Max Verstappen is uninterested in Sprint races, and calls for F1 to stop experimenting with the race weekend format.
Formula 1 is expected to make more tweaks to sprint race weekends, which are facing huge amounts of criticism from fans. On some occasions, wet conditions can create some intrigue and excitement during Sprint races. However, another uneventful Sprint last weekend led to more questions about its purpose.
Primarily, sprint races are facing backlash for their impact on the overall race weekend. Typically, the argument in favour of sprints has been that they offer more excitement than practice sessions.
However, this isn’t the correct area to focus on. Instead, the overall impact of the sprint format on the overall F1 race weekend should be assessed. In this regard, COTA showed some quite glaring and fundamental limitations.
Not only is the value of qualifying cheapened and diminished, but practice sessions are almost entirely eliminated. In an era where F1 fans are constantly monitoring upgrades and their effectiveness, this is a significant loss. Moreover, teams lose the ability to understand the changes they introduce.
Aston Martin and Haas served as glaring examples of this, opting to start the Grand Prix from the pits. Of course, Formula 1 is a sport where adaptability and execution under pressure are important.
However, manufacturing problems for teams – especially for lacklustre Saturday sprints – doesn’t seem the correct approach.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has spoken out against further experiments with this format. Max Verstappen, whose opposition to sprints has been consistent, hasn’t been shy about questioning their use.
Max Verstappen tired of Sprint races
Speaking to the media in Mexico, Verstappen made his perspective clear:
“There’s no satisfaction to win a sprint for me. You cross the line and say – All right, well, tomorrow is the race, the main one. That’s how it goes.
“I always say, why do we need to try and invent something? I think our product works if you just make sure that the cars are competitive and they will stay the same for a long time.
“In football, they don’t change the rules – or for other sports. It’s been like that for 100 years.
“Why do we suddenly need to come up with other things to try and make it entertaining?
“I think if you have a good race on your hands with cars being close to each other, then you don’t need a sprint format or weekend.”
At least for now, F1 seems intent on persisting with sprint races. However, the growing opposition and scepticism from team principals cannot be ignored.
Fans have generally been unsure or – more recently – hostile to this altered weekend format. Ultimately though, team bosses will have the biggest impact on whether F1 will continue testing with this idea.
In this sense, the next few weeks and months will be important. Conversations between FOM and various stakeholders on the grid will determine the direction F1 pursues.
