Liberty Media seeks to introduce ten sprint races in 2024:Report

The new sprint experiment in Baku has impressed Liberty Media.

Liberty Media seeks to introduce ten sprint races in 2024:Report

Sprint Race at Baku via The Economic Times

The new 2023 sprint format is unprecedented. In Baku, there were some changes to the traditional sprint race format that fans were accustomed to. Instead of the usual two practice sessions held on Friday and Saturday, there was only one practice session. Following the single practice session, the feature race had its qualifying session. On Saturday, F1 held the sprint qualifying and the sprint race. The feature race on Sunday remained unchanged.

These changes were done to increase the excitement for the viewers. They wanted to include more wheel-to-wheel racing. The sprint race format’s success has persuaded the commercial rights holders of F1 to further invest in this format. It has raised split opinions among fans and drivers, however, it plays into Liberty Media‘s agenda, increasing viewership.

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According to es.motorsport.com, discussions for the 2024 season are already underway. Based on information gathered from the Miami paddock, there are plans to increase the number of sprint races from six to ten next season. The format of these races will be similar to the one that premiered during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend.

There are already going to be record-breaking twenty-four races in 2024. With the addition of ten sprints, that would bring the total to thirty-four. The current format will likely be tested at the other sprint venues this year before a final consensus is reached.

Related:Fernando Alonso proposes a quirky idea involving Red Bull in order to ‘spice up’ sprint weekends

The new sprint format is not favored by the majority of fans nor drivers alike

Max Verstappen via MSN
Max Verstappen via MSN.

The main change to the race weekend format is that the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix will no longer be decided by the result of Saturday’s sprint race. Instead, Friday’s qualifying session will determine the starting positions for Sunday’s race.

On Saturday morning, a new qualifying session, known as the sprint shootout, will take place separately. It will determine the starting order for the sprint race. Essentially, the sprint race, along with its own qualifying shootout, is now a distinct event from the main Grand Prix.

The new format aims to enhance the entertainment and spectacle of the sprint weekend. Since the sprint race will no longer determine the Grand Prix grid, the hope is that drivers will be more aggressive and take more risks during the 100km event. Any mishap during the sprint race will not have consequences for the feature race.

However, this innovation has not been accepted well by the fans and certain drivers. Fans have actively expressed their disapproval of the format, and have stated their preference for a traditional Grand Prix weekend.

Among drivers, the likes of Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, and Alex Albon have expressed their affinity for the traditional format too. Haas boss Guenther Steiner also described it as ‘boring’.The new format doesn’t benefit the backmarker teams. Only the top eight positions score points.

It does not provide an opportunity for them to propel themselves up the grid for Sunday’s race with a successful sprint. The backmarkers race on Saturday mainly risking repair costs in case of an on-track incident.

Should ten sprint races be inducted into the 2024 calendar, it will be met with wide disapproval. Liberty Media pursues its agenda and profit, without prioritizing viewer preferences. The outcome of the remaining sprint weekends of 2023 will be a huge indicator as to whether this proposal will be implemented or not.

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