The FIA has announced a new Weekend Format for Sprint Weekends and it has mixed reactions from the paddock and fans.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has made his view about the weekend format very clear. He aims to reduce the number of practice sessions during the weekend. This did not strike well with certain drivers, especially Max Verstappen.
Although the practice sessions do not give much entertainment for the fans, it is very important for the drivers and teams. Lesser practice sessions mean lesser time for the driver to test different car setups and get confident with the car and the track. Unlike other sports, Formula 1 faces new track layouts every race. So it takes time for the driver to get used to each track.
What is the updated Sprint Weekend format?
Last season had a total of 3 Sprint Weekends, however, this season F1 CEO Stefano Demenicali has decided to keep a total of 6 Sprint Weekends.
In the current Sprint weekend format, there is only 1 Practice session that will take place on Friday’s AM session. This will be followed by a Grand Prix Qualification on Friday’s PM session for Sunday’s race. Friday’s Qualifying will not affect the grid for the Sprint Race anymore.
Introducing… Sprint Saturday ✨
🗓️ All-new weekend format
👀 Saturday’s Sprint sessions do not affect the Grand Prix
⏱️ Friday’s qualifying sets Sunday’s grid
🆕 New Sprint Shootout qualifying sessionThe first Sprint Saturday is only four days away! 📅#F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/vPq9kYuyH4
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 25, 2023
Saturday will be completely devoted to the Sprint Race. There will be a Sprint Shootout on Saturday’s AM session which will determine the grid for the Sprint Race which will take place on Saturday’s PM session. The length of the Sprint Race will be 62 miles which will last for approximately 30 minutes.
The top 8 positions at the end of the Sprint Race will be awarded with points. The Sprint Shootout and the Sprint Race will not affect the grid order for Sunday’s race.
Sunday’s race grid will be determined by the Qualification which had taken place on Friday afternoon. Sunday’s race format remains unchanged for now. The race will last for approximately 1.5 hours with a minimum distance of 190 miles.
F1 Paddock and fans’ reactions on the new Sprint format
So far the drivers have not yet had the chance to express their opinions after the release of the confirmed Sprint format. However, a few drivers gave their reactions before the format got confirmed. Max Verstappen had the most notable one among them.
Stefano Domenicali wants to revolutionise F1’s weekend format, sparking a debate so fierce that Max Verstappen has threatened to quit the sport over the issue… pic.twitter.com/2RkjQyS7U9
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 6, 2023
Max Verstappen loves racing in Formula 1. However, he doesn’t seem to be a fan of the Sprint weekends as they provide very little time for practice and reduced points for the race. A few hours after the weekend format was confirmed by Formula 1, Ralf Schumacher and Damon Hill came out and said that Max Verstappen should follow up on his threats of quitting the sport.
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had also given their reactions before the official confirmation. Both Mercedes drivers seem to be for this change with Geroge Russell saying:
“I don’t know why we are already messing around with the sprint concept if I am honest. I don’t see why it needs to be standalone. The teams and the drivers love certainty. Then the fans want to sit down and watch uncertainty, which they certainly had in Melbourne. The whole purpose of the Sprint race, and it has worked on a number of occasions already, was to maybe just spice up the actual race day grid a little bit.”
The 7-time world champion was all smiles over the proposed Sprint format stating that the changes seemed “cool”.
Here are some fan reactions on the confirmed format for the Sprint Weekend:
F1 is Grand Prix racing. Stop this. It’s destroying the sport.
— Pitlanes (@PitLanes) April 25, 2023
Best decision!
Should make sprint race weekends more exciting! https://t.co/KLbTr4rPaH
— Edmund Sebetsa®️ (@EdS_888) April 25, 2023
Should be really interesting (and hopefully exciting) to see this in action!
Three days of competitive running is the future, and I’m glad they’re testing different formats for it.
— Ben Morrison (@oQilt) April 25, 2023
The Sprint qualy/races take away from the meaningfulness, prestige and value of the actual Grand Prix Race on Sunday.
No change to format will correct this nor will a change overcome the reality of what the Sprint qualy/races are:
A damn gimmick.
— Just Human (@realjusthuman) April 25, 2023
There are a lot of mixed reactions from the fans as well, but it seems like the majority of the fans are against the current format as of now. We are yet to hear reactions from other drivers and team principals on the format. We should get their opinions during the press conference on Thursday before the weekend starts.