Brundle demands drastic F1 change with drivers divided

Cal Gaunt
Tuesday 24 October 2023 14:57 - Updated: 19:59

Martin Brundle has called for a change in the format of Formula 1's sprint weekends, believing they failed to add excitement to the United States Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen has been openly against sprint weekends in recent times, while others like Lewis Hamilton have had a more positive view of them.

In the current format, drivers have just one hour of practice on Friday before immediately heading into qualifying a few hours later.

It has been suggested that this limited practice time may have hindered teams from gathering sufficient data at the United States Grand Prix, leading to disqualifications for Hamilton and Charles Leclerc due to their cars running too low.

Sprint weekend pressure

Now, Brundle has insisted that F1 bosses should change the format ahead of the 2024 season.

"There's no doubt that the sprint format events put the teams under a lot of pressure and overall, we don't get particularly positive feedback from them," he wrote in his column for Sky Sports.

"With just one practice session before the specification and set-up is locked in by Parc Fermė rules, especially at a relatively unknown circuit like Lusail in Qatar, or a bumpy circuit such as COTA in Austin, this leaves them underprepared, which is far from ideal with such complex cars.

"With two qualifying sessions and two races to come, some drivers were consigned to a difficult car for the rest of the weekend [after practice on Friday].

"This is not ideal or necessary, and while I don't like us to keep messing with the format, we must make some changes for next season and beyond. It's too much of a lottery which has far-reaching consequences."

Verstappen, who has emerged victorious in three out of the five sprint races this season, has been open about his dislike for the divisive format.

In contrast, seven-time world champion Hamilton appears to have adopted a contrasting view, having described the shorter races as "fun".

READ MORE: Verstappen keeps Hamilton at bay as Mercedes hit with US sprint penalty