Sprint races ‘still haven’t proved their worth’ – Gasly

34 comments on “Sprint races ‘still haven’t proved their worth’ – Gasly”

1. 

   Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
   2nd January 2023, 0:05

   Someone got paid. That’s enough of a spectacle to prove their “worth.”
2. 

   slowmo (@slowmo)
   2nd January 2023, 1:06

   They’ll not listen to the critics of the sprints anyway so all talking about them does is keep polarising the fan base. It makes some people more money so who cares whether it improves the sport.
   1. 

      S
      2nd January 2023, 2:12

      so who cares whether it improves the sport.

      It’s always going to be subjective whether any change does or does not offer an improvement.

      I think the sprints can potentially be a great improvement – but there will always be factors within F1 that prevent them from reaching their potential.

      Still, there is the constant factor that if F1 was good enough without making format tweaks and other alterations, they probably wouldn’t.
      The audience appears to be growing, so whatever they are doing seems to be working…
      1. 

         pastaman
         2nd January 2023, 2:27

         Yeah, crypto.com wrote them a fat check so they tweaked and altered the format to give them advertising. It’s working all right…
         1. 

            S
            2nd January 2023, 3:56

            Which all the teams happily welcomed and accepted….

            And I reckon you meant that F1 made the option of becoming a sprint title sponsor a decent, even attractive, proposition – given that only a tiny handful of other brands now sponsor F1.
            What would you find more enticing as an advertiser – 3-6 featured sprint events with your brand headlining, or signage at a corner or two on every circuit – all blurry in the background….
            1. 

               Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
               2nd January 2023, 9:17

               Which all the teams happily welcomed and accepted….

               It’s not the teams that write the rules. That’s the FIA’s raison d’etre.
            2. 

               S
               2nd January 2023, 13:09

               It’s not the teams that write the rules.

               They certainly don’t do it completely themselves, I agree – but they sure do have a huge amount of influence over them these days. Almost nothing is done without the teams’ approval.
               F1’s rule making (and also their application) is very much group effort between the 3 parties involved – it hasn’t solely been the domain of the FIA for a long time…. Or ever?
               At the very least since Bernie sunk is claws into F1 management.
   2. 

      Qeki (@qeki)
      2nd January 2023, 7:37

      @slowmo Let’s all together support how awesome and brilliant the sprint is. Maybe then they will turn their backs on us and end them ;)
3. 

   S
   2nd January 2023, 2:21

   Shipping race fuel to the opposite side of the world is an enormous waste of money… Absolute craziness, especially when there is plenty of local stock of equivalent fuel available locally.

   I’ve always liked what they do in Japan – the only fuel allowed to be used at a race meeting is what is commercially available at the venue. No outside fuel sources or stocks can be bought in.
   So instead of needlessly and wastefully shipping fuel all over the place, the teams simply send someone to purchase a fuel sample in the weeks leading up to the event and use it to tune their engines to that specific fuel.
   You know, like in an engineering competition, which motorsport used to be….
   1. 

      Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
      2nd January 2023, 9:21

      That might work in a domestic series, but you cannot expect all of Formula 1’s Premium Planet Pollution Partners to run gas stations near all the tracks the series runs at.
      1. 

         S
         2nd January 2023, 13:55

         Would be nice if it were a prerequisite for the position of Global Series Partner for a global racing (marketing) series….
         Aramco does not exist in Australia.
         Most of F2/F3’s other global partners (Pirelli, Dallara, Hewland and Marelli) all have manufacturer direct or wholesale partners locally, though…
         1. 

            Short Circuit (@jjohn)
            5th January 2023, 12:22

            Aramco does not exist in Australia.

            Thought they were tied up with United, but I’ve been (consistently) wrong before.
            1. 

               S
               6th January 2023, 5:01

               United switched supply contracts from Exxon to Aramco a year ago.
               Nevertheless – United isn’t an Aramco brand or affiliate, just a third-party on-selling their product under their own, independent business name.
      2. 

         NS Biker (@rekibsn)
         3rd January 2023, 19:49

         This is for the F2 and F3 racers only. I expect that the F1 teams handle their own through their fuel supply agreements.
         Likely this concept is driven by the use of “sustainable derived fuel sources”
         Not that this makes it wise, efficient, sustainable or economical to ship fuel half way around the globe.
         One can also wonder about the shelf life. Or is the sour taste just me.?
   2. 

      LosD (@losd)
      2nd January 2023, 13:58

      Japan imports almost all their oil. No matter what, the fuel has been shipped.
      1. 

         S
         2nd January 2023, 14:20

         No kidding.
         They don’t do special bulk consignments of race fuel just for the support series at a 1 weekend event though.
         Never mind the fact that Japan is geographically closer and more convenient to the oil production and has 100 million people more than Australia does….
         1. 

