Lewis Hamilton urges F1 caution over sprint future

Mercedes

Hamilton urges F1 caution over sprint future

The seven-time champion has thrown his support behind the format

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Wednesday 9 November 2022 05:00

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Lewis Hamilton has thrown his backing behind F1's sprint race expansion but has urged caution when selecting which tracks host the format.

The sport included three sprint weekends on the calendar this year after the same number of trials last season, with the final event of the current campaign coming up at the São Paulo Grand Prix.

The initiative has divided opinion in the paddock and within the F1 fanbase, with some enjoying the extra action on a weekend whilst others see past what they perceive as a gimmick.

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But that hasn't stopped an increase to six sprints for next season, with the venues for which to be revealed in due course.

Two-time world champion Max Verstappen is against the format, insisting the traditional weekend format should be the way to continue, but Hamilton sees the positives in the idea.

But providing a warning, the Mercedes driver said: "I think we have to be very selective of where we have the sprint races.

"We can look at the season and see where all the overtakes are and you can put the sprint races in those places.

"I personally prefer the Friday... I like the format, it is different.

"We have had the same Thursday to Sunday... it was supposed to be a three-day weekend and they changed it back to a four-day, but the race is not always the greatest but it does create a little bit more action.

"Sometimes, there is no overtaking so we should hopefully learn from the races where there has been no overtaking in sprint races and put them in places like Brazil that does create a lot more opportunity."

Giving his opinion of where a sprint should be placed, Hamilton added: "Somewhere like Baku, they are going to be the best places for overtaking.

"I am not against it as long as they are selective with where they are going to put it. If you put it in Monaco, for example, it would be the most ridiculous thing.

"I like we have something different. I do think we need to introduce something else for Monaco because you are just following the lead.

"Can we come up with something else for places like that where there are no overtaking opportunities? I don't know. I think there is more we can add into the weekends as well, but no more days."