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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says Formula 1 is at the “perfect time” to trial reverse grid races.
The 2020 F1 season is set to get underway in Austria next month, after the coronavirus pandemic saw the opening ten races o the original schedule called off.
Two consecutive events are expected to be held at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, followed by one race in Hungary before another two races at one circuit, with Silverstone in the UK the proposed venue.
Horner revealed that during a meeting between the teams and the FIA last week, it was proposed that one of the weekends should hold a reverse grid based on championship position.
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The Briton argues that it would add another factor of unpredictability, rather than getting two similar races in a row at the same track.
“I think we've got a unique situation this year, and having two races at the same venue, it would seem the perfect time to try something different at that second event,” Horner told Sky F1.
"Otherwise, with stable weather conditions, we're likely to have the same output in race two as we have in race one.
“There was a discussion last week where the FIA and Liberty put on the table trying something different for that second race weekend, where there would be perhaps a race on Saturday, a reverse grid on Sunday.
“My view was let's do it at all the races that there are two races, so Austria, Silverstone, maybe an Asian circuit further down the line.”
Horner added that the idea received overwhelming support - except from Mercedes, who is targeting a seventh consecutive double world championship.
Horner said: “It seemed to get overwhelming support, the only person that wasn't particularly supportive of it was Toto because he thought it would interfere with Lewis' seventh world championship campaign, and it would be too much of a variable.
“But for the sport, if it's the same for everybody, now would be the perfect time to try it. Otherwise there will never be a good time and we'll never know.”
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G. Zhou
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f1fan0101
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"Here's a novel idea . . . .just race !"
they are racing... more than usual. so what's the problem