Formula 1 is considering changes to the Sprint races for the 2024 season to make them more exciting and appealing to the audience. Pirelli, through the words of Simone Berra, suggests that selecting tracks with high overtaking possibilities would be beneficial to improve the situation.
Since their introduction in Formula 1, Sprint Races, short races held on Saturdays, have always been a topic of discussion. In most cases, the 100-kilometer races offer little action and excitement, leading to repeated questions about the format’s viability.
Teams and Formula 1 leaders have started discussions about potential changes to Sprint Races for the upcoming season, fueled by concerns that the current configuration might not be attractive enough for fans.
Several options are on the table, including the possibility of a reversed grid, as recently suggested by Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull. Another proposal from the British manager is related to introducing a cash prize to make the race more appealing, along with a review of the calendar and weekends by shifting sessions and making everything more concentrated.
One proposal suggests greater strategic variety in terms of tire choices, a key factor that made the Qatar Sprint race more exciting than others throughout the season.
In this regard, Pirelli has expressed its opinion through the words of Simone Berra, Pirelli’s chief engineer. According to him, the best way to achieve high-quality Sprint races is to ensure that events are held on tracks that offer significant overtaking opportunities.
“I don’t think we should change anything in terms of distance. I think it would be better to decide which circuit layouts are most suitable for hosting Sprint races because we can make decisions to ensure these events can be even more spectacular than they are now.”
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According to Simone Berra, the Qatar Sprint turned out to be exciting because none of the tire choices made by the drivers was perfect for the conditions.
“We had good Sprint races, but in Qatar, there was a high level of degradation, and this influenced the tire compound choice. We didn’t have a strong compound. We had the C2 and C3, but both suffered from graining. I believe the track configuration is crucial for selecting the right circuits to have a good show.”
Simone Berra added that it would be too challenging to envision circumstances where tire choice is always marginal, as there is always a fine line between providing products that allow drivers to push while still ensuring good-quality races.
“It’s not an easy balance because if degradation is high, the drivers have to manage it, whereas if degradation is low, they can push, but there’s no difference in pace because degradation is low for everyone. So it’s always a combination where you choose the track, you choose the compounds, and some teams are able to find better performance than others. For example, in the Brazil Sprint, the Mercedes lost a lot. Especially in the final laps with Lewis Hamilton. Even Oscar Piastri had the same problem at the end of the race. So, this factor was also very important. Having to manage the tires at that moment, there was a bit of a struggle, and other drivers in the back were able to gain positions.” – he concluded.
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