Fernando Alonso warns Stefano Domenicali that his new idea to improve F1 is not ‘necessary’

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The 2025 season continues at Monza with the Italian Grand Prix, but Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is already looking into the future for how to improve the series.

Formula 1 celebrated its 75th anniversary this season, but Domenicali refuses to rest on the laurels of what got the pinnacle of motorsport this far. No circuit has played a bigger part in F1’s history than Monza, which will stage the Italian GP for a record-extending 75th edition.

Only the streets of the Principality have staged the Monaco Grand Prix nearly as often, with 71 editions to date. Imola held the Italian GP once in 1980 due to Monza needing extensive renovation, but the Temple of Speed is the traditional venue for Ferrari’s home Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso warns Stefano Domenicali that shortening F1 Grand Prix distances is unnecessary

F1 CEO Domenicali raised a few eyebrows ahead of the record-extending 76th edition of the Italian GP this weekend after sharing his proposed ideas to help the championship appeal to a younger audience. One of Domenicali’s ideas was for F1 to reduce the Grand Prix distance.

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2

Domenicali proposes the current distance of a Grand Prix “may be a bit too long for younger audiences”. The Italian’s suggestion is fuelled in part by F1 seeing high viewing figures for its highlight packages, including “a large segment” who only want to watch “the key moments”.

But Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has warned Domenicali against pushing through a reduction in the Grand Prix distance, as the two-time F1 champion says it is not “necessary”. Alonso has more experience than any driver, as the Spaniard has started in 416 Grands Prix.

Alonso said in the FIA press conference for the Italian GP at Monza on Thursday: “Shorter races? I don’t know, I’ll be watching TV when it happens. Jokes aside, we’re in good hands with Domenicali. But I don’t think it’s necessary to shorten the Grand Prix.”

Andrea Kimi Antonelli thinks shorter F1 races would require ‘a lot’ of pit stop ‘rules’

While Alonso is the most experienced driver in F1 history and the eldest on the current grid at 44 years old, Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the third-youngest at 18 when the Mercedes rookie debuted in the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. Monza will see the Italian’s 16th F1 start.

READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats

Like Alonso, Antonelli also does not agree with Domenicali that F1 should explore reducing the length of the Grands Prix to appeal to new and younger fans. The Bologna boy believes it would create further problems to improve the show by reducing the Grand Prix distance.

Antonelli said in the pre-race press conference: “Sprint weekends are fun for me. I find them exciting. However, I think shorter races wouldn’t really work. You’d have to apply a lot of pit stop rules. Whereas in a longer race, you have more time to build your performance.”

Antonelli became F1’s youngest-ever polesitter at the Sprint in Miami this year, in what was only the sixth round of the Mercedes rookie’s Formula 1 career. The Italian set a lap time of 1:26.482 in SQ3 at the Miami International Autodrome, yet fell to P7 during the 18-lap dash.

Formula 1 added Sprint events to its calendar for the 2021 F1 season, with three per year at first before moving to six in 2023, to run a shorter race format to earn new fans. The format often earns criticism as Sprints offer a taster of what to expect at the start of the Grand Prix.

Sprints also force changes to the race weekend format, with teams only having one practice session to prepare their cars for Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint. Teams can make changes ahead of qualifying for the actual Grand Prix based on their data across the Sprint sessions.