Well, the sprint format will stay that way for a while, but after the first sprint weekend, it seems clear that the format is doomed in the long run. Main reasons:
The new format does not solve the main problem of Formula 1
When asking a Formula 1 fan what he expects from the sport, the sprint format is certainly not in the first place. What the sport lacks right now is a legitimate title battle between the top two teams with the top two drivers on the grid.
Any fan will sincerely agree that in the 2021 or 2012 season, everyone was on their toes until the last round of the season. It was more or less what the new rules promised, but, unfortunately, they fell short.
In the short term, the sprint weekend may appeal to fans due to its novelty, but if nine out of ten races are won by the same team, fans will not be interested.
Sprint races pass without incident
We’ve had seven sprint races so far, but only two of them (Imola 2022 and Sao Paulo 2022) have come close to victory.
More importantly, these runs were hardly memorable. Perhaps with the exception of the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix sprint, in which Lewis Hamilton drove through the entire field, hardly any sprint can be called memorable. In fact, none of them were.
The Grand Prix loses its appeal
Friday we have a free practice. Saturday begins the qualifying session which will give the start of the race. The build-up reaches its climax on Sunday when drivers and teams battle it out for the “Grand Prix”.
The new format has completely killed that system, and instead of building up to the Grand Finals all weekend, we’re getting a Saturday sprint, which is almost an event in itself, completely kills the whole well-established pattern. And with more than 24 hours between the Grand Prix and qualifying, it’s difficult even for fans to keep an eye on the grid. Confusion may arise due to two separate qualifications.
Formula 1 as a sport will change dramatically if sprint weekends become a regular occurrence. More often than not, a sport like Formula 1 has always been a low-commitment sport. Fans leave for a few days and then return for the race weekend. The most important action takes place at the weekend: qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
The new sprint format makes it too demanding for the fans. Not only do they have to follow Friday qualifying (which is tricky because it’s a workday for a lot of people), but they also have to have two different slots on Saturday for the qualifying sprint and the race.
A passionate fan may continue to follow each session, but the casual fan will not engage so much in Formula 1.
Finally, although it may be contrary to the opinion of F1 chief Stefano Domenicali, bigger is not always better.
More races and more qualifying, crowded on the weekend, they will not solve the stressed dissatisfaction of the fans. Two practically identical qualifications, identical sprints without a fight, the fans will simply get tired of it on Saturday and there won’t be enough for Sunday.
Seeing the same thing twice under the same conditions is not a recipe for success, especially if the overall result is more or less the same.
Source: Sport
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
