Saturday sprint races

[S griffin]

Of course it's being done too quickly, they should focus on other areas first. The sprint race could have been a nice novelty, but now it's becoming a gimmick. As I said before, it was never really needed in the first place and hasn't really added that much. And if next season's cars can produce better racing, then we need them even less. Seems they have got too carried away

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

I can't help but think that increasing the nu per sis being done too quickly, there are lots of factors next year with the team getting to grips with the new cars, and Pirelli new tyres on the 18 inch rims.

The one thing that needed to remain stable was weekend format, and arguably take the lessons learned from the 3 sprints this year and hold them back like the facility for DRS for the first season... see if they are really needed.

fair point that the teams will have a lot more to contend with next season but would it not then follow that the teams benefit more, increase their understanding faster, from laps set under racing conditions rather than from laps set in practice sessions?

particularly when it comes to understanding how well these new cars will be able to follow one another.

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by Beau2

I find it fascinating that both sprint races have led to the Championship contenders taking each other out in the full Grand Prix.

Interesting spot - I hadn't registered that. I reckon once is chance, twice is co-incidence, three times would be a pattern . One to watch for sure.

[Adam43]

Both sprint races have led to Giovinazzi finishing 13th and Sainz finishing 6th. And led to the McLarens finishing next to each other.

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Both sprint races have led to Giovinazzi finishing 13th and Sainz finishing 6th. And led to the McLarens finishing next to each other.

That's crazy stuff! These sprint races are having a bigger impact than I'd realised...!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Both sprint races have led to Giovinazzi finishing 13th and Sainz finishing 6th. And led to the McLarens finishing next to each other.

With Hamilton and Vertappen tangling with each other and this happening, these races must be jinxed.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

With Hamilton and Vertappen tangling with each other and this happening, these races must be jinxed.

Not the right way to go then if people want less predictability in the sport

[chillibowl]

I didnt realize or forgot that on sprint race weekends, that the drivers get 5 sets of softs for the friday Quali session.

Does this make for a better traditional quali session?

I do like how every lap can be a theoretical fastest lap.

As for the parc ferme rules...bit of a question.

If the teams cant work on the cars between friday quali and the saturday sprint race, then thats like a lot less work the teams have to do on these weekends right?

Exceptions of course for teams that are taking penalties to repair damage etc.

[S griffin]

We didn’t quite get the Max/Lewis clash in the main race, but we came close to it

[Adam43]

Sainz was 6th again. This is like the X files.

[S griffin]

To be honest, if it hadn't been for Lewis starting so far back, the sprint race would have been another damp squib. I guess in one respect it gives those who have been sent to the back another chance to start nearer the front, but that's about it

[crmalcolm]

A thought I have had for those who are (still) not keen on the Sprints.

Looking at the Sprints in isolation, they may not have had much excitement. (I personally disagree - the 1st and 3rd were both exciting IMO).
But - did they improve the overall weekend in terms of enjoyment?

IIRC - most race weekends that featured a Sprint resulted in a more entertaining GP?

[S griffin]

As there’s only been three sprint races, there isn’t enough evidence to say they have that much impact on the actual race, unless someone is starting out of position

They may shake things up a little, but if it’s just a procession most of the time, is there really much of a point of them?

[BTCC frog]

So after three sprint races, here is my justification as to why I believe sprint races have a negative effect on Formula 1.

1. I feel that having two races per weekend breaks the tradition of Formula 1. People may say, 'a sport changes over time,' but I don't think this is an instance when change is needed. Most motorsports have multiple races per weekend, but I feel that one long Grand Prix only is a good feature for the 'pinnacle of motorsport.' Some may disagree, but this is how I feel.

2. It devalues qualifying. There is obviously something really special about a single qualifying lap of drivers pushing at the absolute limit to get the most out of the car, and that being rewarded with a starting grid slot for the Grand Prix. Yes, qualifying still exists, but it now only sets the grid for the sprint, or effectively the provisional grid. This significantly reduces the excitement of qualifying, and it also reduces the value of being so fast around a single lap.

