the president of the FIA, Jean Todt, does not believe that there are better alternatives the current format of weekend that is performed in each GP, with two sessions of free on the Friday prior to the race, free 3 and qualifying on Saturday and race on Sunday. This comes to collation of the possibility to vary the format of the weekend to improve the interest of the viewer and even shorten them.
But the promoters of the races are against shortening the week ends, as this could affect the sale of tickets. Therefore, Jean Todt and the FIA does not consider the current proposals for change of format does not mean a step forward with respect to the current system. Everything comes to the root of what happened in Austin, as the qualifying and race compacted in the Sunday seemed to work, but this was due to the weather conditions of special and the little show of the previous days.
Although Todt has confirmed that there have been discussions to try to change the current format: “With as many people as we have, and as many ideas as we have, it is something that we’ve been discussing. […] Until now we have not had any suggestion that we have found better than the existing situation. If there was a proposal that demonstrated clearly that would be a step forward, then we would not be against it.“.
Further adds that the problem is not in the format, but in the circuit in which you are, in addition to insinuate that not only should not be shortened, but be extended: “Depends on the circuit where you are, but look at the excitement and how happy we were the fans there (in reference to the GP of Mexico), it was a sight. Sometimes I feel that there should be a program even more large for them. But, as I say, for the moment we have not had a proposal that is better than what we have now.“.