(L to R): Sergio Pérez (MEX) Red Bull Racing; Oscar Piastri (AUS) McLaren; Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams Racing; and Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Sauber, at the FIA Press Conference. May 2, 2024. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 6, Miami Grand Prix, Miami, Florida, USA, Preparation Day.
Formula 1 drivers had differing opinions on the second Sprint weekend of the 2024 Formula 1 season, which took place immediately after the first in Shanghai, at the Miami Grand Prix. The fifth stage of the 2024 campaign in China introduced a revised Sprint format, where FP1 was followed by Sprint Qualifying on Friday afternoon. Saturday started with the Sprint race, followed by GP Qualifying in the afternoon and the main race on Sunday.
During the Thursday Press Conference before the second Sprint of the year at the Miami International Circuit, drivers like Valtteri Bottas, Oscar Piastri, and Sergio Pérez shared their opinions on the new format. Bottas expressed a preference for the old format, where there was only one practice session followed by qualifying for the main race. He liked the higher stakes and limited opportunity to adjust the car setup.
Piastri, on the other hand, saw the opening of parc fermé as a positive aspect of the new format. He believed it was beneficial for both the drivers and engineers, although he acknowledged that mechanics might not appreciate it as much. Piastri mentioned incidents from the previous year, where drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified due to incorrect car heights, and emphasized the importance of avoiding such disqualifications.
However, Piastri also found it a bit strange to switch between race mode during the Saturday Sprint and qualifying mode later in the day. Local driver Logan Sargeant expressed his preference for 24 normal weekends, indicating that he would prefer to have a traditional format throughout the season. Pérez, understanding his mechanics’ concerns, agreed that the parc fermé opening puts a significant workload on them and suggested the need to review the format to ensure the well-being of those involved in the sport.
