Max Verstappen says he doesn’t understand why F1 will expand to six sprint races from 2023 and believes the series should “stay on the main race”.
After debuting in a sprint race format with three races in 2021, F1 changed the format this year, including pole position titles to drivers who qualify on Friday. The results of the sprint race will define the final starting grid for Sunday’s race.
F1 will host the final sprint of the 2022 season in Brazil this weekend, expanding to six events next year, although it has not yet been confirmed which Grand Prix will take place.
However, two-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen is enjoying a normal weekend format and Saturday’s sprint race risks damaging his car or crashing to the back of the field, which is why drivers should say he tends to be cautious.
“Whenever you run a sprint race it’s important to ‘make sure you stay in the top three without taking any damage,'” said Verstappen.
“For me it’s not really a race, because anyway you go to the main race and you know there are more points available, so you can take a little more risk there.”
“It is exciting to start over, but only those who lose positions move forward. Just put on the tires and last the whole stint, not much happens ”.
Max Verstappen believes that F1 should “stay on the main race” instead of throwing extra sprints in the weekend format.
“We have had so many exciting races and I don’t understand what the problem is. We don’t need to add a third of the race distance,” said Verstappen.
“Anyway, they are all very careful because if you are fighting for the third and you have a little contact and you fall to the bottom, you know Sunday will be tough.”
“I probably wouldn’t risk it and it’s not a real race.”
The Formula 1 teams are supporting an expansion of the sprint racing format for 2023, which received approval from the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) at the last meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.
This year there were sprints at Imola and the Red Bull Ring, which offered different levels of action on the track ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton won Sunday’s Grand Prix after starting from the back of the grid and finishing fourth in last year’s sprint race at Interlagos.
Lewis Hamilton believes F1 needs to be “very selective” about where to host sprint races, preferring tracks that are easier to overtake, but says it’s “different”, so the format says he likes it.
“It was the same from Thursday to Sunday for a long time,” said Lewis Hamilton.
“This year the weekend was supposed to be three days, but it was changed to a four day weekend, so I wasn’t very happy.”
“The races are not always the best. We add some options, but sometimes there are no overtaking. We hope we can learn from sprint races where there were no overtaking.”
“If you put them in a place like Brazil that creates a lot of opportunities, or in a place like Baku, it would be the best place to overtake.”
“I’m not against it, as long as they choose where to organize it.”
Category: F1 / Max Verstappen / Red Bull
