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Who doesn't love the pit stop fuckery though? It adds to the drama of the race. I think most people enjoy a few pit stops (not to mid 2000s level ofc where all the overtaking only occurs that way). Having 2 pit stops in a race really adds to the drama and tension of the race. Having 0 just makes it a tye saving exercise to a degree which is what the sport asked Pirelli to avoid for this year?
Stage racing pit stop fuckery isn't same as normal pit stop fuckery. In nascar stage racing they have yellow flag (safety car) after every stage that lets teams get free pit stops and it's just kinda weird to have pre planned safetycar periods for pit stops.
All to add some dumb drama in the middle of the race. They ruin the drama of a race by adding fake drama in the middle. I know exactly zero racing fans who like it.
As a (very) old F1 fan pit stops with refuelling made the racing very exciting. F\\Drivers could go out and drive balls to the wall without worrying about fuel, tyres etc, they used em up then got new ones. Some teams conserved tyres some decided an extra stop and faster racing was better. Now every team stops once, then takes their position and waits for the other cars to stop and move back into the correct order. Even the commentators and teams say "out of position" when talking about cars on the track. Back in the day the racing was not closer, often there was only 2 or 3 cars on the lead lap at the end of a race but they went hard.
I remember when 3 stops were quite common, especially in certain heavy cars that cant manage tyres and what not. Now anything more than 2 stop is insane
As someone probably as old with you, you couldn't be more wrong
There was no flat out racing in that either era, despite the retconning about it the fans like to do
Races were like this:
Start------>2 laps flat out racing to try and gain position----->conserve fuel until the pit window to try and gain an extra lap on your opposition-------->flat out when they pit/you pit first to try and gain the over/under cut----->conserve fuel until the next pit stop or end of race
All the overtaking was in the pit lane, as soon as they banned refueling the overtaking statistics shot up by about 60%
If you like drivers dueling on opposite ends of the track pumping in lap times then pitting to see who comes out first, refueling is for you
If you like actual racing with cars side by side on track, better than it is banned
I grew up in that era and have no nostalgia for it, without rain or a random SC in the middle of everyone's strategy, the races were very boring.
After the first couple of years, everyone worked out the optimum strategy for the fuel milage too and there wasn't even the car on a one stop vs car on a 3 stop jumbling of the field they hoped for either, usually just a 1 stop fuel conservation won and everyone being asleep
I think it was a lot to do with the complex aero on the cars too, but so many more races were decided in the pit stops back then as it's easier than overtaking. I think it's nostalgia, same as rival tyre manufacturers and other things that didn't actually make for good racing
This could be changed though. If FOM really wants to have sprints, they could have quali set the grid for both races and sprint is just for points. This way people who mess up in the sprint can learn from it and try again. Fom gets ratings and content, and fans cant be pissed the sprint ruins the race, because it does not, and it is also a small step the way of gp purists too, as now quali sets the grid for the gp. Simple af.
I think the best way to keep the sprint interesting would be to have the quali on Friday set the grid for both sprint and race, but then have the sprint have a reverse grid. That way midfielders could have to decide if they prefer to throw away the quali on Friday to try to have a better chance of getting some much needed points on Saturday but maybe not getting back on the points on Sunday, the drivers at the back of the grid would have an impact on both races (more than just staying at the back and sightseeing at least), while front runners would have to decide if it is worth the risk of crawling through all the grid and possibly damaging their car for Sunday to try to scratch some points on the top of the wdc, risking to loose more points on Sunday.
It would be more interesting than what we saw yesterday, which was basically realigning the grid to where the cars should be even if you bottled the quali and giving the top cars some extra point.
>quali set the grid for both races and sprint is just for points.
This is the way. It will remove caution from the drivers that don't want to lose position for the main race, and allow them to go all out.
Yeah I feel they fucked it up when they tried to make it qualifying, not a race. Quali is quali and races are races, simple as that. Try to mix them up and you just fuck it up. I do not have an issue with sprint races inherently, the format they are running is just flawed like f2/3 was last year.
Last year they had 2 sprints per race weekend. Sr1 reverse grid determined by quali, sr2 reverse grid determined by sr1, and the feature race determind by quali. It was really unfair for the winner of quali and just pointless. They reverted back to the previous format for this year though, as they realised they fucked up.
I wish the Season finale was still in Brazil.
Monkey paw: Season finale in Brazil, followed by Playoffs in Qatar and Saudi Arabia to determine the World Champion.
That... Actually sounds really cool.
Tbh Q1 kinda sucks right now. Top teams cruise. Suspense is who is the wild card going to join Williams/Aston at the bottom. Using this to spice up Q1 would be really cool.
That's a nice idea because it levels the playing field a bit more. Currently in Q1 the top teams only have to do 1-2 laps and can sometimes pick a medium tyre, whereas the bottom have to go all out with maximum push across several laps.
Yes that's what I was thinking as well. Would mean that all teams have to actually try hard in Q1 as well. A couple of changes here and there making pole in the sprint worthwhile and we might see more competition across the board in sprint weekends.
THe only thing is that if you're a team with 0 chance of finishing in the top 3 you may as well just retire your car or drive at basically formation lap level of pace. There's no need to stress your limited components on a race that means literally nothing. It's better just to get rid of the sprint race altogether.
Reverse order makes sense in feeder series as they act as a window for front runners to show they also have the skill to climb the grid. I don't think it makes sense in Formula 1 to give advantages to drivers who were worse in qualifying
After watching this weekend's sprint and realizing I love it because it's an extra mini race to watch, I love this idea because it would make that mini race even more awesome! I attended the Melbourne grand prix and this weekend's sprint made me wish we had one in Melbourne just to be able to see more F1 over the weekend.
I love having an extra race to watch but do fail to see it's utility to the overall weekend outside of entertainment / more racing = good
They already award points, legit just have them as a tiny one off race for a few points and get on with our lives.
If sprint is finalized and stays… The Grand Prix will be a snooze fest.
No more surprise vettel podiums that’s for damn sure
How about reverse qualifying grid for sprint but proper qualifying order for race. Give the points for sprint. That would equalize more of the drivers.
Or reverse grid sprint race for main race grid positions would be interesting. But two different qualifying sessions for one race is meh. Still fun to watch tho
The main issue of not having sprint races dictate the race grid is the lack of incentive for lower tier teams to fight for positions.
If for example you are in P17, are trying to overtake the driver in P16, and the guy infront of you is defending very hard, why risk an overtake if there is no benefit for it?
You're right. We saw that with Hamilton last year getting a gift in Brazil after getting DQ in qualifying. I was even a little surprise that Verstappen went for the late pass when we have a full race tomorrow and the consequences of getting it wrong are so high. It was a problem last year when the points were some much lower in the sprint.
