The ‘Sprint’ Dilemma
In recent years, Formula 1’s decision-makers have tried various ways to intervene in the traditional weekend format to make it more innovative and appealing. The most significant revolution has undoubtedly been the introduction of Sprint races. Introduced in a set of three in the 2021 Formula One season, with points awarded only to the top three finishers, Sprints have now become a more integral part of the championship. There are six Sprints per season, points are awarded to the top eight, and starting from 2023, there is even a dedicated qualifying session, the Shootout, to determine the starting grid for these races.
Traditionalist fans have not particularly favored this type of event, and even the drivers themselves have not seemed too enthusiastic about this format. It’s no coincidence that Max Verstappen, the dominant force in recent seasons, has often expressed his opposition to Sprint races. Another Formula 1 protagonist, Carlos Sainz, fresh from his splendid third-place finish at Monza, has now offered a suggestion to try to liven up the situation. The Ferrari driver was a guest on the P1 with Matt & Tommy podcast.
An Intriguing Idea
In this light-hearted and playful context, Maranello’s #55 tried to suggest some interesting modifications to the format of short races, providing a useful starting point for the debate: “I would still have the Sprints,” Carlos Sainz said, “but with a reversed starting grid based on the championship standings. Imagine Max starting last, the Ferrari cars starting 13th and 14th, the slower cars up front. The entire field would be much closer together. And if points were awarded up to the tenth position, I would start the race thinking I could make it into the top 10 or top 5. Max, starting last, would think he could at least finish in the top ten with a Red Bull.” – the Ferrari driver pointed out.
“Those starting at the front would give it their all to maintain their position,” Carlos Sainz added, “because those could be the only points they score in the season, or nearly. These days would be incredible and would not affect the rest of the weekend. You would still have the main race, which is what everyone would want to win anyway. But there would be this Saturday race where we would talk about something else.” The most interesting thing is that, according to Carlos Sainz, there is already a group of drivers in favor of this type of race, and they have already proposed it to Formula 1’s top management. “Some other drivers and I have asked for it,” confirmed the Spanish driver, “we said, ‘if you really want to make the Sprint weekend interesting and try something different, why not try this?'”
Carlos Sainz’s criticism of the current race format is that it is merely a kind of ‘spoiler’ for what is seen again on the track on Sundays.
Leave a Reply