“It’s in their nature”: Comments on the new racing format

Sebastian Vettel & Co. should live out their urge to play in Silverstone. With the first-ever experiment with sprinting at the British Grand Prix weekend, Formula 1 is hoping for more full-throttle action. “Racers compete against each other with shopping carts in a supermarket parking lot. It's in their nature that they want to beat each other, and there's nothing worse for them than being beaten by someone," said Formula 1 sports director Ross Brawn about the drivers' horsepower soul and spoke against the skepticism format.

Formula 1 is trying something out - and is hoping for a lot from it, ideally three highlights for the three Grand Prix days. The usual qualification with the three knockout rounds takes place in Silverstone on Friday (19.00 p.m.). The result of this one-hour session is the basis for the sprint setup the following day.

The new mini-event on Saturday (17.30 p.m.) is a race over 100 kilometers, which corresponds to 17 laps on the traditional course in England. The Formula 25 test managers are hoping for 30 to 1 minutes of spectacle with free choice of tires and without strategic help from the command post. New format also brings with it World Cup points The sprint winner gets three points, the second two, and the third one more point. The result of this overture also determines the starting grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday (16.00 p.m.). “We have to involve the fans and make sure we have a race that really excites them,” appealed Brawn. Ross Brawn draws a positive interim conclusion. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / CLIVE MASON

The Formula 1 strategist wants to test the Sprint's marketability twice more this year. A decision should then be made as to whether he will be taken over permanently. There should be no sprints on every Formula 1 weekend. After all, it's about exclusivity that the organizers should pay for. The jewels of the Formula 1 weekends are the races on Sunday.

Newcomer Mick Schumacher knows the sprint races well from his Formula 2 days, where they are part of the standard program. “This will definitely be interesting,” said the Haas driver. “This is a new format, maybe it’s even easier for us because we have to get used to so many new things anyway.” Schedule becomes tighter, workload increases Vettel pointed out the increased workload. Since qualification follows the opening training session on Friday, there is little time for optimal coordination. In the final training on Saturday, the pilots have to collect data for the long-haul journey. Mistakes are forbidden! Will last year's winner Hamilton also be able to convince in the sprint? © APA/afp / BRYN LENNON

“The whole weekend will be more intense,” said Aston Martin man Vettel. “You have less time to prepare. You have to find your final setup very quickly after being on the track for the first time. But it will be the same for everyone.”

Record world champion Lewis Hamilton at least welcomes the pioneering spirit in Formula 1. “I have always said that we need a different format on some tracks over the course of the year,” remarked the Mercedes driver. “Hopefully the sport will learn a lot from these experimental weekends about how we can run better races in the future.”

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“It’s in their nature”: Comments on the new racing format

Race Sunday is not enough. The Formula 1 bosses think so and want to show a pioneering spirit. That's why there's a new mini-event at Silverstone this Saturday: the sprint. The drivers' workload is increasing. So what's the point of the experiment?

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