Reigning champion of the Formula 1 World Championship, Max Verstappen, has expressed his support for the proposed alterations to Sprint weekends, deeming them to be more logical. Verstappen has consistently voiced his opposition to the current format. In 2023, the number of Sprints was increased from three to six, and further changes were made, such as having a single practice session on Fridays before the Qualifying session for the Grand Prix on Sunday. Saturdays now include the introduction of the Sprint Shootout Qualifying session, which determines the grid for the afternoon Sprints. However, the F1 Commission recently suggested a new format, which would move the Sprint qualifying session to Fridays, following the opening practice session. The Sprint race itself would then take place on Saturday, followed by the Grand Prix qualifying. Verstappen believes that this new format is more logical and although he personally does not find winning Sprints or competing in these types of races particularly exciting, he acknowledges that it is a step in the right direction. It is also worth noting that the parc ferme rules will be modified under the new format, allowing engineers to make adjustments to the setup between the Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying sessions. This change is seen as significant by Verstappen, as it provides teams with more flexibility and the opportunity to rectify any issues that may arise during the weekend.
The Parc Ferme restrictions in 2023 played a role in the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas due to excessive plank wear. Mercedes argued that the limited Practice time before Parc Ferme hindered their ability to anticipate the plank wearing beyond the permissible limit. Verstappen took advantage of the situation to express his disdain towards Sprints in general. He stated in October, “These occurrences only occur when you have a Sprint weekend where everything is rushed between FP1 and qualifying. You start to think, ‘uhhh I think we might be OK.’ Why do we need to create something new? Our current product works fine, as long as the cars are competitive and the rules remain consistent over time. It seems absurd that we constantly feel the need to come up with new things. Just leave it as it is. In football and other sports, the rules have remained the same for a century. Why do we suddenly need to introduce other elements to make it entertaining? I believe that if you have a thrilling race with cars closely competing, then you don’t need a Sprint format or weekend.” The proposed new format for Sprints will be presented to the World Motorsport Council on February 28 for approval. In 2024, Sprints will take place in China, Miami, Austria, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Brazil, and Qatar.
According to the Source motorsportweek.com