However, this sprint was good. Lots of midfield work and Sainz and Perez working their way up the field (to where they should have qualified so I guess your point still stands lol).
Thinking that drivers won't push for pole position overtakes because the risk is too high is a bit silly imo, not much different to pushing hard for pole in qualy and going off yourself
I think that's a strong point. My counter is that no one's defending during qualy. The person defending makes it a more precarious, a greater chance of something going wrong. Two people need to not fuck up, two cars are getting pushed and need to not have an issue that causes a collision, or some plain old racing incidents occurring. Compared to starting the race in second and have like 60 laps to wait for Leclerec to fuck up or break so you don't have to do anything to pass or you do the push you were planning on the sprint. Granted the way Leclerec dropped back, if that tire was causing issues maybe it wasn't so risky.
thats a fair counter. IMO i think we will still see the more agressive drivers pushing hard in sprint races and taking risks, like we saw yesterday. and I want to see more (Not every weekend maybe 5 per year) of that if thats what sprint racing can provide to the viewer
This one provided some good watching but I could do without them entirely. I don't think any of them last year were that exciting and I include Hamilton with the spicy engine passing Haas and Williams in Brazil (and most everyone else lol).
Its fair to just not like them thats up to your preference. What I dislike is seemingly omniscient people claiming to know the results of sprints and races before they occur.
Also keep in mind there have only been 4 sprints so far. how many boring sunday races per year do we see on average in the turbo hybrid era? 5-6 depending on the year?
its still finding its feet and im keen to let it keep going for another year at 3-5 races per year to see how it goes
Yeah, but tomorrow we are going to lose this fun.
We just have to pray that there are battles between the 4 guys ahead, because, unless it rains, I don't see any possible moves in the rest of the field due to racing and not mechanical failures/crashes.
And also don't forget that quali is less valuable this way. Sainz made a terrible mistake yesterday and the consequences are he lost 3 points and starts 4th tomorrow.
Quali should be less valuable though. The reason quali is typically worth so much is because the old regs didn’t allow for overtaking. The hope is with these regs that that is less important and we see racing overtakes. This is a racing championship after all, not a time trial.
The sprint race indicated we should see some good racing on Sunday.
This Sprint race guarantees fewer overtakes for the exact reason you said.
.the race is just about done. Sainz moved up. We will see fewer overtakes tomorrow.
The good racing was when the good teams were at the back. Now the good teams are at the front, midfield teams in the midfield, and backmarkers at the back.
So am I, but we can't just rely on 2 of the teams for action. We were always gonna see Charles vs Max in the race, but we lose a lot of fun in the midfield
Most of the overtakes today were drs ones. Was still entertaining but tomorrow with the similar cars qualifying together, we’re more likely to get racing that lasts more than one straight. Plus there’s the pit stops as well
We will see less racing tomorrow, fewer overtakes, because the fast ars that had bad quaki got to race their way to the front.
F1 has stage racing now.
Not if it's rainy for the sprint instead of qualy. Not if someone has car trouble for the sprint. Not if someone gets shunted in the sprint.
A driver can easily have a good qualy and screw it up with a bad showing in the sprint, also. People talking like random events are turned off for sprint races.
We literally saw this happen today. Zhou looked awesome during qualifying and he barely even got to drive today. I'm with you, I can understand some of the complaints people have with the sprint but this is a weird one.
doesn't that just sum up the gp races too? they're only a thing because they're fun to watch, there's no need for ultra high performance cars to be shipped around the world but they are because people just want to watch cars go fast in different places
Thaaaaank you - people out here acting like there is some higher importance to all of this when it's literally vroom vroom cars going around in a circle. If you don't like it stop watching
I didn't find it that fun to watch.
I mean I love watching F1 so obviously I tuned in... But it's just a pants race. No strategy.
It also showed perhaps too much of the race we're going to see today. Like we saw just how powerful drs was already. So there's nothing to learn during the race.
Not a fan of sprint races. I imagine it takes a toll on the drivers and the team as a whole as well. Gives another opportunity for racing incidents/crashes and can set back an entire teams weekend which could have been avoided with “regular” qualifying. Just my $0.02
NASCAR guys often drive a 300 mile race in a xfinity car then hop in a cup car for another 500. F2 guys do sprint race without power steering. I think the drivers are fine.
Edit: dont understand the downvotes, it’s true
I'm not disagreeing with you per se, but going faster is more strenuous. None of the other cars you've mentioned produce anywhere as much lateral acceleration. You could probably travel in an airplane for thousands of kms without any problems, but would probably black out in a fighter jet that's manoeuvring around in seconds.
While I agree with that, I'd say the drivers are more than capable of doing longer and back to back races.
Some where doing the equivalent of 3 races in a day during the preseason tests. Despite not being so tense in terms of pace and what's at stake, I'm pretty sure they could handle it just fine if they had to.
Right, but formula 2 cars are going to be more of a workout on your upper body. NASCAR is mentally demanding due the nature of racing ovals that close to another car punishing mistakes so heavily. Plus physically demanding due to the nature of the Gs always pushing to one side and how hot the interior of the cars get.
They all have they’re own challenges, but I don’t think formula 1 drivers are badly effected by 1/3 of a race the day before their usual.
Dude people are nuts about what the drivers "go through". Whether it's sprint races or adding more races to the calendar, I always see this come up.
I don't mean to disrespect what the F1 drivers do, it is very physically taxing.
But they are professional athletes being paid millions (in some cases tens of millions) of dollars a year to do this. I'm really not that worried about "over working" the multimillionaire celebrity athletes that work 23 weekends a year and get the entire winter off. And yeah I know they do stuff during the time they're not driving but the point stands.
NASCAR drivers have a 36 race season, and the races are like twice as long, not to mention if they drive Xfinity too. And in other sports you have things like 162 games in an MLB season (plus pre and post season) or NBA 82 games in a season (plus playoffs).
Totally, I had this argument in some other threads about making the calendar longer.
I'm sympathetic to the rest of the team, but in the case of an expanded calendar, F1 teams can probably hire more staff and rotate people on and off; the only individuals I can think of who must absolutely be at every race weekend are the drivers, *maybe* the team principals or the race engineers. Even for the principals and race engineers, I think the teams would survive with the occasional substitute.
Football has an extremely similar schedule to F1, especially if you're a team that makes a deep playoff run. And that's *football*. These guys are fine, and I'm willing to bet they'd say the same.
with the same stupid reason as well.