3. It slightly devalues the race. This is obviously a little controversial, and as crmalcolm says, all three Grands Prix after the sprint were great. But I feel the exciting British GP was in no way down to the sprint. The Monza race was, but only because Ricciardo was moved onto the front row and the Brazilian one gave Hamilton another chance. But I feel that the Monza example could very easily be reversed, on another day Hamilton might have messed up qualifying and given Ricciardo second on the grid, but then taken that from him in the sprint. And the Brazilian GP example is a random event, it rarely happens. So I am going to say that all of these were largely down to luck. Obviously, there are some examples of things that could happen that would massively have increased the excitement, such as if Hamilton and Verstappen had collided in the sprint and both had started at the back, but in all honestly this is extremely rare and I think drivers do tend to be slightly more careful in the sprint.
But the reason I think the sprint devalues the Grand Prix is partly because, it is essentially a race start, and the race start feels less special when there are two in a weekend. Obviously this is just an opinion, and I don't mind it during a red flag because that feels like there is a reason for it (I don't really like it when there is an unnecessary red flag that could easily be covered under the safety car just for the entertainment of another start such as Baku this year). This is, of course, highly subjective. I also think that around ten points will be awarded for it next season, and the idea of three sprints being worth more than a Grand Prix devalues the significance of a Grand Prix victory.

4. They are generally processional. The Silverstone was entertaining on the first lap, but that is because the first lap at Silverstone is always going to be exciting, and adding a second in the weekend just seems a bit pointless. After that, it became a procession. The Monza one was processional, and how I suspect most to go. The Brazilian GP sprint was the most exciting of the three, even without the random event of Hamilton starting last, and it made me more sympathetic towards the sprints, but I still don't feel it was as entertaining as the average Grand Prix. I think that as more sprints take place, they will become generally more processional as drivers realise they are better off not taking big risks in overtakes. For now, they are new, and the drivers are keen to go for it, but I think that will fade. The counter to this would be awarding more points, but I have already mentioned why I don't like that. The one thing I do like about the sprints is the fact that there is free tyre choice, and it is interesting to watch those on soft tyres getting ahead at the start then dropping back after. But this positive doesn't outweigh the negatives, and I have called for free tyre choice in the actual Grand Prix for years.

5. Some weekends are now worth more than others. With the exception of the double points in Abu Dhabi 2014 (the worst rule ever in Formula 1), no other seasons have had some F1 race weekends worth more than others. Yes, three points isn't much, but it still isn't nothing, and I suspect the number of points will increase. This just doesn't seem right to me.

So there is my reasoning. There are two main arguments I have seen in favour of the sprints. Firstly, that it's more entertaining than practice three, but I don't agree with this. It is also more entertaining than practice one and two, but I'm sure those who say this don't want three sprints per weekend, as it would reduce the value of each one. I feel that just one sprint reduces the value of the GP. Yes, this is subjective. And the second argument is that there is a key event on each day, and it is true that it is nice to have an important event on a Friday as well, but I don't feel that it is worth it due to the other arguments mentioned. And Ross Brawn has effectively said that the main reason this is important is that more people will turn up for Fridays at the races, so Liberty get more money.

I also think the way they have been introduced has been utterly disgraceful. Firstly, claiming that it was just a trial and would be evaluated at the end, but then bringing in a major sponsor before even the first one, then claiming there had been an 'overwhelmingly positive' response after the first one when actually had only a very slight majority. Then after the second, Brawn gave that awful interview where he said that the casual fans like it and they are more important from a financial perspective, so the sprints are staying. This has made me fear for the future, and the prospect of reversed grids and success ballast being introduced despite their current unpopularity with fans. I actually think Liberty are planning to increase the popularity of the sport as much as possible in the next decade through gimmicks, and then as soon as this starts to lose money for the sport, they will sell up.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

5. Some weekends are now worth more than others...

has this been brought up before? if it has of if you have then my bad for missing it.

anyways, despite being someone who likes the idea of playing around with race weekend formats, i must admit that on this point i do agree with you.

if they are so desperate to hand out more points/incentivize quali more, then give out points for every Saturday session regardless of whether or not it is a traditional quali or a sprint format or just do away with the extra points part altogether.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

anyways, despite being someone who likes the idea of playing around with race weekend formats, i must admit that on this point i do agree with you.

I think I'm right in saying that the title race would be closer if the sprint points were removed?

[S griffin]

To be fair, at least the extra points are awarded at classic GPs, so it’s not as bad as the double points final of 2014. Although I do agree they shouldn’t pick and choose which races should be worth more. Although I still think the sprint races should be worth more points than this year’s Belgian GP, but we won’t go there