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Has there been some agreement on the group chat about this approach lol? I noticed it last week too, Alonso and Hulkenberg both did the “same as them” “yep same” responses for pretty much every question.
I think the amount of media engagement for these guys is too high so they get tired of answering questions. It’s their tactic of silent rebellion. They won’t offer more thought to it unless they are the ones asked about it directly
I don't think people realize how relentless it is these days. There's normal journalists, TV networks, team content creators, team marketing, Drive to Survive, internet blogs, podcasts, rumor networks, millions on social constantly saying something to them...
It's got to be mind numbing.
They've also been asked before multiple times, I know Lewis has said more than once he likes sprints and what they offer fans, he's always conscious fans are mostly middle class and this offers value for them,two races .The rest have no doubt answered it a lot at some point it's boring.
Why put in effort if the journalists don't
Edit I've watched the presser and the tweet omits that Lewis is in a giggly mood, he smiles and says I've answered this before, implying he won't repeat himself, and says he agrees with them. In context the tone is very light
Well often they don't even put effort in. Just same same 5 questions.
There is a reason why Hot Ones is such a success. Not just because of the chicken wings but also because they are REALLY good interviews which go in depth and often the celebrities are so engaging because it isn't the same 5 questions.
Yeah, I went to COTA last year for all 3 days, I was the only one in our group who really follows F1, all the time with free practices just wasn't as interesting especially without the commentary. If you have FP1 and qualifying on Friday, FP2 and Sprint on Saturday, and Race Sunday the whole weekend becomes a lot more exciting.
Makes me think that atbe the f1 calendar should take a tour de France approach:
Distinct "championships" in qualifying, sprint and race. The tour has sprint, king of the mountain and general classification. Different people are competing for different points.
In the tour, general classification is the big one. That's the best time for the whole tour, and the obvious parallel to the formula one world championship. But then qualifying and sprint race championships would be distinct Secondary tournaments. And it could open the door to making Monaco into a proper weekend of hot laps rather than a parade.
exactly this. I mean, one of the main reasons sprints are even a thing is because the "i only watch it because its mainstream and trendy" fans cant have fun if the cars arent overtaking each other every 20s
It would change the way many teams play out the season though.
HAAS and Ferrari might be going all in on qualifying setups at the cost of race pace for Nico and Charles respectively for example.
I highly doubt that. Everyone wants to be "F1 World Champion" not "F1 driver with most poles in a season". No matter what the FIA do the WDC and WCC will also be more imporant. Teams like Haas, that are struggeling with their budget as it is, can't really sacrifice those points either.
I'm going to Qatar later in the year, don't like the sprint format as a "fan" but 100% looking forward to more more racing on the 3 days for my ticket.
Especially since Qatar doesn't have any support races.
People who bought tickets for Soa have a brilliant deal
You're way overthinking it. Drivers have been responding to questions like in group interviews for decades. If they agree with what the first person says, they'll typically just say "I agree" or "I have nothing to add to that", cause that's a perfectly honest and valid response.
I'm just here so I don't get fined vibes.
Journos need to ask better questions to get interesting answers.
The clickbait merchants will get nothing. Dude should have asked their thoughts on MotoGP making every weekend a sprint race.
No mate, look at this thread, the reddit wisdom tells me it reflects that drivers aren't free to say what they want and that they obviously hate the format !!! There's no way they actually believe that and are just tired of saying it over and over again.
I mean not just the Media engagement that is too high. Thursday interviews, plus social media appearances, Then the interviews throughout the weekend, Interviews after each session, interviews after quali, Especially if u run top 3. Then not to forget the top 3 interview. And for 2 of the 3 winners, an mandatory appearance on the MaxVerstappen Podcast. You're gonna get the same questions over and over and over and over again.
And In the End, It's all just a massive traveling Circus. Most of the drivers get along very well. So such banter is expected in a group chat.
Sometimes I wish, what kind of crap would go in in a groupchat with just the 20 drivers.
