[Rules] Let's extend the Belgian Grand Prix to 400km

[NaBUru38]

Spa has a long tradition of endurance racing, for example the current 1000km (ACO) and 24-hour (FIA GT) international races. So I think that the F1 should consider lengthening the Belgian Grand Prix from regular 305km (44 laps) to some 400km (about 58 laps, but could be from 55 to 60 laps).

The Belgian Grand Prix usually lasts 1:20 to 1:25 minutes, even if it rains lightly. Only heavy rains like in 1992, 1995 and 1998 have extended the race to 1:36 (the former two) and 1:43 (the latter). 57 laps would extend dry and mildly wet races to about 1:45, like the Monaco Grand Prix. Fully wet races would end at 2 hours as usual.

Spa is one of the fastest courses of the calendar (after Monza) and has some of the highest lap times (Singapore, Suzuka and the new Bahrain are very close). But above all that, it is the longest one of all. That's why this pseudo-endurance format suits it better than other tracks. In contrast, Monza's four overtaking spots make the current 1:20 race more than thrilling; Suzuka isn't too far from 90 minutes; Singapore is already very close to the time limit; and Bahrain's new layout simply sucks. Last but not least, the longer race means there is more time for rain, which will help in less wet years.

What do you think about the proposal? If Monaco runs less than 305km, could the authorities push this forward?

[Nicholosophy]

I would presume that this isn't possible due to the current no refueling rules. I doubt they could do 400km on a full tank. And we don't need an economy drive in F1.

[broadrun96]

Being the enduro fan that I am, I'm all for a longer F1 race. But with the cars being designed to exactly what they need to do to make a GP length, adding a one-off enduro would require a special car and drive the costs up too much to balance the gain of a longer race. It should be possible to lengthen the race to better match the maximum time if the race tends to be shorter than say 1:45. That would still leave a gap at the end of the race if the lap times are slowed by sc or rain to get over 75% to get full points.

[fourWheelDrift]

Personally I'd like to see the length of all GPs increased somewhat, 400km does sound good. And get rid of the two hour limit while we are at it schedule the race so it is expected to be just under two hours but if it over runs, tough, keep going till the distance is run.

But I'm not trying to keep the TV companies happy or grow an audience of casual viewers who aren't really interested and generally have the attention span of a demented bee.

[Birddog07]

To be fair and keep costs in mind, I think the current GP is fine enough.

[icemachine]

I would like to see longer races, 2 hours should be the minimum time for a race IMO

[Marbot]

Ironically, FOTA are looking at shortening the races!

[Birddog07]

I suppose it would cut costs, and less people would fall sleep aswell.

[fourWheelDrift]

Originally Posted by Marbot

Ironically, FOTA are looking at shortening the races!

Exactly my point when I said above "But I'm not trying to keep the TV companies happy or grow an audience of casual viewers who aren't really interested and generally have the attention span of a demented bee."

Bernie and FOTA are both trying to do exactly that and that is a major reason why they are looking to shorten the races.

[Birddog07]

Yes, but as much as all of us hardcore fans love F1, when the day ends it is a business trying to make the most money as it can...

[Super Hans]

I'd go along with what's been said above. Whilst I'd prefer longer Grands Prix it'd serve only to put the casual viewer off, which is the exact opposite of what the teams, sponsors and authorites are trying to achieve.

[Born Racer]

I think the current general length of Grands Prix is about right, but I'd like to see a few of them longer, such as a classic like Spa.

Shortening?

[SALEEN S7R]

Personally I would like to see a GP2 style format, 2 races over the weekend, but with a twist. For race 2 reverse the grid completely. Not that it will ever happen, but it would make for some excellent racing for the 2nd race.

[Quintin03]

Great fake racing IMO. Just do autospeedway grids and three races then.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Quintin03

Great fake racing IMO. Just do autospeedway grids and three races then.

How is it fake? It's still on the track, and people are still racing. Seems pretty real to me.

[BootsOntheSide]

I think 300km plus one lap is the limit for every race (other than Monaco as it would take too long), so allowing 400km would be a big change. I'm not a fan of time purely determining the length of a race as it seems too contrieved for TV, but a 2-hour upper limit is sensible enough. Maybe every race length should be the number of times the pole lap would go into 1 hour 40 minutes - thus giving some slack for rain and safety car conditions, but with the 2 hour limit required occasionally. Cars are so much faster than when the length was originally set, and that means shorter races than were originally intended.

[zac510]

Maybe we can shorten the **** ones like Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and lengthen the good ones like Monza, Spa, etc

[johntt]

Originally Posted by zac510

Maybe we can shorten the **** ones like Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and lengthen the good ones like Monza, Spa, etc

5 laps for Bahrain/Abu Dhabi

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by johntt

5 laps for Bahrain/Abu Dhabi

Each or between them?

[Rockmunky]

Hell, I'm just happy we still have tracks like Spa on the F1 calendar.

[Mac1602]

Maybe they should change the rules from ~300 km to '300 km, not less than 90 minutes + 1 lap'?

[JeremySmith]

What is wrong with it as it is?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

What is wrong with it as it is?

As the old saying goes, if ain't broke don't fix it.

[broadrun96]

Nothing really wrong with any of the race lengths before/during the race, but as with any race after it's done I wish there was a little more. I even wish LM was longer on Sunday morning, kinda like a kid on Christmas afternoon knowing it's another long year til it's back again. And having a special longer race at either Spa/Monza or Silverstone just sounds like a great way to honor the older tracks, although GP racing has mostly been a sprint type race for its history, correct?

[Dutton]

Go back to the 50s and 60s and they were considerably longer. They were three or four hours each, IIRC (although I haven't poured over old results for yeeeeeaaaaaarrrrrssssss, so may well be remembering wrongly).

I'd love to see F1 races that were a good bit longer, but we need to keep TV in mind in all realism. With that said, I would settle for it being switched to 2hr timed events.