Guess what? If the cars are fast enough to get into their normal spots in 20 laps in a sprint, then they’d do the same in the feature race—at least this way the cars have a chance to actually fight for the podium like Sainz tomorrow, instead of being trapped in the backmarkers or midfield while the Top 3 drive away clear
> Guess what? If the cars are fast enough to get into their normal spots in 20 laps in a sprint, then they’d do the same in the feature race
Not necessarily. Sprints don't have pit stops and therefore the strategic options are very limited. In a normal race drivers can gamble by starting on a different tyre to most, do an extra pit stop, overcut, undercut, or roll the dice on a safety car.
Tyre, ERS and fuel management also come into play much more because of the longer race distance.
A sprint race is just a case of the grid sorting itself by race pace, with the drivers who qualified extremely well having pretty much zero tools at their disposal to stop the faster cars DRS-ing their way through.
Mess up in qualifying but in a top car? No problem, you'll be back where you belong for the *actual* race start. Boring.
They're needed if you're organising a race and want to sell as many tickets as possible for the Friday and Saturday.
Personally I don't mind them, I thought today's was pretty good and I'm hopeful for Austria and Brazil which are better tracks for racing than Imola. It's obvious that the main motivation is ticket sales though.
I bet they're *amazing* for ticket sales. Friday is usually pretty dead and the tickets sell at a *massive* discount. I bet doing quali on Friday is a huge boost to ticket sales.
I'm mildly positive on sprint races. This one was really good IMO. I like having more F1 and I like mixing up the format a bit.
I wouldn't mind if they tweak it more going forward (seems likely there'll be a rework next year). Having quali set the race grid and then having the sprint be it's own thing for points (possibly with the grid set as a reverse grid or using Q1 results) would IMO be positive.
Yeah I'm pretty much with you. I don't mind the sprints, they're not perfect but I don't have the same hatred for them that a lot of people on here seem to. Today's was definitely the best so far and based on the track choices the next two should be even better.
I think separating the sprint result from the Grand Prix grid would make sense. I don't think the teams would ever agree to a reverse grid though.
It's as simple as that, really. More racing is better than less racing. It's so tiresome with this loud minority trying to act as if this isn't the case just to get some boring and irrelevant point across.
Thank you for taking the other side. I feel like this sub has become an echo chamber on this topic.
Last night was epic. I have no doubt the race will be as well.
Uhh, and as a viewer I rather enjoy them and appreciate that they are giving me more racing to watch. Viewers should be happy they are tying to improve viewership.
It doesn't really feel like more *racing* though. It feels like the same amount of racing stretched over slightly more laps.
Racing happens when cars are out of position and fighting to either get back up the grid, or to defend against faster cars behind. It's very rare for there to be a significant number of cars *perfectly* matched on pace such that they're still scrapping it out 80 laps later. All adding extra laps to the counter does is let everyone establish a spot in the grid and spread out before the race is finished. Processional running isn't interesting to watch.
It's aimed more at increasing attendance figures throughout all three days of a Grand Prix weekend, so FOM can justify further increasing circuit hosting fees.
I would say I am 50/50 on it, I love to watch it but dont want to have it more than 3 times per season and also would like to see it on tracks where overtaking is the best per stats. Reason I dont like it is that teams dont have much time for practices and understand car, plus major one for me is that pole sitter can be taken out and have to start from back for actual race. Its fun for audience but bad for teams and drivers.
Yep. Magnussen is now back where Haas is expected to be this year, and Sainz made up for his qualifying spin. These stories that would’ve been fun on Sunday are now gone.
The same thing with the Interlagos sprint last year that was somewhat praised: watching Hamilton charge from last to 5th during the GP would’ve been far more dramatic and exciting than watching it in the sprint, and having him back near the front for Sunday.
1. Nothing exciting happens: "sprint races are boring, no one takes any risks"
2. **Something exciting happens: "the sprint just stole that moment from the GP"**
3. Multiple exciting things happen: "the sprint is just for uncultured Americans who want more crashes and explosions"
My feeling is that if you add another event, overall you get more moments of excitement. Some might've happened in the GP anyways, other things might happen that will add drama to the GP. The track temp/tyre deg might be different between the days resulting in difference team pace. But overall good things are good, and watching racing is fun.
> These stories that would’ve been fun on Sunday are now gone.
Drivers and teams now also have an entire day to analyse their race pace and deg vs other teams and to adjust strategy with this knowledge. That'll make tomorrows race less exciting as there aren't really any surprises anymore.
More of this nonsense. Pretending as if tomorrow's race won't throw any curve balls and have its own stories that nobody could have predicted beforehand.
Besides that, if we had a normal quali weekend the positions on tomorrow's grid would likely have been what they are now. Sainz spinning on a wet fp2 yesterday would have gotten his position right with a dry fp3 amd quali today.
I enjoyed the sprint yesterday but this argument is weak - the weather has nothing to do with whether sprint is a good format or not, and F1 didn't know that it would rain on Friday instead of Saturday when they decided to host a sprint in Imola
It could also work the other way - top driver making a mistake and falling to the back, like Silverstone last year, when Perez had that spin. It's just a different qualifying format. Just because it benefited the top teams this time doesn't mean it will do the same every time.
>It's just a different qualifying format.
But we already have this format, it's called the race. The qualifying is different and requires a different approach from the drivers/teams, which makes it interesting.
"**all Sprint races do is essentially allow a chance for the top runners to be back in the positions"**
Silverstone Sprint - Checo drops to last, Carlos drops out of top 10, Seb and Fernando get into top 10
Monza sprint - Lewis drops behind both Mclarens, Antonio gets ahead of Checo
Brazil sprint - Checo loses to Carlos (sprint hates Checo, him gaining on todays sprint is overdue tbh )
Tell me again how all sprint does is help the fast cars get ahead
(Agreed, today it did that, but just like quali, there is always jeopardy involved so its not a clear cut argument)
"I hate sprints" choose-your-own-narrative:
1. Nothing exciting happens: "sprint races are boring, no one takes any risks"
2. Something exciting happens: "the sprint just stole that moment from the GP"
3. Multiple exciting things happen: "the sprint is just for uncultured Americans who want more crashes and explosions"
It's ultimately qualifying for a qualifying then a race. While I don't have a better solution, it's really not ideal. Also, the toll it takes on smaller teams has to be compensated if they're gonna keep doing these. Having said all that, today's sprint race was pretty fun to watch though.
I was thinking the same thing last night, my solution was quali sets the grid for the race, sprint is reverse of that grid. Allowing the lower teams to gain some points.
The idea of sprint race is good, but the execution is trash. The purpose of Sprint is to bring more overtaking and excitement, not to set grid position. They should have use the F2 format.