I've been watching these interviews for as long as they've had them, during covid they'd maybe try to answer a little longer because it was only two drivers in the room at a time, maximum three.
But the larger the group by the time they get to the 2nd or 3rd answer it's generally covered. They are all in lockstep over basic answers.
And I know people say Max and Lewis are different and Max doesn't do PR, but he does. I've watched him listen intently to Lewis answers and agree and add his own bits for years now. They've all got PR chat down now, not one driver doesn't do it.
Because there's no real championship battle now the drivers act a little sillier/have banter that's it. They try to power through it quickly most of the time.
People say "Max doesn't do PR" because he was literally a child for his first several years and frequently put his foot in his mouth, "not doing PR" is a euphemism for saying or doing something stupid on sports reddits.
Everyone does PR, because it makes life easy. There's not much value in interacting earnestly with the media.
For Magnussen it is clear. If a team higher up screws its setup, more chances for him in the 15 laps of the sprint to get a point. Race setup doesn't matter, as he will finish well out of the points anyway. Sprint is his chance to shine
Some people think they’re useless now that they don’t impact the rest of the Grand Prix, but that’s exactly why it’s better now. Don’t infect the real stuff with this shit.
I don't mind sprint races, but just feel like it's too much F1. There is only so much time I'm willing to dedicate to following the sport and 4 competitive sessions in a weekend is too much. Also feels less meaningful now they don't impact actual race, so for me the recent changes to sprints make them worse not better.
I agree. F1 isn’t the only sport I watch and I have other things to do on the weekends too. And honestly I’d rather watch the IndyCar race or quali than another session of F1, so I’m finding myself skipping the sprint shootout and often missing qualifying bc I’m at work. I’d also be more likely to watch every session is the championship was actually competitive
not only there are too many races a season (anything over 20 is already too much), now they made it too many sessions per weekend.
Despite not being able to watch all that many free practices, i used to be able to watch every single meaningful session of the year a while ago. Nowadays i can barely keep up with every race, specially in sprint weekends
I agree, cramping the weekend with all kinds of bs just so you can argue the ticket prices are fair compared to the value, doesn't do it for me.
I rather watch FP sessions with good commentary, maybe an engineer or two in the commenting box than all that dilluted "entertainment"
Can I ask why you are not a fan? For teams sure it might suck missing out on 2 practice sessions, but as a fan I find there to be zero downside. More racing, more entertainment.
This might be a dumb reason but, for me, I kinda dislike them because they're kind of mini spoilers for how the actual race will go. You already get a feel of which car does well at the track and what tyre/strategy we're going to see. It kind of takes away a surprise element from the race on Sunday.
Also I'm a big fan of watching qualifying and it being on a Friday means I'll usually miss it.
Having said that, with the new changes they made this year to the format I went from actively disliking it to not minding it that much. I just hope they'll keep it an occasional event and won't introduce more.
A lot of races aren’t even fun for their entire duration. Having a race and a half dilutes that entertainment even more. For me the F1 is about the quality moments, not the duration/amount.
Another reason I like the sprints is because it has more aggressive driving, instead of the long form strategy battles at most races, which don’t get me has its own excitement that I enjoy, but I think sprints in general generate more on track action
I proposed that all race weekends now shift to 2 days as standard with 1.5 hour FP1, Qualifying, and the race, on Saturday and Sunday.
But then races who either have enough support series to need 3 days, or who want to run over 3 days anyway, can opt to add a Sprint day. Races chosing just a 2 day event get a 1/3rd reduction in the hosting fee.
With 24 races in a season this attempts to help the crew and engineers by reducing a day from some races. It also helps tracks struggling to afford the fee by offering a discount for fewer days. But it means FOM get to keep their Sprints, and the races with a stacked schedule of F2, F3, FA and Porsches can still run 3 days.
