Formula 1 Racing

Sprint races ‘still haven’t proved their worth’

Sprint race start, Interlagos, 2022

In the round-up: Alpine driver Pierre Gasly does not believe that Formula 1’s sprint race format has yet proven itself as a spectacle.

In brief

Sprint races ‘haven’t proved their worth to me as a spectacle’ – Gasly

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly does not believe that Formula 1’s sprint race format has yet proven itself as a spectacle.

The format has featured at three rounds for both of the last two year and will be expanded to six rounds this season. Gasly says he prefers the traditional race weekend format of qualifying on Saturday followed by a single race on Sunday.

“Personally I really like the normal format with the qualifying on Saturday and then one grand prix on Sunday,” Gasly said.

“Sprint races – I see the positives financially for the organisation. In terms of spectacle, it still hasn’t proved to me that it’s worth having more and more races. So in my opinion, the normal format is better.

F2, F3 to ship race fuel to Melbourne three months in advance

Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 will send their race fuels to Melbourne three months in advance of the series’ first races at the Albert Park circuit.

Asked about the logistics of travelling to Australia, series CEO Bruno Michel said that some resources had to be sent out well in advance of the event in early April.

“It’s complicated, but we really enjoy to do that,” said Michel. “Especially because it’s at the beginning of the season, it’s going to be right after Bahrain. So there are a lot of things that needs to be organised in advance.

“We need to, for instance, send the fuel very, very early in advance because we knew it takes three months to get there and we’re not going to fly it. So yes, it makes things a little bit more complicated. In terms of cost, it’s not going to change anything for the teams because we will pay for the freight because the promoter is giving us the money to pay for that. So that’s absolutely fine.”

Quotes: Hazel Southwell

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