Former team owner pleads with F1 to BAN fan-favorite feature

A top Formula 1 pundit has suggested one way in which a key element of Formula 1 weekends could be improved for fans of the sport.

The comments come in the wake of last weekend's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, won by Max Verstappen, after the Red Bull star held off a fierce late challenge by recent first-time race-winner Lando Norris in the closing stages to take the chequered flag.

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It was the first race weekend since Round 4 in Japan which didn't include a sprint race, and instead followed the conventional process of practice and qualifying before Sunday's grand prix.

First introduced at the British Grand Prix in 2021, sprint races have become a regular feature on the F1 calendar, with four more set to take place this season, following on from the two which have already taken place in China and Miami.

"I hate sprint races, I think they’re awful," he said. "They should be banned with immediate effect.

"However, if we’re going to keep them, can the sprint races please be kept for young drivers who have not completed 10 grands prix.?

"Give young drivers like this the chance to compete against themselves so we, the fans, can see what’s about to unfold to us in the future, see what the potential is, give the guys a chance.

"Those who are racing every weekend in karting, Formula 4, or whatever Formula it is, at least give them the belief that they have a chance of making Formula 1.

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