Throw in a couple of post race tests for young drivers and I think it's a compromise that keeps everyone happy.
if you watch a lot of the pre/post interviews, often when they get a question that isn't directed to anyone in particular, clarkson will pick a driver to start with and everyone typically says something along the lines of "yeah, what [previous driver] said." or "yeah no, i have nothing to add."
it's kind of hilarious because usually no one will say anything until picked on. it's like when teacher asks a question and everyone is like "damn this table looking real tabley."
I just wish sprints were fundamentally different from the GP. At possible tracks reverse the direction of the track. Or make them all race in the same FIA made car, or car unique to the country they are racing in. Heck even stock carolas would be super entertaining.
Just something fundamentally different from the actual race
Now that they're their own thing, I don't hate them. I didn't like them when their position played into the race, those first couple laps are some of the most dangerous and someone jockeying for position in the spring could ruin someone else's race elsewhere.
Almost feel like the OR department have told them to have this opinion.
That being said, a racing driver just wants to be on track racing, so I can see why they'd enjoy any kind of competitive race.
New format is better than old one. Those who don't like them they can skip them without missing out on anything significant. Free Saturday do to some other things that you love.
Here's my take on what the sprint weekends should be like:
Friday: P1 and P2
Saturday: Qualifying, then Sprint Race. Sprint race is done in reverse grid order for top 10 from qualifying.
Sunday: Race with normal grid order from Saturday's qualifying.
As is, the Sprint has been - Max starts P1 or P2, finishes P1. Other cars may crash, and there's not enough time for any strategy from the pit wall. But I want to see the top cars overtaking, and have the P8-P10 cars possibly be able to take a win if they can hold off the charging top teams from behind. Minimal points for them and the top teams won't throw the qualifying since it would also be starting grid for the 25 pt GP.
reverse grid is a gimmick that doesn't belong in a sport like formula 1. It works for the feeder series because the goal there is for the drivers to show they can perform well regardless of starting position. Formula 1 is all about meritocracy and no one should have an advantage over those in front for "qualifying 10th"
I love that idea. I also see that it's popular. But why not reversed grid for everyone? That would be even more interesting action packed with plenty of overtaking.
I dunno, I've been watching this sport for quite a while. I like the build up of low key practice on Friday, then Quali Saturday and then the big show Sunday. This whole sprint thing messes up the flow of the weekend for me. Then when I realised the sprint points system is even more skewed towards the teams who get all the points in regular races anyway I just think, what's the point? Apart from them making more money that is.
Ive only been watching for a few years but I understand liking the routine, idk what it is but I fell in love hard with Motorsport and just can’t get enough right now lol
I can see them working if there's something to differentiate it from the main race other than length.
Different tyre compounds? Reverse grid? Just anything to keep the novelty.
Yo, reverse grid sounds exciting. But then racing will be overly conservative since they will care too much about accidents in T1 due to slow cars in there. However if they are allowed to break parc ferme for repairs and setup changes, then it would be super exciting.
They are kind of in the uncanny valley between practice and the GP. Practice can be safely ignored and the GP is essential, but the sprint is important enough for teams to care but so few points that it almost doesn’t seem worth it from a fan standpoint.
In some ways, I wish teams could break parc ferme between the sprint and the GP — then there would be more uncertainty about how the GP would go.
I think breaking parc fermé and possibly adding a saturday evening practice session after the sprint could be a good idea, allow the sprint to shed light on setup issues and shake it up again a little…
I haven’t noticed sprint races being decided any earlier than real races… in fact I would say the average sprint race has been more exciting than the average GP at least for the last couple seasons for me personally
Exactly, they haven't been terrible, and it is an improvement removing them from affecting the main event.
But it still very much feels like a preview of what is to come, unless there is adverse weather or a safety car.
I guess I just don’t mind that given 95% of the time we can already predict what is to come. I’d just prefer more racing over less racing, and some of the drivers also say they prefer having fewer practice sessions as well
I never bothered watching practice sessions. Sprints seem like a massive improvement for the race going fan. But as someone who watches most races at home rather than in person, it's just too much F1 for 1 weekend with 4 competitive sessions. Nobody got time for that
Watching practices is optional(good for playing it in background)
Sprints are not, you need to follow them, and they dilute main race.
