Formula 1 teams say the series needs to stop making annual changes to its sprint race rules and consult fans on the future of the divisive format.
The F1 Commission yesterday indicated further changes will be made to the sprint race format next year. It has been altered every year since its introduction in 2021.
The original format was used to decide the starting grid for the grand prix. That aspect proved unpopular and was dropped at the end of last year, and sprint races given their own qualifying sessions.
The points awarded for sprint races has also been revised since its introduction. Originally only the top three finishers scored, but that was extended to cover the top eight last year.
However teams remain dissatisfied with various aspects of the format. Its parc ferme rules means they are locked into their set-up after a single hour of practice. The races haven’t produced notably more action than grands prix, and there is concern they can undermine the main event by revealing too much of teams’ performance in advance.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said the sport needs to consult the views of fans before deciding what to do with the sprint race format for the 2024 F1 season.
“This is where you’ve got to do the research,” he said. “I think it’s very important that the next step that we make is one that is fixed for a long period of time.
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“This sprint concept is a new concept that’s been introduced. And in some areas it’s very popular and with some traditionalists, it’s very unpopular.”
F1 polled fans on the new format when it was introduced in 2021 and found only a small majority agreed the “introduction of sprint race has improved the show” while other potential changes, such as allowing multiple tyre suppliers, were far more popular. Another survey found more radical alterations to the format, such as introducing reverse grid-races, had very little support.
Horner said F1 needs to decide what to do with sprint races and commit to its next change. “Whatever it evolves to needs to be consistent for a long period of time,” he said.
“The fan feedback is going to play a crucial role in this, in terms of what is it actually that the audience want? Do they actually enjoy the sprint format as it is? Or do they actually want to see a bit more racing if we’re going to do a sprint race?
“If so, if we’re going to do that, then how do we award the points? How do we…
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