Meeting in Manilla, the World Motor Sport Council this morning confirmed the results of the recent e-votes regarding the 2019 F1 Sporting and Technical Regulations. These include aerodynamic changes to the front wing, brake ducts, and rear wing and are aimed at improving overtaking.

The WMSC also approved changes to the 2018 F1 Sporting Regulations to ensure the cars and drivers are on the starting grid for ten minutes longer before the national anthem ceremony, thereby providing better access to the drivers for the media.

These changes will be in effect from the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend.

The move follows the decision introduced at the start of the year to push race start times back to ten minutes past the hour in a bid to give broadcasters more lead in time before the start of races.

With the official F1 website, declaring that the added ten minutes means "a longer 'grid walk' period for the media, giving them better access to the drivers and more time for interviews as they prepare to climb into their cockpits and get ready to do battle against their rivals", one has to wonder how the drivers themselves feel about this further intrusion at what is surely the most intense period of the weekend.

One can be almost certain that the Grand Prix Drivers Association was not asked for its opinion.

Check out our Thursday gallery from Montreal, here.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by C5, 08/06/2018 13:25

"@YuppieScum, I agree with all you said. Except the part about sending the broadcast team to the race. I see a lot of people make this argument, but I simply don't understand it.

In which way does it improve the quality and entertainment of the commentary that the presenters sit in a small room looking at a couple of small monitors next to a racetrack in stead of in a facility that is familiar and designed for the purpose without regard to size and portability?

Case in point: Sky sends half a plane load of people to be "on site" for each race weekend. And their work is in every way inferior to that of NBCSN, who didn't. I don't mean to be flippant, I really, truly don't understand the argument?"

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2. Posted by F1Doppelganger, 08/06/2018 9:43

"The next stage of this will likely be to limit the race time to say 100 or 90 minutes to help fit into the 2 hour TV slot and allow maximum adverting time. There's talk of a shorter race with a quali race - even if quali stays as it is, I reckon shorter races are coming....

Anyway, here comes Canada......

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3. Posted by PlayF1, 07/06/2018 19:08

"The grid walk is nothing more than traditional banality.
Effectively:
How are you ... your wife ... kids ... the garden ... oh yes, and are you hoping to make up some places before turn 1?
"... er no ... I'm planning on dropping a few places..."

Good stuff ... oh there's a random celebrity that I must talk to (because Hulk is on a toilet break)...

Hang on ... there's Carlos being interviewed by by a crew that I don't even know ... let's interrupt them...

Carlos, Carlos ... How are you ... your wife ... kids ... the garden ... oh yes, and are you hoping to make up some places before turn 1?
"... er no ... I'm planning on dropping a few places..."

Good stuff ... oh there's ......"

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4. Posted by YuppieScum, 07/06/2018 15:34

""...lead in time before the start..."

This is so that some broadcasters (thankfully not in the UK) can cut their production costs by starting their show on the hour and only having fill for ten minutes before "lights out".

Further, as by this time there is plenty of action from the pit-lane and grid on the "world feed", there's no need for their presentation/commentary/production teams to be in the paddock, as it can all be done from their local studio rather than being shipped out all over the world. In fact, several English-language broadcasters buy-in the Sky UK race commentary (you'll notice that Crofty's style includes "back from the break" type recaps) so all they need is a single voice to do intro and wrap-up.

I thought everyone already realised this..."

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5. Posted by imejl99, 07/06/2018 13:56

"..."more lead in time before the start"... allowing 10 more minutes for advertising interrupted by still images of tyre heating blankets or grandstands, depending on attendance :)"

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6. Posted by Yeyox02, 07/06/2018 13:43

"In other words: More boring stuff, more time to say the same boring things and to see more boring ads. I do not use the correct words that are in the English language dictionaries to say the latter because my comment could be deleted and because there are many people who are shocked when they hear truths

"

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7. Posted by FormerF1Fan, 07/06/2018 12:24

"... thereby providing better access to the drivers for the media. Why on earth would we want that, particularly as there aren't any grid girls to ease the pre-race boredom. In any case, not good news for the drivers trying to concentrate before the race. I just caught a glimpse of how this is viewed on the other side of the water. More Sunday drive than the pinnacle of motorsport...

I think you might have meant: '...thereby providing better fridge access and popcorn time for American viewers.'

Fixed that one for you..."

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