F1 with more sprints and shorter races? Drivers aren’t convinced
The interview Stefano Domenicali gave to several Italian media outlets, including ScuderiaFans.com, sparked discussion in the paddock. When asked about proposals to increase the number of sprint races, shorten Grand Prix, and introduce reverse grids, many drivers were skeptical.
The ideas raised by Stefano Domenicali ahead of the Italian Grand Prix were widely discussed during press conferences before on-track activity began. The Formula 1 CEO mentioned concepts under consideration with the FIA and teams, including more sprint races, the possibility of revising Grand Prix duration, and reviewing the weekend format. Most drivers were asked about these topics, and among the top drivers, a cautious, less enthusiastic stance emerged compared to Liberty Media’s enthusiasm.
On Friday morning, Stefano Domenicali emphasized that his thoughts on sprint races and Grand Prix duration are just discussion points and nothing is final. The plan is to discuss these ideas with the teams, FIA, and drivers, exploring proposals and evaluating possible options. He doesn’t simply want to maintain the status quo if improvements can be made for the fans.
The drivers, on their side, were very clear. Overall, they accepted the idea of holding a few sprint weekends during the season, but when it came to increasing the number beyond the current six, they were not enthusiastic. The same cautious approach applied to shortening Grand Prix, and the idea of a reverse grid was even less popular. Max Verstappen was the most outspoken, long known as one of the sport’s most tradition-minded drivers.
“You all know how I feel about sprint races,” he said with a smile, “and I also think the current race length is acceptable. Formula 1 is like other sports: sometimes you watch an exciting football match, sometimes it’s absolutely boring and you drift off. Sport is like that by nature; it can’t always be thrilling, otherwise it would paradoxically become less exciting and more artificial. We have to understand that sport has highs and lows—sometimes Grand Prix are incredibly exciting, other times less so. As for me, you know I’m more of a traditionalist, but I also understand how important it is for the teams to be closer together.”
“But in general,” Verstappen continued, “if you look at the season, except for McLaren, it’s not so bad. Unfortunately, we’ve had problems when following another car, and that doesn’t help; we see it clearly on many occasions, especially when a DRS train forms.” When asked if he sees positives in sprint races, Verstappen smiled: “Yes, I see the positives: more people earn more points, but of course I understand the reasons behind this format, which is trying to make the product more exciting. I also understand that for fans at the track, qualifying is more exciting than a practice session, but for us it’s still very important to train. Sports need to evolve, that’s fine, as long as it’s not overdone.”
Championship leader Oscar Piastri commented in his usual straightforward manner: “Race duration has been like this for a long time; F1 fans know what to expect when they watch a race, so I don’t think changes are necessary.” Charles Leclerc echoed the sentiment: “I don’t think significant changes are needed. Everything is going very well. Regarding sprint races, I’m satisfied with the number of weekends we have today.”
Fernando Alonso chose to compare F1 with football to explain his view. “I don’t think changes are necessary, but Stefano knows the sport better than anyone. So if he thinks it’s needed, I trust him; with him, we’re in good hands. Personally, when I watch a football match, I don’t stay fully focused for the whole duration. I go to the kitchen, come back—there are always moments of distraction—but no one talks about shortening matches to 60 minutes or something like that. So it’s a societal issue, and a problem for young people, but not for the sport itself.”
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