Silverstone "totally up for" hosting F1 sprint race

Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle has said the circuit is "totally up for" hosting a Formula 1 sprint race this year.

In a recent meeting of the F1 Commission, talks were had over trialling a revised weekend format which would see qualifying moved to Friday, taking the place of practice two, and the vacant Saturday slot replaced by a sprint race - the result of which would set the final grid for Sunday's grand prix.

Unlike the previous proposal of reverse grid sprint races, this latest suggestion was met with positive noises from the 10 teams.

Asked by GPFans global if Silverstone would be supportive of hosting a sprint race, Pringle said: "Absolutely.

"If Formula 1 do decide that Silverstone is the right venue for a sprint race this year then we are totally up for that and feel it would be a superb spectacle for our British fans."

In an interview with the Daily Mail, F1 CEO Stenfano Domenicali appeared to confirm the British Grand Prix will be used to trial the revised format, a development Pringle did not comment on.

Domenicali said: "We are finalising the intricacies of it. For sure we do not want to take away the prestige of the Grand Prix itself. That will remain the climax of the weekend. We will have qualifying on Friday and then 'sprint qualifying' on Saturday.

"It will provide some meaningful action the day before the race. It will give fans, media and broadcasters more content. It will last about half an hour. There will be no podium celebration. That will wait until Sunday.

"But points will be awarded — how many is yet to be decided — towards the world championship and determine the grid for the race itself. What I can say is that Silverstone will hold a sprint race."

F1 has previously indicated it hopes to trial the format at three race weekends this year, with races in Italy, Canada and Brazil on the shortlist.

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