The latest change to Formula 1’s sprint races has failed to win the support of many drivers, some of which said they prefer the previous version.
F1 has changed the format for the fourth time in as many years since its introduction in 2021. The revised format will be used for the second time this weekend having been introduced at the previous round in China.F1 has moved the sprint race qualifying session to Friday, followed by the sprint race early on Saturday, then qualifying for the grand prix later that day. The change also gives teams the opportunity to alter their cars’ set-ups between Saturday’s two sessions, while previously they were locked in to their chosen configuration from Friday.
However several drivers were unenthusiastic about their first experience of the revised format. “I have to say, actually, I probably preferred the old format myself,” said Valtteri Bottas.
“There was only one practice and the qualifying straight after was for the main race, so there was a bit more at stake. And as well as with the set-up, you wouldn’t have the second chance to adjust it, so I liked that a bit before what we had last year.”
Others found it strange to go from race pace in Saturday’s first session back to qualifying trim later in the day.
“I would prefer having sprint quali and then having the GP quali the next morning,” said Logan Sargeant. “I don’t think it’s great having a Sprint race where you’re much slower than a qualifying lap and then straight to quali.”
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Oscar Piastri agreed. “I felt a little bit weird having the sprint race, because it’s obviously a race in itself, kind of, and then preparing again for qualifying – it kind of feels like the race should be [at] the end of the day.”
“I’m not sure the mechanics appreciated it that much, but I think to repeat some of the stuff that happened last year, you know, with like, Lewis [Hamilton] and Charles [Leclerc] getting disqualified, I think we don’t want to see people getting disqualified because they set their ride heights a bit wrong and they can’t change. I think that was a good step forward.”
Others raised concerns over the strain put upon the mechanics by the change to the parc ferme rules. “Opening the parc ferme I think puts a lot of workload on the mechanics and I think it’s something that we really have to look at it,” said Sergio Perez.
“It’s 24 weekends a season and with these sprint races I think it’s a lot of load on our mechanics. So I think whether we look at it, change the format a bit to basically try to look after our people a little bit more as a sport, I think that’s something really to look at it.”
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is pushing to expand the format beyond the current six rounds per season. However Sargeant said: “I would just prefer 24 normal weekends. Leave it at that.”
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Esploratore (@esploratore1)
3rd May 2024, 7:47
Wow, sargeant is one of the purists, we have several in the comments’ section that also prefer no sprints at all.
Le Jimster (@lejimster82)
3rd May 2024, 15:24
Yep. You can add me to that list. If they were great there wouldn’t be so much tweaking every year. F1 owners want as much content they can churn out, but quantity doesn’t equal quality.
With how much it’s being pushed they will probably get their way and add even more sprints. I say scrap them and if they want to do something different, have 6 or 12 practice sessions a year where the reserve/young drivers can only participate. That would be much more helpful for the next generation and give them a foot in the door.
Bocky
3rd May 2024, 8:12
Why can’t Domenicalli accept that Sprint races are a failure ?
S
3rd May 2024, 8:33
Why can’t he admit that F1, as a racing and sporting entertainment series, is a failure?
Because he’s the salesman, of course.
pimbers4955 (@pimbers4955)
3rd May 2024, 8:49
They’re not a failure, all the fans love them! Look at the surveys FOM put out and the positive results (cherry picked). They’re so well liked we changed the format every year! /sarcasm
hunocsi (@hunocsi)
3rd May 2024, 10:32
The other thing, apart from the results being cherry picked, is that the viewers and fans who they already lost are not going to fill out a survey, so the only thing they are likely to get is positive reinforcement.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
3rd May 2024, 13:25
This is true, as people no longer like something, also happens for a game I play, the only ones left are those who can cope better with what’s left, so it provides for a biased poll.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
3rd May 2024, 13:26
makes for a biased poll*
Señor Sjon
3rd May 2024, 9:00
They earn $$$$, so they are a succes. That everyone hates the thing…
Tristan
3rd May 2024, 9:03
Because people fill seats to watch it?