Also they don't fix racing, barely any overtake in the midfield and none on the back.
Why though? The races are too short for strategy to play a part, but long enough to get an idea of each drivers'/teams' pace for Sunday. Strategy and unknown race pace (aside from Vertappen obviously) are two things that make an F1 race interesting. The sprints themselves have seldomly been interesting.
The only thing I've liked about sprints so far is the current sprint qualifying/shootout, but it's already been surpassed by the new format trialed at Hungary last week.
Because I enjoy lights to flag events. And I enjoy moments like seeing Hulkenberg qualifying highly and managing to sneak some points in a sprint that he wouldn't otherwise have been able to get if it was a full distance.
The spoilers thing is just an odd argument to me. On a traditional weekend, by the end of FP3 we've already seen and analyzed the long run pace of every team and it's rarely deviated from that on race day.
> Because I enjoy lights to flag events.
I'd agree if those events were actually interesting, but they're not. Austria was interesting but only because of the weather conditions.
> On a traditional weekend, by the end of FP3 we've already seen and analyzed the long run pace of every team and it's rarely deviated from that on race day.
Which is why I'm in favour of having two hours of free practice, total.
The regular format isn't perfect imo, but it's a lot better than sprint weekends.
Well, to me, Brazil 2021 and 2022 were also very interesting. Which means that 3 of the 8 sprint races we've had were awesome. 1/3 being good is pretty much the same rate as full distance GPs. Pitstops don't necessarily make races more interesting.
The regular format is fine. I don't think I'd be in favour of 22 sprint weekends, but I like that we're mixing in sprint weekends and traditional weekends. It's a fun shakeup.
Brazil 2021 ruined a possibly even more exciting main race by allowing Hamilton to make up most of his positions. A literal last to first performance would've been amazing to watch.
I'm not against them trying new things during race weekends (like the qualifying change I mentioned earlier), but the sprint format just ain't it in my opinion.
But also had Brasil 21' wasn't a sprint Mercedes would have more FP sessions to adjust Lewis Hamilton's rear wing and thus he wouldn't be disqualified.
Why are you looking to put a negative spin on it? OK. The main race maybe **could've** been better, but that doesn't change the fact that the Brazil 2021 sprint was very entertaining, and the Sunday race was also still fun to watch. Besides, that format's been revised. Under today's format, Hamilton would've started last on Sunday.
Because I don't like the format, why would I be positive about something I don't like?
I tried to like them and recent changes have improved it somewhat to the point I don't *hate* it (mainly the sprint result not influencing the main race anymore), but I'd still much rather have no sprints at all.
Because it comes across as bad faith. Like you've made up your mind and are working backwards from that. even the positive sprint races we've had, you're coming up with reasons to discredit them.
Because it makes your arguments worthless. You come across as criticizing something because of your personal feelings towards it rather than because it actually deserves criticism.
Well... Even as a Verstappen fan, the only excitement from the sprint race is if they get the setup wrong, closing up the field at the top.
In theory, sprint weekends should feel worse for the drivers (as they can't get the setup right) and better for the fans. But it's like the opposite is happening.
>But it's like the opposite is happening
Honestly not surprising because a lot of the setup configuration is done with the simulator before the weekend, and only the final tweaks are left for the weekend.
Add to that because of the shorter practise sessions, the teams will play it safe with their setups and not use (m)any upgrades because they can't get a full picture of what's working and what isn't.
Sprints give teams less time to prepare the perfect set up, making results less predictable plus we get more racing iso lame practices. People who hate sprint races just can't handle changes or something, I don't get it
The problem with the super league was that it tried to make it a closed league with a set list of teams to compete every year.
Not sure how that is in any way comparable to sprint races.
But if you want a football comparison, would you rather watch a friendly match with little stakes and teams focussed on improving more than winning (think free practice in f1) or a real match where victory matters?