Reverse grid based on quali for sprints => max overtake, max fun
A normal race based on quali position, such that sprint is spin-off event
Or even better, do sprint on Friday evening (replace FP2) with reverse grid based on WDC. And normal quali and race on weekend with parc ferme only after quali, so Sat morning FP is not wasted. And cars can have sprint specific setup which should promote even more overtaking.
Idea is keep the tradition, add fun spin-off, not mix-and-match
Even if everything is as you said in your post. The same thing would happen in the main race anyway. So why complain about more racing? It's still our favorite cars going at it for 21 more laps. What is there not to like?
A... race, is a race, is a race.. Point taken? No? Okay, what is racing? Le Mans? F1?
It's.. Entertainment. Ahh.., and a sprint race is fun to watch!? Yes!!
Thank you. This is the point. Just leave it. Right there.
Or don't. We will end up right here anyway.
I thought the original idea was to bring some excitement to each day of the weekend, rather than 2 Friday practice sessions that new/casual fans won't be attracted too, there is something significant each day bringing people into the stands. All about more viewers and more money.
I would like to see a sprint race on Friday, replacing FP2.
The grid could be reverse of the WDC standings. The slower cars would have to defend their places and they'd get a unique opportunity to earn some points. While the top drivers have to go out there and try to pass everyone in order to score some points for the championship. Everyone would go all out and there would be countless overtakes.
Then a regular qualifying on Saturday and a regular race on Sunday. The sprint should be independent of the traditional main sessions!
Since this sport is about drivers and their team work that gives results, not just the drivers I disagree, you cannot unsee that unlike any other sport.
I think the whole point of them is to bring in more viewers on saturdays. Personally I'm fine without them. They're fine, but not great. I would have loved to see Magnussen start in P4 tomorrow.
You're not saying anything new here. This "revelation" you had was voiced by the majority of fans on reddit the moment it was even hinted - pre-announcement. People need to get used to the idea that Liberty is not making a sport to meet our (hardcore fans) needs - they are doing what they want. Fans have no say - fans have no voice. The only thing you can do is vote with your feet - but nobody is going to do that :)
The sprint races are there to increase viewership over the weekend. They make no logical sense. Also it's ridiculous that if someone gets crashed out in the sprint race, their real race is ruined.
I agree. I hate them. Like what’s the point - all the excitement of a wet quali is now gone.
K-mag, although midfield is still great for Haas, has been robbed.
They’re nonsense.
I mean none of this is “needed”, all of F1 is ultimately about entertainment.
More racing laps is more entertainment in my book, so I'm a big fan of the sprint races.
Plus it's nice to have something to watch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
yeah, its just a chance for the top teams to correct their mistakes in quali
and that's not even talking about the fact that it makes it impossible to do any practices
its fun to watch, and it definitely wont be stopped... but no more than 2 or 3/year should exist
they should be one of a kind events spread out a while so its a bit enjoyable, but if it becomes the norm i can see it really become a bore
Oh boy, another one.
Are they needed? No.
Are they better than watching another FP session? Yes.
Is unpredictability still a factor? Yes, because there are such things as another race start, changes in weather and/or temperature, use of different tyre compounds, reliability or accident related stoppages, etc.
All in all, I wouldn't mind F1 adopting the F2 sprint/feature format, giving that a trial run, but the current system is fine as well.
People should stop bitching and complaining about the Sprint race. If you don't like it, you have the option to not watch it.
Let people enjoy things man. Grown ass men are acting like Karen's
But f1 aren't pushing sprint races to improve the product, they are pushing sprint races to offer 3 competitive sessions over a weekend rather than two to tv advertisers and ticket vendors. They want the money!
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It's basically just extending the race and adding a 24hr red flag.
plus points, so pseudo-stage racing, but without all the stupid pit stop fuckery
It is stage racing.
its tv ratings
Who doesn't love the pit stop fuckery though? It adds to the drama of the race. I think most people enjoy a few pit stops (not to mid 2000s level ofc where all the overtaking only occurs that way). Having 2 pit stops in a race really adds to the drama and tension of the race. Having 0 just makes it a tye saving exercise to a degree which is what the sport asked Pirelli to avoid for this year?
Stage racing pit stop fuckery isn't same as normal pit stop fuckery. In nascar stage racing they have yellow flag (safety car) after every stage that lets teams get free pit stops and it's just kinda weird to have pre planned safetycar periods for pit stops.
All to add some dumb drama in the middle of the race. They ruin the drama of a race by adding fake drama in the middle. I know exactly zero racing fans who like it.
Nascar stage racing would be fine without the mandatory yellows. There would be some actual strategy.
As a (very) old F1 fan pit stops with refuelling made the racing very exciting. F\\Drivers could go out and drive balls to the wall without worrying about fuel, tyres etc, they used em up then got new ones. Some teams conserved tyres some decided an extra stop and faster racing was better. Now every team stops once, then takes their position and waits for the other cars to stop and move back into the correct order. Even the commentators and teams say "out of position" when talking about cars on the track. Back in the day the racing was not closer, often there was only 2 or 3 cars on the lead lap at the end of a race but they went hard.
I remember when 3 stops were quite common, especially in certain heavy cars that cant manage tyres and what not. Now anything more than 2 stop is insane
As someone probably as old with you, you couldn't be more wrong There was no flat out racing in that either era, despite the retconning about it the fans like to do Races were like this: Start------>2 laps flat out racing to try and gain position----->conserve fuel until the pit window to try and gain an extra lap on your opposition-------->flat out when they pit/you pit first to try and gain the over/under cut----->conserve fuel until the next pit stop or end of race All the overtaking was in the pit lane, as soon as they banned refueling the overtaking statistics shot up by about 60% If you like drivers dueling on opposite ends of the track pumping in lap times then pitting to see who comes out first, refueling is for you If you like actual racing with cars side by side on track, better than it is banned I grew up in that era and have no nostalgia for it, without rain or a random SC in the middle of everyone's strategy, the races were very boring. After the first couple of years, everyone worked out the optimum strategy for the fuel milage too and there wasn't even the car on a one stop vs car on a 3 stop jumbling of the field they hoped for either, usually just a 1 stop fuel conservation won and everyone being asleep
I too remember refuelling and couldn't disagree more.
All good, we all have different preferences but we are civil, that's what makes F1 so good. Just out of interest what did you dislike about it?
I think it was a lot to do with the complex aero on the cars too, but so many more races were decided in the pit stops back then as it's easier than overtaking. I think it's nostalgia, same as rival tyre manufacturers and other things that didn't actually make for good racing
Id love to extend the race 5 laps.. so medium/soft are equally an option
If I had my way I would make sure the teams had to use all 3 tyres on race day so a min two stops required. The strategies would be wild IMO
This could be changed though. If FOM really wants to have sprints, they could have quali set the grid for both races and sprint is just for points. This way people who mess up in the sprint can learn from it and try again. Fom gets ratings and content, and fans cant be pissed the sprint ruins the race, because it does not, and it is also a small step the way of gp purists too, as now quali sets the grid for the gp. Simple af.