Do you think they care if some terminally online nerds don’t like it because of their own “purist” bias?
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
3rd May 2024, 12:57
It’s really weird isn’t it. Understandable to keep them from a purely commercial point of view perhaps but very few really like them. Domenicalli behaves like an ostrich with his head in the sand and even suggests we need more! Completely divorced from the reality that most drivers/teams and the fans think they are a waste of time.
S
3rd May 2024, 8:31
I find it a real shame that F1 had such a great opportunity to inject some interest and unpredictability in at least some parts of the series by introducing a sprint format, but have totally squandered it by letting the teams influence so many aspects of it.
Compromise, compromise, compromise. The teams don’t want anything to be interesting or unpredictable – they want ultimate control at all times, and consistently do whatever it takes to get it.
F1 – stop consulting with the existing teams about, well, everything. It’s for your own good – they are F1’s worst enemy, especially in the long term.
Tristan
3rd May 2024, 8:53
I think mechanics being tired is something that shouldn’t affect the format in any way. Teams have been saying they will start rotating mechanics for a while due to the load. Well, on with it then. Even the lowest teams are supposed to be worth close to a billion bucks right?
If workload is genuinely having an impact, solving that would have to lead to a performance increase as well. It would be smart business and smart racing.
I could get behind Sunday Quali just before the race though.
Friday: 2x Practice
Sat: Q -> Sprint Race
Sun: Q -> Grand Prix
Solved, fixed forever, until the next problem comes along.
osnola
3rd May 2024, 9:49
They should limit the number of mechanics in the pit. i.e.Now there is an absurd number of mechanics busy with changing four tires.
Keep it to max 8 persons for the change, excluded one for the safety leaving the pits. It will increase the pitstop and makes things interesting for a time.
How a team uses its mechanics for the car should be their own decision but with a maximum number they have the option to change or rotate them.
For every team this creates the same situation and even saves some money for the teams on the low end. ( but probably at the account of the mechanics so not sure if thats a good thing to promote)
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
3rd May 2024, 16:58
A problem with Sunday qualifying is that if somebody crashes it then risks them been unable to start the GP.
Additionally broadcasters dislike the idea as many wouldn’t be able to show an early Sunday morning qualifying session and those that only have highlights (Channel 4 in the UK for example) would end up having to try & squeeze the GP qualifying highlights into there main race show.
Also worth mentioning that on occasions in the past when qualifying has had to take place Sunday morning either by design (As in early 2005) or because qualifying had to be delayed overnight the viewing figures for the Sunday morning session have been abysmal which is one of the biggest reasons none of the weekend format changes (Since the early 2005 format anyway) have involved running F1 sessions on Sunday morning.
Sumedh
3rd May 2024, 9:31
I prefer the current format. It is similar to how we had back to back races on same track in 2020. Plus, we also get insights into drivers who get it totally wrong (e.g. Lewis Hamilton at China) or drivers who improve (e.g. Nico Hulkenburg at China) in the couple of hours between the 2 sets of races.
Jere (@jerejj)
3rd May 2024, 10:17
I’m surprised even a single individual can be critical towards the current precise session order.
However, I get Sargeant’s purist view of only having the standard format as used to be the case pre-2021, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t mind increasing the sprint amount to 12 or whatever, either, so my view is largely indifferent.
Mark Thomson (@melthom)
3rd May 2024, 12:00
Whoever came up with the silly sprintraces have no feeling for the DNA of Formula 1.
Michael A.
3rd May 2024, 12:13
For goodness sake, scrap the confounded Sprint Races.
How can people paid far more than most of us earn in a lifetime, make such stupid decisions?
I have been a Formula 1 enthusiast (not a fan) since 1950 – I have had enough of all of this silly nonsense.
SCRAP THE SPRINTS!