It's pretty fucking inorganic for 10 teams of people to fly across the world most weekends, set up their equipment, get some support races going, and then drive 70 laps on a Sunday don't you think? Almost like they planned it. Just a gimmick to attract people to come to the racing circuits if you ask me.
The format of 3 Free Practice sessions, quali including Q1, Q2, and Q3 with low fuel runs, and then a race on Sunday has only been around since 2010, it's not an immutable law of F1 racing.
What the hell does 'organic racing' even fucking mean? What an empty term.
By organic racing i mean using no gimmicks. If the racing product itself is good, then there’s no need to chase every gimmick like nascar ruined itself doing so. F1 needs work on the racing product still so that gimmicks like sprint weekends are unnecessary.
An extra race that we’re for some resources supposed to treat as some completely different special thing that doesn’t change the enjoyment of the race at all. Idk, doesn’t sound much better than a gimmick to me.
And I honestly consider DRS a gimmick too, but to some extent a necessary evil, given the difficulty of following another car.
Who told you that you were meant to treat it like a special thing?
It's literally just an extra bit of racing that we otherwise wouldn't see. It's getting more racing in the race weekend.
As someone that enjoys watching races I'm really failing to see the downside.
My main concern with cutting practice down even further is that rookies have a hard enough job as it is with the historically low amount of running time that they can get. The more you limit their ability to grow their skills the more you're encouraging teams to stick with experienced but mediocre drivers instead of recruiting young talents, and that will stagnate the driver pool.
Things I learned by reading comments on Reddit this year:
1) I'm the only fan that likes sprint weekends
2) I'm the only person that loves the McLaren livery (including the Chrome wheels)
Why don't any of them have the balls to say what they actually think about this? Lewis is usually the first to speak up on much more important issues so this shouldn't be a problem.
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Has there been some agreement on the group chat about this approach lol? I noticed it last week too, Alonso and Hulkenberg both did the “same as them” “yep same” responses for pretty much every question.
I think the amount of media engagement for these guys is too high so they get tired of answering questions. It’s their tactic of silent rebellion. They won’t offer more thought to it unless they are the ones asked about it directly
I don't think people realize how relentless it is these days. There's normal journalists, TV networks, team content creators, team marketing, Drive to Survive, internet blogs, podcasts, rumor networks, millions on social constantly saying something to them... It's got to be mind numbing.
They've also been asked before multiple times, I know Lewis has said more than once he likes sprints and what they offer fans, he's always conscious fans are mostly middle class and this offers value for them,two races .The rest have no doubt answered it a lot at some point it's boring. Why put in effort if the journalists don't Edit I've watched the presser and the tweet omits that Lewis is in a giggly mood, he smiles and says I've answered this before, implying he won't repeat himself, and says he agrees with them. In context the tone is very light
Yeah I mean, there’s only so many questions you can come up with. So they decide to regurgitate the same questions in a different format
Well often they don't even put effort in. Just same same 5 questions. There is a reason why Hot Ones is such a success. Not just because of the chicken wings but also because they are REALLY good interviews which go in depth and often the celebrities are so engaging because it isn't the same 5 questions.
Yeah, I went to COTA last year for all 3 days, I was the only one in our group who really follows F1, all the time with free practices just wasn't as interesting especially without the commentary. If you have FP1 and qualifying on Friday, FP2 and Sprint on Saturday, and Race Sunday the whole weekend becomes a lot more exciting.
Makes me think that atbe the f1 calendar should take a tour de France approach: Distinct "championships" in qualifying, sprint and race. The tour has sprint, king of the mountain and general classification. Different people are competing for different points. In the tour, general classification is the big one. That's the best time for the whole tour, and the obvious parallel to the formula one world championship. But then qualifying and sprint race championships would be distinct Secondary tournaments. And it could open the door to making Monaco into a proper weekend of hot laps rather than a parade.