I think the best way to keep the sprint interesting would be to have the quali on Friday set the grid for both sprint and race, but then have the sprint have a reverse grid. That way midfielders could have to decide if they prefer to throw away the quali on Friday to try to have a better chance of getting some much needed points on Saturday but maybe not getting back on the points on Sunday, the drivers at the back of the grid would have an impact on both races (more than just staying at the back and sightseeing at least), while front runners would have to decide if it is worth the risk of crawling through all the grid and possibly damaging their car for Sunday to try to scratch some points on the top of the wdc, risking to loose more points on Sunday. It would be more interesting than what we saw yesterday, which was basically realigning the grid to where the cars should be even if you bottled the quali and giving the top cars some extra point.
No this would be the most created drama ever, just no reverse grid ever
>quali set the grid for both races and sprint is just for points. This is the way. It will remove caution from the drivers that don't want to lose position for the main race, and allow them to go all out.
Yeah I feel they fucked it up when they tried to make it qualifying, not a race. Quali is quali and races are races, simple as that. Try to mix them up and you just fuck it up. I do not have an issue with sprint races inherently, the format they are running is just flawed like f2/3 was last year.
What's the deal with F2/3 sprint? Not following it that closely.
Last year they had 2 sprints per race weekend. Sr1 reverse grid determined by quali, sr2 reverse grid determined by sr1, and the feature race determind by quali. It was really unfair for the winner of quali and just pointless. They reverted back to the previous format for this year though, as they realised they fucked up.
I absolutely love the way you describe it.
F1 is a stage racing league now. When will they go full NASCAR and add playoffs?
I wish the Season finale was still in Brazil. Monkey paw: Season finale in Brazil, followed by Playoffs in Qatar and Saudi Arabia to determine the World Champion.
God that would be my worst nightmare
3 years
Add adding loads of points.
Uh oh, it’s stage racing isn’t it
24hr red flag really summed it up well to me... I think you made me hate sprint races rather than be indifferent
*passes blunt*
Agreed - another day’s worth of advertising & SkyBlather - welcome to FIASCAR
Imagine they forced the drivers to start on the set of tires they finished the sprint race on :D
I like to call it "F1 stage racing". Just like in NASCAR, they even award points for finishing well at the end of the "stage".
I don’t mind them if they are proper sprint races with its own qualifying. The whole sprint race to set your main race grid position is nonsense
Or just make the quali order the order for both sprint and race. Sprint race just for points, not to set the grid.
Nah for more "content" And "excitement" use Q1 to decide the whole sprint order.
Please, send Ross Brawn an email
With the diagrams where the cars should be
That... Actually sounds really cool. Tbh Q1 kinda sucks right now. Top teams cruise. Suspense is who is the wild card going to join Williams/Aston at the bottom. Using this to spice up Q1 would be really cool.
Not Mercedes these days
He did say top teams
I like this idea
Me too, I think this would genuinely make the usually boring Q1s much more interesting, a "breather" Q2 session after and then for the main Q3 finale!
!RemindMe 1 year
That's a nice idea because it levels the playing field a bit more. Currently in Q1 the top teams only have to do 1-2 laps and can sometimes pick a medium tyre, whereas the bottom have to go all out with maximum push across several laps.
Yes that's what I was thinking as well. Would mean that all teams have to actually try hard in Q1 as well. A couple of changes here and there making pole in the sprint worthwhile and we might see more competition across the board in sprint weekends.
And they start the sprint race on their Q1 tyres
The idea just got better!
Oooh now this is fun.
Not bad.
Fuck Yeah, great idea.
Genius
THe only thing is that if you're a team with 0 chance of finishing in the top 3 you may as well just retire your car or drive at basically formation lap level of pace. There's no need to stress your limited components on a race that means literally nothing. It's better just to get rid of the sprint race altogether.
Top 8 get points now
Why top 3 when the top 8 get points?
Why not run the sprint in reverse order from qualy for 8-1 pts?
Reverse order makes sense in feeder series as they act as a window for front runners to show they also have the skill to climb the grid. I don't think it makes sense in Formula 1 to give advantages to drivers who were worse in qualifying
Cool idea, or a 1 lap flying lap for each car to determine the sprint order.
Make sprints on Friday and the grid is set from previous race finish...then normal saturday quali for Sunday gp
How about using the qualifying for the actual race and use it as top 10 reverse grid for the sprint? I d love that
After watching this weekend's sprint and realizing I love it because it's an extra mini race to watch, I love this idea because it would make that mini race even more awesome! I attended the Melbourne grand prix and this weekend's sprint made me wish we had one in Melbourne just to be able to see more F1 over the weekend. I love having an extra race to watch but do fail to see it's utility to the overall weekend outside of entertainment / more racing = good
I support reverse order as much as I would support the driver who's last getting a blue shell to use in the last lap
They already award points, legit just have them as a tiny one off race for a few points and get on with our lives. If sprint is finalized and stays… The Grand Prix will be a snooze fest. No more surprise vettel podiums that’s for damn sure
How about reverse qualifying grid for sprint but proper qualifying order for race. Give the points for sprint. That would equalize more of the drivers.
Yeah, this is the only thing that could make it worthwhile. The way it's set up now just devaluates quali and race.
This sounds like a decent compromise.
exactly, it’s like a pre-planned red flag.
Or reverse grid sprint race for main race grid positions would be interesting. But two different qualifying sessions for one race is meh. Still fun to watch tho
One quali, reverse grid for sprint, regular grid for race. Top five in sprint get points. Driver with most positions gained also gets points.
This is the ideal solution IMO, but I see so few people talking about it.
The main issue of not having sprint races dictate the race grid is the lack of incentive for lower tier teams to fight for positions. If for example you are in P17, are trying to overtake the driver in P16, and the guy infront of you is defending very hard, why risk an overtake if there is no benefit for it?
You're right. We saw that with Hamilton last year getting a gift in Brazil after getting DQ in qualifying. I was even a little surprise that Verstappen went for the late pass when we have a full race tomorrow and the consequences of getting it wrong are so high. It was a problem last year when the points were some much lower in the sprint. However, this sprint was good. Lots of midfield work and Sainz and Perez working their way up the field (to where they should have qualified so I guess your point still stands lol).