            Bilgly
            3rd January 2023, 8:07

            Are you imagining a small boat with only the fuel aboard? This will be a container on a normal container ship. Whether it comes in as crude or whether it comes in as refined fuel doesn’t really make any difference. Id expect the refined fuel to be much smaller but don’t know anything about refining fuel.
4. 

   Mog
   2nd January 2023, 3:33

   DC talking up Ferrari and Merc just like a pundit should.
   Although his logic re Ferrari is a bit of a stretch
5. 

   Qeki (@qeki)
   2nd January 2023, 7:33

   I can’t help thinking George would be saying “Nicely done. George!” On that tweet.
6. 

   Sham (@sham)
   2nd January 2023, 9:51

   I’ve yet to hear anyone say anything sportingly positive about a sprint race weekend. It is, after all, merely another way of making the grid for the Grand Prix more predictable – another chance for a fast car to undo a poor qualification.
   Financially, yes, sportingly absolutely not and in my opinion it cheapens F1 as a special product – reducing it’s uniqueness and glamour with more and more and more races, and with the extremely restrictive technical regs making the cars less and less different, they combine towards making it nothing more than another F2 with faster cars. Is F1 more competitive than in previous years?.. perhaps, but even if the cars are closer on pace it is no less predictable. They even had to bend the rules to make a false title showdown in 2021, when there was already a final race showdown.
   Is F1 making money? Hell yes.

   And if that’s what the teams and F1 are happy with, I guess it’s what we’ll have to get used to, and if we don’t like it strongly enough, we can always take our money/viewership elsewhere… But there is no harm in making sure that the organisers know that it’s not the thing the fans want, and that it’s not the thing the drivers want.

   Personally, I think that the uniqueness of F1 has been almost completely eroded to the point where it may just as well be yet another spec series. Another Indycar, another F2, another series to not reserve a Sunday afternoon specially just to watch, to not get up in the middle of the night to witness, to not look forward to – maybe to watch if you have nothing better to do. And that’s a crying shame, because F1 should be a spectacle of man and machine like no other.
   1. 

      Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
      2nd January 2023, 10:46

      Unfortunately I think this analysis is correct. No one really seems to care if the direction of F1 is correct as long as it is making more and more money. For all those involved. The concerns of the drivers and a large section of the fan base are largely ignored.

      People will point to the fact that viewing figures are going up but these viewers often don’t recall what F1 was like in the past. To someone new to the sport it probably seems quite competitive and attractive/glamorous.
      1. 

         S
         2nd January 2023, 13:42

         People will point to the fact that viewing figures are going up but these viewers often don’t recall what F1 was like in the past.

         It doesn’t matter what F1 was like in the past. The present and the future are not the past.
         F1’s changed. A lot… In fact, it’s always changing, and always has been.

         One thing is for sure, though – it won’t be going back to the past. Not while manufacturers are the priority.
         1. 

            Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
            2nd January 2023, 17:45

            My point was that F1 was better in the past, in my opinion. It’s always had its faults and it is constantly changing/evolving. People new to the sport won’t know any different, mostly.
            1. 

               S
               3rd January 2023, 1:25

               IMO F1 was subjectively better in the past too (in some ways) – but that’s completely irrelevant. It’s not going to be that way ever again.
               Don’t forget that you were new to F1 at some point too…

               In addition, F1’s audience has changed a lot since ‘the past.’ A lot of current (and potential) F1 viewers simply don’t want monotonous, boring ‘races’ without any on-track competition – which did happen all too regularly before.
   2. 

      S
      2nd January 2023, 13:37

      I’ve yet to hear anyone say anything sportingly positive about a sprint race weekend.

      As I said above – the teams do everything they can to eliminate the sporting element.
      Sprints work great in series where they are given prominence and importance. Where they actually make a real difference, and there is no reason not to take them as seriously as a longer race.

      As far as ‘uniqueness’ goes – F1 is one of the only major headline series that does use them, actually making them more unique. No sprints in Super Formula or Indycar…. Just one long race.

      And if that’s what the teams and F1 are happy with, I guess it’s what we’ll have to get used to and if we don’t like it strongly enough, we can always take our money/viewership elsewhere

      Yep. F1 isn’t run by traditionalist fans. Other interests take priority in this business.

      Personally, I think that the uniqueness of F1 has been almost completely eroded to the point where it may just as well be yet another spec series.

      That would almost certainly improve the on-track product. F1 hasn’t been particularly special for quite a long time.

      If you aren’t willing to put time aside for series that provide on-track competition and action, then perhaps motorsport just isn’t for you anyway. Indycar and F2 both blow F1 out of the water when it comes to decent racing.

