Max Verstappen believes F1 press conferences need to be made more efficient for both the drivers and the media.
As stated in the previous race weekend format, Thursday is dedicated to media activities. However, before getting into their cars on Friday, drivers now spend more than two to three hours on media duties.
Verstappen feels that they have to answer the same questions repeatedly for different forms of media, be it print or broadcast. This can be a monotonous order for both drivers and the press. The Dutchman also complained about the new format even in the season opener.
Explaining the scenario from the driver’s perspective in a press conference ahead of the 2022 Imola GP, Max Verstappen said:
“We already know that, if we leave here, we have to go outside and we have to repeat ourselves at least six to eight times. And it’s just… when you start, it’s exciting, the first two, when you continue to the other ones, it’s going to be boring. It’s not nice for them, it’s not nice for us.” “So I think we can be a lot more efficient with that. I think it doesn’t matter if it’s all on Thursday or all on Friday. It’s more about… we do this, then we go outside, then we have to speak to all the individual medias… but they all ask the same question, and you’re basically repeating yourself six or seven times.”
He added:
“And you try, of course, to keep it interesting, to try to word it in a different way – but at the end of the day you say the same thing, right?” 
| Max Verstappen:
“I’m stumped about having the press conference on Friday mornings. We end up with the same usual load of interviews on Thursdays, but now with the conference on Friday we are even busier.”
#F1
| Max Verstappen: “I’m stumped about having the press conference on Friday mornings. We end up with the same usual load of interviews on Thursdays, but now with the conference on Friday we are even busier.”#F1
Suggesting a solution to the problem of the melange of press duties, Max Verstappen said:
“So, we see in other sports as well, when they have a press conference, there are a lot of mics just brought together and, instead of giving the broadcasters, like two questions each, they all have, basically, whatever, six, eight, ten questions, just in one go and they can all broadcast it.” “So, I think that’s also way more efficient and nicer for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you have 20 mics lined-up all from different companies. You get a lot more out of the drivers.”
Max Verstappen feels the new three-day race weekend format needs to change
Despite the condensation of race weekends on a long calendar, Max Verstappen believes drivers spend a lot of time on Thursday interacting with the media unofficially.
However, the Grand Prix Driver’s Association (GPDA) did convene to discuss the issues of extended media duties on both Thursday and Friday.
The reigning champion stated that despite the shorter race weekends, their track days get longer because of media duties, and it is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Suggesting that the previous format was better, Max Verstappen said:
“I think it’s more about how we are doing the press conferences and the media activities. I think it was better before, because now, our Thursday is very long, which officially is not really a day any more but actually for us is the same – or even more on a Thursday, and even more now on a Friday when you come in early.”
He continued:
“Coming in early is not a problem but your whole day is longer. So, I… with going to more races you would like to have a shorter weekend – but actually now with more races we are also having longer weekends, or at least more days that we are actually at the track and doing stuff. So, yeah, that definitely needs to change.”
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In the previous race weekend format, most of the media duties were completed on a Thursday. Drivers were able to shift focus to track duties on Friday with very few media commitments.
At the moment, the new format doesn’t seem to work for teams, drivers, or the media. The last time the GPDA met was at the Saudi Arabian GP weekend to address safety concerns in the country.
Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh
