Red Bull chief hits out at own team's race format

Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has admitted that he is not a huge fan of the sprint races, despite it being a key feature of the Austrian Grand Prix, which is organised by the current constructors' championship leaders.

Writing for Speedweek,com, Marko outlined his reservations about the sprint format, stating that while they provide a 'bonus for the spectators', they often take some of the gloss off the main event.

“Red Bull organises the Austrian Grand Prix," wrote the Austrian. "It is simply a bonus for the spectators and therefore for the organiser that the fans are offered a qualifying on Friday and a race on Saturday.

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Marko: As a racing fan, no to Sprint

“These two days are therefore easier to market than the classic weekend format. That's the commercial side.

“On the sporting side, I'm more of a fan of the traditional process because a sprint takes something away from the main event. In addition, because the competitors only have one free practice session, the coordination can be wrong, as happened to us two years ago in Brazil.

“With the regulations at the time, under which hardly any changes to the car were allowed, a race was as good as lost. Conclusion on the sprint: as an organiser yes, as a racing fan no.”

The Austrian Grand Prix takes place over the weekend of June 28-30 at the Red Bull Ring, and will host one of six sprint races spread across the 2024 season.

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