Emanuele Pirro has defended the decision to introduce an F1 Sprint race at Monaco in 2027, directly challenging the criticism expressed by Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen after Singapore’s first Sprint weekend. While both drivers questioned the value of shorter races on street circuits where overtaking is difficult, the former Formula 1 driver and current president of the FIA Single-Seater Commission believes the format offers a major advantage in Monte Carlo: an additional qualifying session, potentially the most exciting part of the entire weekend.
The first Singapore Sprint, held on Saturday, 10 October, started half an hour late because of rain and was immediately marked by drama. George Russell, having just taken the lead, lost control of his Mercedes towards the end of the opening lap and crashed into the barriers. Max Verstappen went on to claim victory, but by the end of the day, the drivers’ comments about the format had attracted just as much attention as the race itself.
Max Verstappen argued that Sprint races should not be organised at circuits where overtaking is impossible. Charles Leclerc went further:
“I don’t think it makes sense to have Sprints on street circuits in general. Here or in Monaco, I don’t think it adds anything to the weekend.”
Monaco was not mentioned by chance. The 2027 Formula 1 calendar will feature ten Sprint weekends instead of six, with five circuits hosting the format for the first time: Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Abu Dhabi and Monaco itself, where overtaking is notoriously difficult. The decision has already prompted debate, particularly because of the unique challenges of introducing a Sprint race at Monaco.
Emanuele Pirro defends F1 Sprint races despite driver criticism
Amid the growing scepticism, Emanuele Pirro takes the opposite view. The former Formula 1 driver, who now heads the FIA Single-Seater Commission, is a firm supporter of Sprint races and struggles to understand why the format attracts so much criticism.
“I like them. I don’t understand, and I sometimes find myself discussing it, why people don’t like them. I have enormous respect for those who don’t like motorsport, no problem at all. But if you like two-hour races, I think a Sprint Race weekend, where you have qualifying on Friday, a race and qualifying on Saturday, and a race on Sunday, is a perfect weekend for fans. I can’t understand what’s so heretical about it.”
His argument centres on the amount of competitive action available across the three days. Instead of a traditional weekend dominated by practice before qualifying and the Grand Prix, the Sprint format gives spectators meaningful sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Emanuele Pirro rejects claims that drivers avoid risks in Sprint races
One of the most common objections to Sprint races concerns the amount of risk drivers are prepared to take. Only the first eight finishers score points, from eight for victory down to one for eighth place, while Grand Prix qualifying takes place just a few hours later. With relatively little at stake, the argument is that drivers think twice before risking damage to their cars, potentially producing processional races.
Emanuele Pirro does not accept that interpretation:
“No, no, I’m not buying it. No driver wants to have an accident. So it’s true that a Sprint Race is approached differently, but it’s a motor race. It depends on the circuits, it depends on the situations, but it’s a motor race that I genuinely enjoy watching.”
The Singapore Sprint itself offered little evidence of drivers simply managing their positions and avoiding confrontation. Alongside George Russell’s early accident, several competitors failed to reach the chequered flag. On the final lap, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri made contact, forcing the Australian to retire.
For Ferrari, the event ultimately produced a positive result, with Lewis Hamilton finishing second and Charles Leclerc third in the Singapore Sprint behind Max Verstappen.
Why Emanuele Pirro questions the traditional length of F1 races
Emanuele Pirro also has a clear opinion about race duration. Grands Prix currently have a maximum race time of two hours, and races were longer in the past. For the Italian, however, that format is not set in stone. To explain his thinking, he turns to a comparison involving food.
“Someone really has to convince me, and I’ve had this discussion with friends: convincing me that you like a two-hour race but don’t like a one-hour race is like saying, ‘I like a portion of spaghetti with clams, but I don’t like half a portion.’ There’s a start, it’s a race. Bicycle races have different lengths.”
In reality, the portion is even smaller than his comparison suggests. A Formula 1 Sprint covers approximately 100 kilometres, roughly one-third of a Grand Prix distance, and usually lasts around half an hour.
Meanwhile, the distance of traditional Grands Prix is not considered untouchable either. From 2027, the standard race distance is set to decrease from 305 to 290 kilometres to accommodate fuel-consumption requirements associated with the new power units. The planned reduction in Formula 1 race distances for 2027 has already been approved by the Formula 1 Commission and is awaiting confirmation from the World Motor Sport Council.
Why Emanuele Pirro believes the Monaco F1 Sprint is a good decision
When it comes to Monaco, Emanuele Pirro recognises that his opinion goes against the prevailing criticism. Yet he believes the Principality provides perhaps the clearest example of why the Sprint format could improve a Formula 1 weekend.
“And there’s also an extra qualifying session. As for Monaco, although I’m going against the grain, they made the right decision to introduce the Sprint because we’ll have an extra qualifying session, which is perhaps the most interesting thing about the entire weekend in Monaco. So perhaps having two qualifying sessions makes it twice as interesting.”
His reasoning effectively turns Charles Leclerc’s criticism on its head. At Monaco, the race itself often offers limited excitement because overtaking is almost impossible. That makes the battle over a single flying lap particularly important, with drivers pushing to the absolute limit through the narrow streets.
Under the Sprint format, there will be two opportunities to enjoy that spectacle: Sprint Qualifying on Friday and traditional Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday. The challenge of extracting the perfect lap while running centimetres from the barriers will therefore become an even bigger part of the weekend.
For spectators who regard qualifying as Monaco’s main attraction, the additional session could be a major benefit. Those hoping to see more overtaking, however, are likely to remain disappointed when Saturday’s shorter race gets under way.
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