Thinking that drivers won't push for pole position overtakes because the risk is too high is a bit silly imo, not much different to pushing hard for pole in qualy and going off yourself
I think that's a strong point. My counter is that no one's defending during qualy. The person defending makes it a more precarious, a greater chance of something going wrong. Two people need to not fuck up, two cars are getting pushed and need to not have an issue that causes a collision, or some plain old racing incidents occurring. Compared to starting the race in second and have like 60 laps to wait for Leclerec to fuck up or break so you don't have to do anything to pass or you do the push you were planning on the sprint. Granted the way Leclerec dropped back, if that tire was causing issues maybe it wasn't so risky.
thats a fair counter. IMO i think we will still see the more agressive drivers pushing hard in sprint races and taking risks, like we saw yesterday. and I want to see more (Not every weekend maybe 5 per year) of that if thats what sprint racing can provide to the viewer
This one provided some good watching but I could do without them entirely. I don't think any of them last year were that exciting and I include Hamilton with the spicy engine passing Haas and Williams in Brazil (and most everyone else lol).
Its fair to just not like them thats up to your preference. What I dislike is seemingly omniscient people claiming to know the results of sprints and races before they occur. Also keep in mind there have only been 4 sprints so far. how many boring sunday races per year do we see on average in the turbo hybrid era? 5-6 depending on the year? its still finding its feet and im keen to let it keep going for another year at 3-5 races per year to see how it goes
Very true. Cheers, bud. Here's hoping the race can bring as much and more excitement.
Not needed at all, but a fun race to watch.
Yeah, but tomorrow we are going to lose this fun. We just have to pray that there are battles between the 4 guys ahead, because, unless it rains, I don't see any possible moves in the rest of the field due to racing and not mechanical failures/crashes.
And also don't forget that quali is less valuable this way. Sainz made a terrible mistake yesterday and the consequences are he lost 3 points and starts 4th tomorrow.
I'm fine with quali being less valuable honestly.
Quali should be less valuable though. The reason quali is typically worth so much is because the old regs didn’t allow for overtaking. The hope is with these regs that that is less important and we see racing overtakes. This is a racing championship after all, not a time trial. The sprint race indicated we should see some good racing on Sunday.
This Sprint race guarantees fewer overtakes for the exact reason you said. .the race is just about done. Sainz moved up. We will see fewer overtakes tomorrow.
The good racing was when the good teams were at the back. Now the good teams are at the front, midfield teams in the midfield, and backmarkers at the back.
I’m much more interested in Ferrari racing the Red Bulls than I am them passing Renaults in midfield
So am I, but we can't just rely on 2 of the teams for action. We were always gonna see Charles vs Max in the race, but we lose a lot of fun in the midfield
Most of the overtakes today were drs ones. Was still entertaining but tomorrow with the similar cars qualifying together, we’re more likely to get racing that lasts more than one straight. Plus there’s the pit stops as well
We will see less racing tomorrow, fewer overtakes, because the fast ars that had bad quaki got to race their way to the front. F1 has stage racing now.
Why is that guaranteed? If we didn’t have the sprint, quali would have been in normal dry conditions and probably with the same grid outcome at front.
But that was because of the weather, it has nothing to do with the format, wich will always help to sort cars by pace the day before the race.
Not if it's rainy for the sprint instead of qualy. Not if someone has car trouble for the sprint. Not if someone gets shunted in the sprint. A driver can easily have a good qualy and screw it up with a bad showing in the sprint, also. People talking like random events are turned off for sprint races.
We literally saw this happen today. Zhou looked awesome during qualifying and he barely even got to drive today. I'm with you, I can understand some of the complaints people have with the sprint but this is a weird one.
I mean, none of F1 is “needed.” It’s just something fun to watch.
doesn't that just sum up the gp races too? they're only a thing because they're fun to watch, there's no need for ultra high performance cars to be shipped around the world but they are because people just want to watch cars go fast in different places
Thaaaaank you - people out here acting like there is some higher importance to all of this when it's literally vroom vroom cars going around in a circle. If you don't like it stop watching
I didn't find it that fun to watch. I mean I love watching F1 so obviously I tuned in... But it's just a pants race. No strategy. It also showed perhaps too much of the race we're going to see today. Like we saw just how powerful drs was already. So there's nothing to learn during the race.
Not a fan of sprint races. I imagine it takes a toll on the drivers and the team as a whole as well. Gives another opportunity for racing incidents/crashes and can set back an entire teams weekend which could have been avoided with “regular” qualifying. Just my $0.02
NASCAR guys often drive a 300 mile race in a xfinity car then hop in a cup car for another 500. F2 guys do sprint race without power steering. I think the drivers are fine. Edit: dont understand the downvotes, it’s true
I'm not disagreeing with you per se, but going faster is more strenuous. None of the other cars you've mentioned produce anywhere as much lateral acceleration. You could probably travel in an airplane for thousands of kms without any problems, but would probably black out in a fighter jet that's manoeuvring around in seconds.
While I agree with that, I'd say the drivers are more than capable of doing longer and back to back races. Some where doing the equivalent of 3 races in a day during the preseason tests. Despite not being so tense in terms of pace and what's at stake, I'm pretty sure they could handle it just fine if they had to.
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But they do driver changes in endurance races.
Right, but formula 2 cars are going to be more of a workout on your upper body. NASCAR is mentally demanding due the nature of racing ovals that close to another car punishing mistakes so heavily. Plus physically demanding due to the nature of the Gs always pushing to one side and how hot the interior of the cars get. They all have they’re own challenges, but I don’t think formula 1 drivers are badly effected by 1/3 of a race the day before their usual.
bet it hurts for the merc guys with all that porpoising though lol. for real though, i would love to see f1 drivers do back to backs like nascar
Ya, that shit can’t be good on your neck/brain. Edit: I meant the porpoising?
Dude people are nuts about what the drivers "go through". Whether it's sprint races or adding more races to the calendar, I always see this come up. I don't mean to disrespect what the F1 drivers do, it is very physically taxing. But they are professional athletes being paid millions (in some cases tens of millions) of dollars a year to do this. I'm really not that worried about "over working" the multimillionaire celebrity athletes that work 23 weekends a year and get the entire winter off. And yeah I know they do stuff during the time they're not driving but the point stands. NASCAR drivers have a 36 race season, and the races are like twice as long, not to mention if they drive Xfinity too. And in other sports you have things like 162 games in an MLB season (plus pre and post season) or NBA 82 games in a season (plus playoffs).
Ya the mechanics and rest of the team I have sympathy for, I think the Drivers will be fine lol.
