Mixed-up Sprint grid in China has F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali eyeing an increase in the number of Sprints in 2025 and beyond.

Shanghai witnessed the first Sprint of the season, this year, and - as was the case in 2023 - the 'mini races' are being limited to just 6 events.

By agreement with the teams the weekend format has been changed with the Shootout taking place on Friday afternoon and the Sprint on Saturday morning. Also, following complaints from all the teams the revised parc ferme rules mean that teams can now make changes to their cars between the Sprint and qualifying for the Grand Prix.

Changeable conditions on Friday afternoon in Shanghai led to a fairly mixed-up grid and with a number of drivers out of place this led to a Sprint that saw a few more risks taken than usual.

As a result, Domenicali, like Ross Brawn before him, has seized on the fact that random circumstances led to a shake-up of the order and a less pedestrian race than usual.

"The qualifying Sprint in those incredible conditions, we had a lot of running and that reminds us that we have the duty to make sure that every day there is some action on the track to respect the fans that are coming here and want to have fun," he told Sky Sports.

Fact is, with doubt over the conditions for the remainder of the weekend and just the one practice session on a track not raced on since 2019, and which, courtesy of the fact that it had been 'painted over' with bitumen, even had Pirelli admit that it was "starting from scratch", the drivers had to run in the Shootout.

Asked if there might now be more Sprints in 2025 and beyond, Domenicali replied: "Why not?

"I would say this is great because it keeps the tension on every day and this is something that will be discussed in the future," he added. "Let's see how this year with the Sprints will go. But it's a point of discussion for sure that I want to discuss in the next F1 Commission.

"We need to avoid any possibility to have a situation like Japan with cars not running," he warned, referring to the lack of running due to the weather. "This is not good for the people that are coming to see us and see the drivers. I am sure that the teams will understand that we need to find solutions."

Indeed, but the teams are unlikely to agree that more races is the solution to anything. While the number of engine components has been increased to meet the schedule, and adjustments made to the budget cap rule to accommodate potential damage costs, there remains the sheer wear and tear on the teams and their personnel.

Furthermore, had the conditions at the time the Sprint was due to take place in China matched those in Japan there would have been restrictions on running as there always is these days.

Also, despite the Sprint, the championship standings after China were exactly the same - from Verstappen through to Magnussen in 14th - as they were after Japan.

As for the drivers, they remain sceptical, and while Max Verstappen admits the revised format has improved things, he remains of the opinion that six Sprints a year is enough.

"Let's not overdo it," he said in China, "We are already doing 24 races a year, six of these sprint events as well.

"I get it," he added. "I guess it sells better and better numbers on TV, but it's also more stress on the mechanics and everything. You have to deal with it, but let's not think that now we need twelve of those because it will take its toll on people as well."

Lando Norris agrees.

I don't think it's too bad for us as drivers," he said. "I don't think we can be the ones to complain at all. It's the hundreds of mechanics and engineers that have to travel so much. It's not healthy for them. It is not sustainable.

"The problem is not with us, people should look out more for the rest of the team."

LATEST NEWS

more news >

LATEST IMAGES

galleries >

Click to go to the main galleries section

READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Max Noble, 08/05/2024 11:37

"Look forward to him sprinting away from a congressional enquiry… That’s a sprint I’m sure he will enjoy.
"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

2. Posted by Spindoctor, 01/05/2024 9:45

"Nope no more please!
Thankyou"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

3. Posted by yakker, 30/04/2024 15:21

"NO, end sprints."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

4. Posted by Forza Minardi, 30/04/2024 9:28

"More? No. I feel like I am getting F1 fatigue. Too many races as it is. Quality, not quantity should be the mantra. Not helped by being a Minardi/STR/AT/RB/whatever we're called this season die-hard - we've not scored a single point in a sprint so far IIRC? The sprints do nothing to 'mix-up' the championship in anyway - the top four teams score the majority of the points. I'd love to see the stats for how many points-scorers there have been in sprints from outside the top 8 in qualifying."

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

5. Posted by Burton, 29/04/2024 18:03

"Even Todd Boehly is less of a joke than Domenicali these days..."

Rating: Negative (-1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

6. Posted by KKK, 29/04/2024 13:32

"To be honest, I couldn't give a fig what a two faced individual wants. How about what the fans want? At the moment F1 is on a downward spiral, soon people will wane and follow something else. Now we have featureless street circuits, boring races and now more pointless sprints? Mr Domenicali should look fir another career path, perhaps selling ice cream at the Colisseum? If it isn't broken, don't fix it."

Rating: Positive (3) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

7. Posted by kenji, 29/04/2024 13:07

"@ Max Noble... pre sprint weekends did you watch the FP sessions ? If the answer is no then nothing has changed for that time slot for you. If the answer is yes then does that say that a boring one hour drudge, sometimes with no cars at all running gets your attention more than an actual sprint race!"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

8. Posted by Endre, 29/04/2024 13:00

"Screw Mr. Domenicali"

Rating: Positive (5) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

9. Posted by JamesD, 29/04/2024 12:19

"I would be more than happy to see the Sprints binned. It was only Sprint qualifying that was interesting due to rain at various times; the Sprint itself was dull and entirely predictable.

Please god, don't tell me Mr Domenicali is thinking of implementing one Charles Bernard Ecclestone's idea of trackside sprinklers.

I have been a fan and follower of Formula 1 for just over 40 years now and am not opposed to change. But we seriously need an improvement to races and the Sprint is not it."

Rating: Positive (9) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

10. Posted by Max Noble, 29/04/2024 11:27

"A number between six and zero, with a bias towards zero, is around the right number. Call me old-school. I don’t watch the sprints - I just read the results here on PitPass… Which I think is what V. Max would do given an option!

"

Rating: Positive (9) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

Domenicali wants more Sprints

LATEST NEWS

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST IMAGES

POST A COMMENT

Post your comment

READERS COMMENTS

Share this page