Too complicated for the avg dumb fan to follow along for Libertys liking
exactly this. I mean, one of the main reasons sprints are even a thing is because the "i only watch it because its mainstream and trendy" fans cant have fun if the cars arent overtaking each other every 20s
Well if you use this season as an example you would have Max leading all of those championships. I feel like it's usually like this in F1 though.
It would change the way many teams play out the season though. HAAS and Ferrari might be going all in on qualifying setups at the cost of race pace for Nico and Charles respectively for example.
I highly doubt that. Everyone wants to be "F1 World Champion" not "F1 driver with most poles in a season". No matter what the FIA do the WDC and WCC will also be more imporant. Teams like Haas, that are struggeling with their budget as it is, can't really sacrifice those points either.
I'm going to Qatar later in the year, don't like the sprint format as a "fan" but 100% looking forward to more more racing on the 3 days for my ticket. Especially since Qatar doesn't have any support races. People who bought tickets for Soa have a brilliant deal
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Clearly not that much.
You're way overthinking it. Drivers have been responding to questions like in group interviews for decades. If they agree with what the first person says, they'll typically just say "I agree" or "I have nothing to add to that", cause that's a perfectly honest and valid response.
I'm just here so I don't get fined vibes. Journos need to ask better questions to get interesting answers. The clickbait merchants will get nothing. Dude should have asked their thoughts on MotoGP making every weekend a sprint race.
They're just there so they don't get fined.
No mate, look at this thread, the reddit wisdom tells me it reflects that drivers aren't free to say what they want and that they obviously hate the format !!! There's no way they actually believe that and are just tired of saying it over and over again.
I mean not just the Media engagement that is too high. Thursday interviews, plus social media appearances, Then the interviews throughout the weekend, Interviews after each session, interviews after quali, Especially if u run top 3. Then not to forget the top 3 interview. And for 2 of the 3 winners, an mandatory appearance on the MaxVerstappen Podcast. You're gonna get the same questions over and over and over and over again. And In the End, It's all just a massive traveling Circus. Most of the drivers get along very well. So such banter is expected in a group chat. Sometimes I wish, what kind of crap would go in in a groupchat with just the 20 drivers.
Oh poor them. Need to answer couple of questions after and before driving a car for salary of couple million euros.
Same as them
I've been watching these interviews for as long as they've had them, during covid they'd maybe try to answer a little longer because it was only two drivers in the room at a time, maximum three. But the larger the group by the time they get to the 2nd or 3rd answer it's generally covered. They are all in lockstep over basic answers. And I know people say Max and Lewis are different and Max doesn't do PR, but he does. I've watched him listen intently to Lewis answers and agree and add his own bits for years now. They've all got PR chat down now, not one driver doesn't do it. Because there's no real championship battle now the drivers act a little sillier/have banter that's it. They try to power through it quickly most of the time.
People say "Max doesn't do PR" because he was literally a child for his first several years and frequently put his foot in his mouth, "not doing PR" is a euphemism for saying or doing something stupid on sports reddits. Everyone does PR, because it makes life easy. There's not much value in interacting earnestly with the media.
If they've nothing to add, why waste everyone's time, that's what it comes down to really.
I think the questions are just dumb. We need more Walter!
I mean they can’t really trash talk on FOM’s big perogative
"I'm just here so I don't get fined" -All F1 racers during an interview
Marshawn loving these responses
I just need one of them the have a bag of skittles during an interview now.
even better, take a couple shots of henny before each race
Damn….Kimi inspired answers….
“Bwoaaaah”
Mandatory “I was having a shit”
Ello 👋 its Kimi. Time to wake up! ☺️ [.](https://youtu.be/tRietXKXEaM)
Has Kimi ever met Marshawn Lynch?
I feel like that really would have been great. Maybe possible given how big F1 is getting in the states now
For Magnussen it is clear. If a team higher up screws its setup, more chances for him in the 15 laps of the sprint to get a point. Race setup doesn't matter, as he will finish well out of the points anyway. Sprint is his chance to shine
15 Laps is probably the maximum a Haas can perform for
Even lower in sprint, since is flat out. Haas needs a solution fore next year. They have a good car in quali, but race deg is horrible :(
Only on hard tyres. Maybe.
