‘For me, that’s not really a race,’ Max Verstappen asserts his belief that there is no need for more sprint races in F1
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Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is not a friend of the sprint format. The sprint races were introduced in 2021, with the intent to increase ‘excitement’ over the weekend. There were three races last year, and the same amount this season as well, even if the format was tweaked a little, with the points allocation being adjusted.
In 2021, points were given to the podium places, but this year, there were 8 point-scoring positions, with the winner scoring 8 points and 8th place scoring 1 point. Next year, the sprint format will be expanded from three to six races, even though the exact venues have not been confirmed. It’s fair to say that the reaction was mixed. Some fans do not think the sprint races achieved their goal of increasing excitement.
Max Verstappen has won three sprint races, but he isn’t particularly fond of them. As per Autosport, he said: “Every time I do these [sprint] races, it’s about ‘don’t get damage, make sure you stay in the top three’. For me, that’s not really a race, because you go into the main race and you know there are way more points available anyway, you just risk a bit more there.”
There are also not a lot of strategic options, as the sprint is only 1/3rd of a normal race distance, or around 100km, something Verstappen remarks on, saying ‘not much happens’: “You do another start, which is exciting, but it’s only really people who are out of position that move forward because only you put a tyre on that just lasts a whole stint and not much happens.”
Max Verstappen thinks there is no ‘need to add one-third of a race distance’
While Max Verstappen thinks it’s the ‘cautiousness’ of drivers that is to blame for dull sprint races, Toto Wolff thought it was because the performance gaps between the teams are quite large, and this is especially apparent when strategy or tyre degradation are not as much of a factor. Daniel Ricciardo has also welcomed the change, but Verstappen doesn’t feel the need for them.
The Dutchman said: “I don’t understand what the problem is for that, because we’ve had so many exciting races, so you don’t need to add one-third of a race distance. Everyone is so careful anyway, because if you are fighting for third and you have a little touch and you drop to last, you know your Sunday is going to be tough. Probably you won’t risk it, so that’s not really a race.”
Regardless of whether Verstappen likes them or not, it has become clear that sprint races will remain on the calendar for 2023, and likely even in the future. As of right now, no rule changes to the format have been confirmed or announced.
Also Read: Max Verstappen has to pay more than $1,00,000 for his record-breaking score in the F1 2022 season
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