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
3rd May 2024, 13:23
Wow, so you watched f1 from start to now, impressive!
Michael A.
3rd May 2024, 23:34
Esploratore – At school, I always had a current issue of Motor-Sport magazine in my desk – sometimes Autosport as well.
Nick T.
3rd May 2024, 15:52
I am sure 100% of the fans, especially on RF, are impressed and now finally love the sprint format.
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
3rd May 2024, 17:08
If you polled everyone in the F1 paddock you would likely find that as many as 80% of them (If not more) would vote to scrap the sprint format as apparently virtually nobody (Outside of Liberty & a certain UK broadcaster) thinks the format is a good idea that is working.
One of the things that come up is that drivers apparently don’t see qualifying on the sprint pole or winning the sprint race as all that big of a deal when compared to grabbing pole for or winning the GP so none of them really take the sprint especially seriously from that point of view.
Look at how Piastri didn’t really celebrate winning the Qatar sprint last year for instance or how Norris reacted to the sprint pole in China a few weeks ago. Just highlights how little drivers think of the sprint in terms of been something to celebrate doing well in.
SjaakFoo (@sjaakfoo)
3rd May 2024, 17:14
I mean, are these sessions more exciting than 2 practice sessions. Yes, I’d find it hard to argue against that, obviously they are.
Do they add anything to the race weekend? No they do not. And no matter in which way you format them, they’re not going to add anything to the race weekend, they’ll on detract from the actual qualifying and the actual race because you’re just doing them twice, one time a bit shorter than the other, but rain shenanigans aside, the same thing will be happening twice. During COVID we had the same thing with running races on the same circuit two weeks in a row. A thing that couldn’t be avoided then, but it didn’t make the 2nd race weekend any more exciting.
I think there’s a way to do sprint weekends and have it be fun, and that is the simple method of not having the regular drivers in the cars. Have each team field a couple of rookies instead, separate rookie WDC at the end, and WCC points count for the regular constructors championship. That way you don’t get your actual qualifying and race spoiled, you get exciting sessions that people want to watch. Added bonus is that rookies get F1 racing experience and a chance to show off their stuff. That’s the way to do it.
In its current format, sprint races will never be a thing I won’t sigh at ahead of the weekend, knowing its coming again.
Nick T.
3rd May 2024, 18:38
Not sure how something can be more exciting yet not add anything. But, if we’re doing, gimmicks I can think of more exciting options. None of which F1 would likely have the balls or imagination to try.
SjaakFoo (@sjaakfoo)
3rd May 2024, 18:56
I thought I explained it pretty well, but I guess not.
Both these statements can be true at the same time:
1. A qualifying session or a race session gives more excitement than a practice 2 or a practice 2 session, yes, we can agree on that, I assume, all of us?
2. A shortened qualifying and subsequent race on the exact same track under the same conditions on the same weekend will likely yield roughly the exact same results as the regular length qualifying and race on the next day, thus it adds nothing to the race.
Just because the session is more exciting, doesn’t mean it adds something to the actual race.
Nick T.
3rd May 2024, 17:56
I hate the complaint many drivers and media have made that it’s hard to transition from driving a heavily fueled race car to quali in a light, fresh tired car. God forbid the drivers should face a challenge that emphasizes talent and feel rather than endless practice laps.
Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
3rd May 2024, 20:48
Haha yeah I thought the exact same thing.
Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
3rd May 2024, 20:54
If I was at the GP in person, I would much prefer to see the Sprint Race format. Simply more action and better value for money.
But watching the broadcast, I hate Sprint weekends. One of the reasons I liked F1 in the first place was the simplicity of the weekend structure which made it easier to fit into an ever-increasingly busy life schedule. I struggle to follow Supercars because there’s so many races over a weekend and as much as I’d love to, I just can’t sit around watching motor racing all weekend.
Ditch it. 24 normal weekends plz.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
3rd May 2024, 22:22
24 weekends? Wishful thinking mate, unless you up your game.