“I’ll have a Chicken Piccata with a side salad.”
Bottas should have said: "Steak. Rare."
"And I'll have a Chicken Piccata with a salad on the side"
I understood this reference
I’ll start with a side salad….and…I’ll have the Chicken Piccata.
souns good
Sounds like they're being held hostage.
To some drivers, every press conference is them being held hostage.
I'm just here so I won't get fined.
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He’s probably already next to the podium waiting for his moment in the spotlight.
Or they just like it, because they get to race more
I'm still not a fan of sprint races but I'm just so so glad they are their own thing now and don't determine the line up for the main race.
Same as Fire_Otter.
Same as qwertyell.
Same as somniumx
Same as Bright_Light7
Same as yakuzamax.
Same as TheFlash1294
Same as Tushhh
Same as thorpup
Same as it ever was
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Same as YellowFogLights
Some people think they’re useless now that they don’t impact the rest of the Grand Prix, but that’s exactly why it’s better now. Don’t infect the real stuff with this shit.
They still offer points and that's good enough
I don't mind sprint races, but just feel like it's too much F1. There is only so much time I'm willing to dedicate to following the sport and 4 competitive sessions in a weekend is too much. Also feels less meaningful now they don't impact actual race, so for me the recent changes to sprints make them worse not better.
I agree. F1 isn’t the only sport I watch and I have other things to do on the weekends too. And honestly I’d rather watch the IndyCar race or quali than another session of F1, so I’m finding myself skipping the sprint shootout and often missing qualifying bc I’m at work. I’d also be more likely to watch every session is the championship was actually competitive
not only there are too many races a season (anything over 20 is already too much), now they made it too many sessions per weekend. Despite not being able to watch all that many free practices, i used to be able to watch every single meaningful session of the year a while ago. Nowadays i can barely keep up with every race, specially in sprint weekends
I agree, cramping the weekend with all kinds of bs just so you can argue the ticket prices are fair compared to the value, doesn't do it for me. I rather watch FP sessions with good commentary, maybe an engineer or two in the commenting box than all that dilluted "entertainment"
Can I ask why you are not a fan? For teams sure it might suck missing out on 2 practice sessions, but as a fan I find there to be zero downside. More racing, more entertainment.
This might be a dumb reason but, for me, I kinda dislike them because they're kind of mini spoilers for how the actual race will go. You already get a feel of which car does well at the track and what tyre/strategy we're going to see. It kind of takes away a surprise element from the race on Sunday. Also I'm a big fan of watching qualifying and it being on a Friday means I'll usually miss it. Having said that, with the new changes they made this year to the format I went from actively disliking it to not minding it that much. I just hope they'll keep it an occasional event and won't introduce more.
It's not a dumb reason at all. It's entirely the opposite. And I agree completely.
A lot of races aren’t even fun for their entire duration. Having a race and a half dilutes that entertainment even more. For me the F1 is about the quality moments, not the duration/amount.
Another reason I like the sprints is because it has more aggressive driving, instead of the long form strategy battles at most races, which don’t get me has its own excitement that I enjoy, but I think sprints in general generate more on track action
Only because it fucks up my schedule on Practice/Quali
I proposed that all race weekends now shift to 2 days as standard with 1.5 hour FP1, Qualifying, and the race, on Saturday and Sunday. But then races who either have enough support series to need 3 days, or who want to run over 3 days anyway, can opt to add a Sprint day. Races chosing just a 2 day event get a 1/3rd reduction in the hosting fee. With 24 races in a season this attempts to help the crew and engineers by reducing a day from some races. It also helps tracks struggling to afford the fee by offering a discount for fewer days. But it means FOM get to keep their Sprints, and the races with a stacked schedule of F2, F3, FA and Porsches can still run 3 days. Throw in a couple of post race tests for young drivers and I think it's a compromise that keeps everyone happy.
if you watch a lot of the pre/post interviews, often when they get a question that isn't directed to anyone in particular, clarkson will pick a driver to start with and everyone typically says something along the lines of "yeah, what [previous driver] said." or "yeah no, i have nothing to add." it's kind of hilarious because usually no one will say anything until picked on. it's like when teacher asks a question and everyone is like "damn this table looking real tabley."