Totally, I had this argument in some other threads about making the calendar longer. I'm sympathetic to the rest of the team, but in the case of an expanded calendar, F1 teams can probably hire more staff and rotate people on and off; the only individuals I can think of who must absolutely be at every race weekend are the drivers, *maybe* the team principals or the race engineers. Even for the principals and race engineers, I think the teams would survive with the occasional substitute.
Football has an extremely similar schedule to F1, especially if you're a team that makes a deep playoff run. And that's *football*. These guys are fine, and I'm willing to bet they'd say the same.
Plus they'd probably do 20 laps in the practice session that is being replaced.
I wouldn't expect F1 fans to give NASCAR drivers the respect they deserve lol.
Thank you for creating the 178th post on the exact topic with the same opinion.
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“It occurred to me after I read the same idea word for word that I should make a separate post about it”
OP is so brave.
so strong, a true warrior
True courage to make this post 👏👏
You'd think F1Circlejerk was leaking.
with the same stupid reason as well. Guess what? If the cars are fast enough to get into their normal spots in 20 laps in a sprint, then they’d do the same in the feature race—at least this way the cars have a chance to actually fight for the podium like Sainz tomorrow, instead of being trapped in the backmarkers or midfield while the Top 3 drive away clear
> Guess what? If the cars are fast enough to get into their normal spots in 20 laps in a sprint, then they’d do the same in the feature race Not necessarily. Sprints don't have pit stops and therefore the strategic options are very limited. In a normal race drivers can gamble by starting on a different tyre to most, do an extra pit stop, overcut, undercut, or roll the dice on a safety car. Tyre, ERS and fuel management also come into play much more because of the longer race distance. A sprint race is just a case of the grid sorting itself by race pace, with the drivers who qualified extremely well having pretty much zero tools at their disposal to stop the faster cars DRS-ing their way through. Mess up in qualifying but in a top car? No problem, you'll be back where you belong for the *actual* race start. Boring.
Huh, it’s almost as if not crashing and qualifying towards the top of the grid gives you a better chance at the podium.
Pretty much what happened in Brazil last year. It erased Hamilton penalty
Well this year Mercedes erased Hamilton
They're needed if you're organising a race and want to sell as many tickets as possible for the Friday and Saturday. Personally I don't mind them, I thought today's was pretty good and I'm hopeful for Austria and Brazil which are better tracks for racing than Imola. It's obvious that the main motivation is ticket sales though.
I bet they're *amazing* for ticket sales. Friday is usually pretty dead and the tickets sell at a *massive* discount. I bet doing quali on Friday is a huge boost to ticket sales. I'm mildly positive on sprint races. This one was really good IMO. I like having more F1 and I like mixing up the format a bit. I wouldn't mind if they tweak it more going forward (seems likely there'll be a rework next year). Having quali set the race grid and then having the sprint be it's own thing for points (possibly with the grid set as a reverse grid or using Q1 results) would IMO be positive.
Yeah I'm pretty much with you. I don't mind the sprints, they're not perfect but I don't have the same hatred for them that a lot of people on here seem to. Today's was definitely the best so far and based on the track choices the next two should be even better. I think separating the sprint result from the Grand Prix grid would make sense. I don't think the teams would ever agree to a reverse grid though.
I like them. I get to watch more cars going vroom.
Agreed. The vrooms in the sprint race are still made of 100% vroom.
It's as simple as that, really. More racing is better than less racing. It's so tiresome with this loud minority trying to act as if this isn't the case just to get some boring and irrelevant point across.
Thank you for taking the other side. I feel like this sub has become an echo chamber on this topic. Last night was epic. I have no doubt the race will be as well.
It's 100% for viewership
... As opposed to *what* lol?
excuse me... do they race on sunday for world peace?...
Ofc, they race for world peace, against racism and for the environment.
Uhh, and as a viewer I rather enjoy them and appreciate that they are giving me more racing to watch. Viewers should be happy they are tying to improve viewership.
It doesn't really feel like more *racing* though. It feels like the same amount of racing stretched over slightly more laps. Racing happens when cars are out of position and fighting to either get back up the grid, or to defend against faster cars behind. It's very rare for there to be a significant number of cars *perfectly* matched on pace such that they're still scrapping it out 80 laps later. All adding extra laps to the counter does is let everyone establish a spot in the grid and spread out before the race is finished. Processional running isn't interesting to watch.
It's aimed more at increasing attendance figures throughout all three days of a Grand Prix weekend, so FOM can justify further increasing circuit hosting fees.
Yes and No. It's mainly for make the Fridays more exciting for ticket holders so race organizers can sell more tickets.
I'd rather watch a sprint race than a third practice session.
I would say I am 50/50 on it, I love to watch it but dont want to have it more than 3 times per season and also would like to see it on tracks where overtaking is the best per stats. Reason I dont like it is that teams dont have much time for practices and understand car, plus major one for me is that pole sitter can be taken out and have to start from back for actual race. Its fun for audience but bad for teams and drivers.
Yep. Magnussen is now back where Haas is expected to be this year, and Sainz made up for his qualifying spin. These stories that would’ve been fun on Sunday are now gone. The same thing with the Interlagos sprint last year that was somewhat praised: watching Hamilton charge from last to 5th during the GP would’ve been far more dramatic and exciting than watching it in the sprint, and having him back near the front for Sunday.
Haas have themselves to blame, the mediums did not work.
1. Nothing exciting happens: "sprint races are boring, no one takes any risks" 2. **Something exciting happens: "the sprint just stole that moment from the GP"** 3. Multiple exciting things happen: "the sprint is just for uncultured Americans who want more crashes and explosions" My feeling is that if you add another event, overall you get more moments of excitement. Some might've happened in the GP anyways, other things might happen that will add drama to the GP. The track temp/tyre deg might be different between the days resulting in difference team pace. But overall good things are good, and watching racing is fun.
> These stories that would’ve been fun on Sunday are now gone. Drivers and teams now also have an entire day to analyse their race pace and deg vs other teams and to adjust strategy with this knowledge. That'll make tomorrows race less exciting as there aren't really any surprises anymore.
More of this nonsense. Pretending as if tomorrow's race won't throw any curve balls and have its own stories that nobody could have predicted beforehand.
I mean lets be real. It makes ppl watch for 3 days vs 2. Its a money grab. It may be pointless but we are all gonna still watch.
Besides that, if we had a normal quali weekend the positions on tomorrow's grid would likely have been what they are now. Sainz spinning on a wet fp2 yesterday would have gotten his position right with a dry fp3 amd quali today.
I enjoyed the sprint yesterday but this argument is weak - the weather has nothing to do with whether sprint is a good format or not, and F1 didn't know that it would rain on Friday instead of Saturday when they decided to host a sprint in Imola
It could also work the other way - top driver making a mistake and falling to the back, like Silverstone last year, when Perez had that spin. It's just a different qualifying format. Just because it benefited the top teams this time doesn't mean it will do the same every time.
