Sprint Races in Formula One: Does Max Verstappen have a point?

There has been a lot of noise about the new regulations that the FIA has been bringing into the race format. One of which is increasing the number of sprint races. The idea of increase the number of sprint races and decide if practice races were needed. The next race in Baku, in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, comprises a sprint race. The changes have received mixed responses. Race drivers like George Russell and Pierre Gasly have agreed that three practice races aren't necessary, and to increase the entertainment factor on Friday, including a sprint race in the schedule would be vital. But Max Verstappen has been against it. He says that this format isn't a part of the "DNA of F1.". Come to think of it, his reasons make sense. Verstappen's primary concern is that the risk-reward ratio of sprint races is unfavorable, as drivers can only earn a maximum of eight points while exposing themselves to the possibility of a damaging crash that could jeopardize their chances of competing in the main race.

Quoting Max Verstappen:

I think he has a point.

Let me break this down into 4 parts for you to understand where Max is coming from. Here are 4 reasons why increasing sprint races could prove to be a problem in the future of the F1 races:

Sprint races are shorter than traditional races, which means there is less time for drivers to recover from any mistakes or setbacks they encounter during the race. This can result in a more conservative approach from drivers, as they may not want to take as many risks knowing that they have less time to make up for any errors.

In the 2021, British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton, who qualified second for the sprint race, had a bad start and lost positions early on in the race. With the shorter durations of the sprint race, Hamilton was unable to make up for the lost positions and finished P5. This demonstrates how the reduced time in sprint races can lead to a more cautious approach from drivers, as they may not want to take too many risks and potentially lose out on points.

The shorter format of sprint races can limit the strategic options available to teams. With fewer laps to play with, there may be less room for strategic gambles, such as trying to go for a one-stop strategy or go flat out till the end. This can make the races more predictable and less exciting for fans.

Lesser flexibility includes rigidity in pit-stop strategies, which affects the decision of when and what tyres to change to. For instance, in the 2021 British Grand Prix, all teams opted for a one-stop strategy during this race, which reduced the chances of any overtaking or dramatic changes in the race outcome.

The increased intensity of sprint races can also lead to more accidents and damage to cars, as drivers may be more aggressive in their attempts to make up positions. This can result in more safety car periods and potentially even red flags, which can disrupt the flow of the race.

An instance to support this would be Zhou Guanyu's first sprint race on the Imola circuit in 2022. Zhou, who began the race in the P14, went wheel-to-wheel in the same stretch of the track with Gasly as they navigated through Turn 9. Unfortunately, their cars collided, and Zhou was left in a more precarious situation as he hit the barriers and damaged his rear wing, while Gasly had to make a pit stop due to his punctured tire and front wing damage.

With the introduction of sprint races, the traditional qualifying format has been replaced with a shorter session that determines the starting grid for the sprint race. As a result, the importance of qualifying has been somewhat diminished, as a poor performance in the sprint race can result in a lower starting position for the main race.

This is the primary point of contention for Max Verstappen, as he thinks that factoring in the entertainment and thereby paying attention to sprint races would shift focus from the qualifiers to the main race on the race weekend. Verstappen says that the addition of sprint races to the weekend schedule increases the overall intensity of the weekend. Considering that the 2023 F1 season will be the longest one yet, Verstappen is concerned that the increased workload and demands of the additional sprint races may become too challenging for the drivers and teams to manage.

The answer to this depends on the FIA themselves. With Max Verstappen going against the grain and threatening to quit F1 over this issue, FIA needs to consider the opinion of every driver.

However, I think the FIA should stick to having three sprint races in a season instead of increasing it to six. They should also reduce the number of practice races to an optimal number, like two instead of three. That way, the drivers can save more energy for the qualifiers.

Change in any system is met with resistance. F1 is no exception. However, the FIA needs to factor in the opinions of every single driver about sprint races, as they are the ones who would be on track. Not the FIA. Rules are easy to impose. But it is the drivers who would face the consequences of the same.