Nov.4 - Formula 1 looks set to go ahead and shake up the 'sprint' weekend format for 2024.
Although intended to give spectators more action, the single practice session, qualifying for Sunday's race occurring on Friday, 'sprint shootout' qualifying and a short race on Saturday are not universally loved.
"Yeah, it's been absolutely fantastic," world champion Verstappen said sarcastically at Interlagos when asked about the format he clearly hates.
"So much fun."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff thinks the biggest problem is that the current format is too confusing - but the single hour of practice has also caused problems.
"Should we increase that session by 30 minutes?" the Austrian wonders.
Wolff says it's all currently being discussed with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, including reshuffling the other sprint weekend sessions to make it more logical for the casual fan.
"Even I get confused and don't immediately remember which session is next," he admitted.
"At the end of the day I think we all have the same goal. Personally, I often say that I don't like these weekends at all, but if they make sense because they're good for the audience, then we should do them."
However, there are some wilder ideas floating around at present about a more substantial sprint shake-up - perhaps including $1m prizes for the sprint winners, a separate sprint championship, and even reverse grids.
"Yeah I wouldn't mind," said Ferrari's Carlos Sainz when asked about reverse grids.
"I agree that Saturday is too revealing of what's going to happen on Sunday. It's basically the first stint of the race on Sunday. So you arrive at the point of trying something else.
"Is that reverse grids? Is that single lap qualifying? I don't know, but I think given that the sprint format is a bit of an experiment going on right now in Formula 1, I would be open to keep experimenting to see which format is best," he added.
The matter is currently being discussed between the teams and Domenicali ahead of the next meeting of the decision-making F1 Commission.
"There is a discussion going on in the Formula 1 Commission," confirmed AlphaTauri CEO Peter Bayer.
"I think the sprint product has brought a lot to F1 overall," he told Sky Deutschland. "In the end, the spectators get more for their money.
"The topic is the structure of those weekends. Can we bring back the traditional format with qualifying on Saturday afternoon and the race on Sunday?
"There is an idea that you do the sprint on Saturday morning and then qualify for the main race in the afternoon. But then there's the parc ferme problem of not being allowed to work on the car.
"So there is need for discussion and a desire for it," Bayer added. "We all have to actively participate in this.
"We have the next Formula 1 Commission in Abu Dhabi, and this will be on the agenda."
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For many decades F1 maintained interest of the fans with the format of Friday and Saturday morning practice and car set-up, then Saturday afternoon qualifying. Recently, the FIA decided to tinker with the format, introduce sprint races like speedway does, and now there are serious flaws in the system. A square peg in a round hole!
In recent times testing has been seriously curtailed and budding drivers from the lower formulae now have very little opportunity to drive an F1 car. Sprint weekends take away another chance for them, as there is only one set-up session. Sprint weekends also take away the opportunity for teams to properly evaluate upgrades to their cars, due to the little amount of track time.
I'm with Max on this one. Scrap the sprint weekends. It doesn't fit! If the FIA insist that they must have sprint weekends, they must make more time available for teams to test new designs and parts, and also give time for up and coming drivers from lower formulae to gain experience in an F1 car. At least one additional set-up session of ninety minutes on sprint weekends would be beneficial.
Good analysis, Smokey, but it is Liberty not the FIA who came up with this lameass idea.
"...but if they make sense because they're good for the audience, then we should do them."
I need to see evidence that it is good for the audience.
Guess the Year?
The new timetable is as follows (local times):
Friday:
08:30-10:30: Private session for those teams who have signed up for limited testing during the season (To date Renault, Jaguar, Jordan and Minardi).
11:00-12:00: Free Practice
14:00-15:00: Qualifying (fastest runs last in Saturday's session)
Saturday:
09:00-09:45: Free Practice
10:15-11:00: Free Practice
13:30-13:45: Warm-Up
14:00-15:00: Second Qualifying
Sunday:
14:00: Race - Except for Malaysia (1500), Canada (1300), Britain (1300), United States (1300) and Japan (1430).
2024???
hahaha you never know it could be...
Good grief, Shroppy! That was almost last century!
How things change, and not necessarily for the better. I'm not sure in which year it was aborted, but there was also a Sunday morning warm-up before the race. The point is that everyone goes to a grand prix weekend to witness the F1 cars on the track, whether or not they are competing. Cars are now restricted to a maximum of 5 on-track appearances, which is somewhat reduced from the 8 or 9 on-track appearances of years gone by!
Yeah gotta say enjoyed the Sunday morning warm up sessions
The Sprint's are a dumb idea. The shoot-out and Sprint are - as it has already been said - a foreshadowing of the Sunday race. That's bad enough. My biggest concern is the wear-and-tear on the cars, the drivers, the teams as a whole. It has to be exhausting.
Well, I guess that's what Liberty Media is hoping for - some gory accident or tragedy. The over-the-top razzle-dazzle at the Las Vegas race will be a sordid display of endless, too-white rows of perfect teeth, and titillating bosoms bashing their way through the over-stimulated throngs.
And at some point, they'll throw in a race.
And apparently now much cheaper hotel rooms, the bubble is full