Max Verstappen delivers damning F1 sprint verdict

F1 Sprint - Max Verstappen

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Verstappen delivers damning F1 sprint verdict

Red Bull driver is far from a fan of the format

Sam Hall & Ian Parkes

Thursday 8 December 2022 09:50

Max Verstappen has delivered a damning indictment of F1 sprint races.

The sport confirmed on Wednesday the six circuits that will stage the 100km events in 2023, yet the races are far from the liking of the two-time champion.

Although the points on offer at the three races this year were increased in a bid to encourage more overtaking, drivers widely continued to question the risk-versus-reward aspect given the expensive nature of an error spilling over into a grand prix.

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Verstappen has never enjoyed the sprint since their introduction, making his feelings plain again prior to the final event of 2022 at Interlagos last month.

"Honestly, I'm just not a big fan of it," he said.

"I feel like we don't really race because there are a few points that you get but you also know that you can't really risk it because the main race is where you really get the points.

"You don't do a pitstop so you just put on the tyre which will last the distance.

"With these cars probably the racing is a little bit better but overall you don't really see a lot of overtaking unless there's a car out of position. So it's not really that fun for me."

Verstappen finds positive in sprint weekend

Conceding there are others that may appreciate and enjoy the format, Verstappen added there are positives to the changed format.

"Of course, everyone has their own opinion, right?" added Verstappen. "Just for me, it's not that fun.

"I do like the one practice and then straight into qualifying. I don't mind that because it's less practice for everyone to get fully up to speed and you need to really nail the setup, so that's okay.

"But I always feel that when I go into a sprint race, you're not really risking a lot and just wanting to play safe."