      And that’s a crying shame, because F1 should be a spectacle of man and machine like no other.

      Then maybe they should restore a bit more of the ‘man’ aspect, and reduce a lot of the ‘computer’ aspect…
7. 

   RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
   2nd January 2023, 10:31

   I utterly detest the Sprint format.

   I don’t like that the sport will eventually ask for 3 days a week from me 25 times (or half) the year. I don’t like that it diluted the importance of pace over one lap. I don’t like how it makes the Grand Prix grid more predictable and reveals the strategies for the race to the teams and the fans.

   I’ve heard arguments that it’s better than a free practice session. Arguably yes, but at what cost?

   I’ve always seen this as a money grab, an oversaturation of the product to try to compete with football. Last week Wolff said “the numbers don’t work for FE”. We should be limiting F1 running to 2 days, one practice, standard quali and a usual GP ran 20 times a year. That would allow the fans more time to invest in other sports like FE, Indycar, F2, WEC and WRC.

   The global Motorsport model is broken and the sprint format is another reason why.
   1. 

      Craig
      4th January 2023, 11:57

      I think the problem with the sprint format is it’s no long about whether it ‘improves the show’ or not, it’s the fact those who pushed it in the first place have been so disingenuous and are refusing to listen to any form of critisim.

      If it’s a money grab then it’s an encredibly short sighted one as it will never capture the interest of casual fans who only watch the main race where the cars, teams and drivers can fully stretch out their skill, technical and stratetic abilities which sprint races don’t allow.

      I don’t think the “better then a practice session” argument is particularly good, especially as it shows how poor sprint races are in having to be compared to practice sessions to look ‘good’.
      1. 

         S
         4th January 2023, 12:55

         I don’t think the “better then a practice session” argument is particularly good, especially as it shows how poor sprint races are in having to be compared to practice sessions to look ‘good’.

         It’s the perfect comparison, because it is the only one. Sprints don’t replace any other session, do they.

         Besides, for those who argue that the sprints are really that terrible, that can only mean that the practice session would have been even worse. Which is almost always the case – and is, not at all ironically, why most of F1’s audience doesn’t bother with Friday at all on a ‘normal’ weekend.
         1. 

            Nikos (@exeviolthor)
            7th January 2023, 6:06

            The main reason people do not watch on Friday’s is that Friday is a working day.
            I have not managed to watch any of the qualifying sessions on a Friday.
            The real comparison is not between the popularity of a practice session and that of a sprint race, but between the popularity of a normal weekend and one featuring a sprint race.
8. 

   SteveP
   2nd January 2023, 12:09

   I utterly detest the Sprint format.

   That’s because they are doing it wrong.

   A short form race, featuring none of the current drivers, but using last year’s car (saves team expense) and driven by new super licence holders. That’s what it should be.

   You get more experienced drivers joining the normal F1 grid and therefore a likelihood of fewer crashes. Weed out the crash boys.
   You get a chance for more weeding out of drivers who are competent at F2 level and just fail miserably at F1
   You get a bigger pool of available seats for promising drivers to show their prowess, possibly an opportunity for women to show that some of them might be as good as the men.

   Oh, and a short form race to keep the short attention span millennials and youths happy to see the end before they absolutely must swipe left on their fondle slab.
   1. 

      Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
      2nd January 2023, 12:27

      A short form race, featuring none of the current drivers, but using last year’s car (saves team expense) and driven by new super licence holders. That’s what it should be.

      Who is this supposed to appeal to

      There are about five people who care about “new super license holders,” and three of them are the person themselves and their parents.

      (Besides, cars other than the current machinery are completely impractical.)
   2. 

      Asanator (@asanator)
      2nd January 2023, 13:11

      A short form race, featuring none of the current drivers, but using last year’s car (saves team expense) and driven by new super licence holders. That’s what it should be.

      You think shipping and running a completely different car and parts (nevermind having to continue to manufacture parts for an obsolete car) is going to save the teams money?

      Strange!
   3. 

      LosD (@losd)
      2nd January 2023, 14:00

      So F2, but without the main race? F1.sprint?

      That’s just silly.
   4. 

      Stewart
      3rd January 2023, 13:52

      “A short form race, featuring none of the current drivers”

      I think this is a fantastic idea, especially if it was the Constructor who amassed the points awarded, and NOT the new drivers. They would reap the rewards of a great performance with an almost guaranteed seat in a future year, making the hunger for better performance that much more compelling.

      If the constructor reaped the points then they would want their Car and Driver to be the best they could be, because the “Constructors Championship” is still a huge deal to the company and the individuals who work their butts off to achieve it.

      Well said Asanator, even the FIA and especially the sponsors would be all for it, and the fans would see the Qually still being the spectacle that awards the grid position, not a mickey mouse race.

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