Reigning Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen has said the proposed changes to Sprint weekends are “more logical” amid his
In 2023, F1 expanded Sprints from three to six and changed the format with Friday practices ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix Qualifying and Saturday Sprint Shootout Qualifying. Recently, the F1 Commission proposed moving the Sprint qualifying to Friday after the opening practice and starting Saturday with the Sprint race, followed by Grand Prix qualifying. Verstappen finds the new format more logical but is not particularly excited about it. Parc ferme rules will allow setup tweaks between Sprint and Grand Prix Qualifying, a significant change from 2023. The changes are in response to the disqualification of Hamilton and Leclerc in Austin due to plank wear, sparking debate on the need for Sprint formats. Verstappen remains critical of Sprints, advocating for stability in rules and a focus on competitive racing over format changes. The new Sprint format proposal will be presented to the World Motorsport Council on February 28, with Sprints scheduled for China, Miami, Austria, COTA, Brazil, and Qatar in 2024.
