Fernando Alonso identifies 'problem with society' behind F1 call for change

Fernando Alonso has responded to F1 president Stefano Domenicali suggesting that races are too long for young people, stating that the sport is not the problem, society is. 

F1's president is open to the idea of more sprint races, reverse grid races and even shortening the length of a grand prix, due to him believing the sport's younger audience has a shorter attention span. 

Young people have become a key market for F1, more so since the introduction of Netflix's Drive to Survive, which played a significant role in the championship's growth in the last handful of years.

A typical grand prix can last anywhere from 80-120 minutes, with various factors such as weather, track length and in-race incidents having a huge say on its duration. 

In Alonso's eyes, F1 does not need to change the length of its races, arguing that people are not questioning if a 90-minute football match is too long.

The two-time champion believes the issue with younger people having a shorter attention span is down to society, rather than the sport.

"Yeah, I don't know," Alonso told media in the first drivers' press conference at Monza. "I will be on the other side, I will be in front of the TV when that happens. I don't know, I don't think it's a problem with the sport, so change is probably is not needed. 

"But Stefano knows better than anyone. So if he thinks that it's needed, then we are in good hands in this kind of decision with him. 

"But also, football matches are going to be long. When I sit in front of the TV I'm not watching the [full] 90 minutes concentrated, I go to the kitchen and go back. There is always some moments of distraction. 

"And no one is talking about having 60-minute football matches or something. So it's a problem with society on the kids, but not the sport. So change is probably not needed."