SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Formula One teams are in discussions about modifying the sprint format for the upcoming season to make it easier for fans to follow. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff suggested moving the sprint qualifying ‘shootout’ to Friday, followed by the sprint race on Saturday morning and qualifying for the Sunday race in the afternoon. However, a final decision is yet to be reached. The current weekend format underwent changes from the previous year and currently consists of a practice session on Friday, qualifying for the Sunday main race, a half-hour sprint ‘shootout’ on Saturday to determine the starting order for the standalone 100km sprint race, which awards points to the top eight finishers. Last year, the Saturday sprint race determined the grid for the grand prix.
“Even my dad, who’s quite knowledgeable about and follows F1, sometimes asks me, ‘is it qualifying on Friday for the main race?’ So our goal is to simplify and improve the format,” said Aston Martin Performance Director Tom McCullough at a press conference during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the final sprint race of the season.
McCullough also mentioned that while there were exciting aspects from a fan and commercial perspective, the sprint format presented technical challenges as the cars entered parc ferme, where no further work can be done after just one practice session. He stated that potential changes were discussed at a meeting of F1’s Sporting Advisory Committee this week.
“It’s quite tricky. If you move the sprint race to Saturday morning, then you have to make sure that you allow enough time for teams to react in case of any issues,” said Ferrari Sporting Director Diego Ioverno. He further added, “There are also other options on the table. We will work together to make it as good as possible for our fans.”
The drivers have expressed mixed opinions on the format, with Red Bull’s triple world champion Max Verstappen sarcastically stating, “It’s been absolutely fantastic. So much fun. I get so excited by having a sprint again. I’m all for it.” On the other hand, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas disagreed, saying, “I like the Sprint always. I’ve never been a big fan of three practice sessions. I prefer to have one and then straight to action, so that’s the nice side of a sprint weekend.”
Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Ken Ferris
