty Media published F1’s first-quarter 2023 results on Friday, covering the period from January to March and including revenue from the season’s first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Overall revenue was up slightly year-over-year, up 6% from $360 million to $381 million, while operating income was up 3%, from $35 million to $36 million, due in part to a $6 million cost charge Due to the planning of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.