Formula 1 News: Capito warns F1 not to lose purity for ‘show’

(GMM) Former Williams boss Jost Capito (pictured) has urged Formula 1 not to go too far with plans to add more entertainment-driven elements.

With Liberty Media pushing for more sprint events beyond 2026 – and even floating ideas like shorter grands prix or reversed grids – Capito told Sky Deutschland the sport must protect its core identity.

“I think the sport is in a very good position. And you have to be careful with further developments,” he said.

“It’s truly one of the last motorsports where there’s no balance of performance, but rather where the best wins and the best isn’t held back. For me, that’s still pure motorsport. And that must be preserved in F1 as well.”

Capito admitted a limited experiment with reversed-grid sprints could be worth considering. “We could perhaps talk about a reverse grid there. Whether it’s a complete reverse grid remains to be seen,” he said.

But he insisted the essence of F1 must remain untouched. “If the fastest driver wins every race, then he wins every race. That’s how it is. And I think that’s what the fans want.

“The fans want to see the best win, not something artificial that anyone can win just for marketing reasons.”

McLaren CEO Zak Brown also weighed in on the same subject, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport that F1 must strike a careful balance between sport and show.

“I’ve always been a little confused by the fact that some people don’t see the two as one,” said the American. “Anything you buy a ticket to and sit in the stands to watch is entertainment, whether it’s a movie, fireworks, a rock concert, or a F1 grand prix.”

But he agreed there are limits. “Like bringing out a contrived safety car to unite the field – I’m not into that,” said Brown.

“I don’t want anything that takes away from the value of the sport. But entertainment doesn’t do that if it respects the sporting part of what we do.”