The Formula 1 has made significant changes to the sprint race weekend format for the year 2024. One of the drivers, Max Verstappen, expressed his approval of these changes. He believes that the new format brings more logic to the events and addresses some of the previous concerns. Verstappen also mentioned that hosting a sprint race in China may not have been the wisest decision, but now he feels that the new format makes more sense. One of the issues with the old format was that teams had to immediately move on to qualifying after the first practice, which negatively impacted their weekends.
Verstappen also pointed out that there is always an element of uncertainty during sprint weekends. This is especially true for the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix, as it will be the first time challengers from the ground effect era will race at the Shanghai circuit. Despite this, Verstappen is not overly concerned and has confidence in the performance of his RB20 car, which was designed with radical changes.
The Chinese Grand Prix is returning after a five-year hiatus, making the whole weekend challenging for drivers who have never raced there before. Verstappen believes that the conditions will be unknown and highlighted that the track has been repainted, not resurfaced. This creates uncertainty about the track grip, and Red Bull will need to manage this effectively. Verstappen emphasized the importance of a strong FP1 session to establish a good car setup.
Teams will have only one practice session to adjust their setup before the sprint weekend. This presents a major challenge for all teams on the grid. It is expected that Red Bull will deliver a dominant performance, with Ferrari potentially coming close in second based on their recent performances.
