Lewis Hamilton, the British driver of the Mercedes AMG F1 W15, took the lead at the start of the Sprint race during the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, China, on April 20, 2024. Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali expressed his support for incorporating the Sprint format into future F1 weekends. Currently, the F1 calendar includes six Sprint events, with the first held in China and the upcoming Miami Grand Prix scheduled to host the second. While the addition of the Sprint format brings more excitement to the weekends, it also puts additional pressure on the teams. The new format allows teams to make adjustments to their settings between the Sprint race and the qualifying session for the grand prix, which was not allowed previously. The Sprint Qualifying in China resulted in an exciting race due to the mixed grid caused by variable weather conditions. Domenicali believes that this success justifies considering expanding the Sprint format to other locations in the current 24-round calendar in the future. When asked about the possibility of adding more F1 Sprint events, Domenicali responded positively, indicating that it is a possibility.
“I believe this is excellent because it keeps the suspense daily, and this is a topic that will be discussed in the future.
“Now, let’s see how the sprints this year unfold. However, this is a subject that I definitely want to address at the next F1 Commission.
“We must avoid any possibility of encountering a situation like in Japan, where cars cannot race due to weather conditions.
“This is unfavorable for the spectators who come to watch us and witness the drivers. I am confident that the teams will understand the need to find solutions.”
The current world champion Max Verstappen acknowledged that the change in format has improved the F1 Sprint weekends, but also warned officials about the potential risks of going too far.
“The sprint format was better. I would say it was more direct,” said Verstappen, who triumphed in both the Sprint and the Chinese Grand Prix.
“However, let’s not overdo it, considering that we already have 24 races per year, including six of these sprint events.
“I understand that it may attract higher TV ratings, but it also puts additional pressure on the mechanics and everything else.
“We have to manage this, but we should not believe that we now need 12 of these because it will also have an impact on people.”
Lando Norris, the McLaren driver, also shared his perspective, stating: “I don’t think it’s very harmful for us as drivers, honestly. I don’t think we have the right to complain about anything.
“It’s the countless mechanics and engineers who have to travel extensively. This is not beneficial for their well-being.
“It’s not sustainable. So, the problem is not with us. People should pay more attention to the rest of the team.”