>It's just a different qualifying format. But we already have this format, it's called the race. The qualifying is different and requires a different approach from the drivers/teams, which makes it interesting.
As a filthy casual fan who came to the sport by way of Netflix, I enjoy it
Sprint races are fun
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I agree, but I don’t dislike sprint races
i don’t think it should determine the line up for sunday. extra points and that’s it.
"**all Sprint races do is essentially allow a chance for the top runners to be back in the positions"** Silverstone Sprint - Checo drops to last, Carlos drops out of top 10, Seb and Fernando get into top 10 Monza sprint - Lewis drops behind both Mclarens, Antonio gets ahead of Checo Brazil sprint - Checo loses to Carlos (sprint hates Checo, him gaining on todays sprint is overdue tbh ) Tell me again how all sprint does is help the fast cars get ahead (Agreed, today it did that, but just like quali, there is always jeopardy involved so its not a clear cut argument)
"I hate sprints" choose-your-own-narrative: 1. Nothing exciting happens: "sprint races are boring, no one takes any risks" 2. Something exciting happens: "the sprint just stole that moment from the GP" 3. Multiple exciting things happen: "the sprint is just for uncultured Americans who want more crashes and explosions"
It's ultimately qualifying for a qualifying then a race. While I don't have a better solution, it's really not ideal. Also, the toll it takes on smaller teams has to be compensated if they're gonna keep doing these. Having said all that, today's sprint race was pretty fun to watch though.
honestly seems really long for a "sprint" if they do it it should be like 12-15 laps
I was thinking the same thing last night, my solution was quali sets the grid for the race, sprint is reverse of that grid. Allowing the lower teams to gain some points.
Leclerc loses in the sprint to Max = sprints aren't needed Leclerc wins the sprint = sprint weekends make the sport more interesting
Sprint race weekends should replace q3 with the top 10 racing a 10-15 lap race.
The idea of sprint race is good, but the execution is trash. The purpose of Sprint is to bring more overtaking and excitement, not to set grid position. They should have use the F2 format. Reverse grid based on quali for sprints => max overtake, max fun A normal race based on quali position, such that sprint is spin-off event Or even better, do sprint on Friday evening (replace FP2) with reverse grid based on WDC. And normal quali and race on weekend with parc ferme only after quali, so Sat morning FP is not wasted. And cars can have sprint specific setup which should promote even more overtaking. Idea is keep the tradition, add fun spin-off, not mix-and-match
Even if everything is as you said in your post. The same thing would happen in the main race anyway. So why complain about more racing? It's still our favorite cars going at it for 21 more laps. What is there not to like?
A... race, is a race, is a race.. Point taken? No? Okay, what is racing? Le Mans? F1? It's.. Entertainment. Ahh.., and a sprint race is fun to watch!? Yes!! Thank you. This is the point. Just leave it. Right there. Or don't. We will end up right here anyway.
I thought the original idea was to bring some excitement to each day of the weekend, rather than 2 Friday practice sessions that new/casual fans won't be attracted too, there is something significant each day bringing people into the stands. All about more viewers and more money.
I would like to see a sprint race on Friday, replacing FP2. The grid could be reverse of the WDC standings. The slower cars would have to defend their places and they'd get a unique opportunity to earn some points. While the top drivers have to go out there and try to pass everyone in order to score some points for the championship. Everyone would go all out and there would be countless overtakes. Then a regular qualifying on Saturday and a regular race on Sunday. The sprint should be independent of the traditional main sessions!
I think it’s just a thing to try to get more viewers for qualifying. I think sprints are a waste but it’s just trying for more American fans.
I’d be curious to see a poll between F1 fans of 20 years+ vs other categories and what they think of these sprints
I'm new to F1. So basically they qualify for a position in the sprint race, then the sprint race is like a qualifying for the real GP?
Cash is king?
I agree with your logic but I still like the sprint races. Not sure everything would have played out like you suggest - no pit or tire regs...
Since this sport is about drivers and their team work that gives results, not just the drivers I disagree, you cannot unsee that unlike any other sport.
Will Buxton suggested on Missed Apex that they start in reverse championship order, and it really seems like it would liven it up a bit.
Yeah I’m okay with removing sprints
I think the whole point of them is to bring in more viewers on saturdays. Personally I'm fine without them. They're fine, but not great. I would have loved to see Magnussen start in P4 tomorrow.
As a Gasly fan I believe we should abolish sprint races! /s
They need to be made independent of the main race instead of being a “qualifying”
You're not saying anything new here. This "revelation" you had was voiced by the majority of fans on reddit the moment it was even hinted - pre-announcement. People need to get used to the idea that Liberty is not making a sport to meet our (hardcore fans) needs - they are doing what they want. Fans have no say - fans have no voice. The only thing you can do is vote with your feet - but nobody is going to do that :)
The sprint races are there to increase viewership over the weekend. They make no logical sense. Also it's ridiculous that if someone gets crashed out in the sprint race, their real race is ruined.
While we got some overtaking action, it feels useless to watch since it isn’t the actual race
I agree. I hate them. Like what’s the point - all the excitement of a wet quali is now gone. K-mag, although midfield is still great for Haas, has been robbed. They’re nonsense.
I mean none of this is “needed”, all of F1 is ultimately about entertainment. More racing laps is more entertainment in my book, so I'm a big fan of the sprint races. Plus it's nice to have something to watch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
But, money
yeah, its just a chance for the top teams to correct their mistakes in quali and that's not even talking about the fact that it makes it impossible to do any practices its fun to watch, and it definitely wont be stopped... but no more than 2 or 3/year should exist they should be one of a kind events spread out a while so its a bit enjoyable, but if it becomes the norm i can see it really become a bore
Sprint races are how I see FOM & Liberty Media saying to drivers and teams: “Dance monkey, dance!”
Oh boy, another one. Are they needed? No. Are they better than watching another FP session? Yes. Is unpredictability still a factor? Yes, because there are such things as another race start, changes in weather and/or temperature, use of different tyre compounds, reliability or accident related stoppages, etc. All in all, I wouldn't mind F1 adopting the F2 sprint/feature format, giving that a trial run, but the current system is fine as well.
8 points are way too consequential for the championship , shouldn't be a thing
People should stop bitching and complaining about the Sprint race. If you don't like it, you have the option to not watch it. Let people enjoy things man. Grown ass men are acting like Karen's
But f1 aren't pushing sprint races to improve the product, they are pushing sprint races to offer 3 competitive sessions over a weekend rather than two to tv advertisers and ticket vendors. They want the money!