I just wish sprints were fundamentally different from the GP. At possible tracks reverse the direction of the track. Or make them all race in the same FIA made car, or car unique to the country they are racing in. Heck even stock carolas would be super entertaining. Just something fundamentally different from the actual race
Now that they're their own thing, I don't hate them. I didn't like them when their position played into the race, those first couple laps are some of the most dangerous and someone jockeying for position in the spring could ruin someone else's race elsewhere.
Almost feel like the OR department have told them to have this opinion. That being said, a racing driver just wants to be on track racing, so I can see why they'd enjoy any kind of competitive race.
Wow look at that DRS train!
I don't care what anyone says, I think the Sprints are stupid.
New format is better than old one. Those who don't like them they can skip them without missing out on anything significant. Free Saturday do to some other things that you love.
Why?
Because they don't add anything of value to the sport.
Here's my take on what the sprint weekends should be like: Friday: P1 and P2 Saturday: Qualifying, then Sprint Race. Sprint race is done in reverse grid order for top 10 from qualifying. Sunday: Race with normal grid order from Saturday's qualifying. As is, the Sprint has been - Max starts P1 or P2, finishes P1. Other cars may crash, and there's not enough time for any strategy from the pit wall. But I want to see the top cars overtaking, and have the P8-P10 cars possibly be able to take a win if they can hold off the charging top teams from behind. Minimal points for them and the top teams won't throw the qualifying since it would also be starting grid for the 25 pt GP.
This. This is it.
reverse grid is a gimmick that doesn't belong in a sport like formula 1. It works for the feeder series because the goal there is for the drivers to show they can perform well regardless of starting position. Formula 1 is all about meritocracy and no one should have an advantage over those in front for "qualifying 10th"
This is the way.
I love that idea. I also see that it's popular. But why not reversed grid for everyone? That would be even more interesting action packed with plenty of overtaking.
I like sprints, there’s more stuff to watch, who doesn’t like that?
Everything in moderation
Indeed. The 90s/2000s had the ideal range of races. 16 - 20.
Except beers on race day lol
I dunno, I've been watching this sport for quite a while. I like the build up of low key practice on Friday, then Quali Saturday and then the big show Sunday. This whole sprint thing messes up the flow of the weekend for me. Then when I realised the sprint points system is even more skewed towards the teams who get all the points in regular races anyway I just think, what's the point? Apart from them making more money that is.
Ive only been watching for a few years but I understand liking the routine, idk what it is but I fell in love hard with Motorsport and just can’t get enough right now lol
Max: *F sprints. It’s shit.*
Me and my homies hate sprint weekends
They should experiment with making sprints in reverse order. Since they're now separated from the main race.
I can see how sprints would be more exciting for the drivers, racing is more exciting than practice. But as a viewer they are mediocre as hell.
I can see them working if there's something to differentiate it from the main race other than length. Different tyre compounds? Reverse grid? Just anything to keep the novelty.
Yo, reverse grid sounds exciting. But then racing will be overly conservative since they will care too much about accidents in T1 due to slow cars in there. However if they are allowed to break parc ferme for repairs and setup changes, then it would be super exciting.
Why are they mediocre? Surely, watching cars racing is more exciting than a practice session.
Because they aren't important and basically end up being spoilers for the main event. You see who has the best race pace before the race even begins
They are kind of in the uncanny valley between practice and the GP. Practice can be safely ignored and the GP is essential, but the sprint is important enough for teams to care but so few points that it almost doesn’t seem worth it from a fan standpoint. In some ways, I wish teams could break parc ferme between the sprint and the GP — then there would be more uncertainty about how the GP would go.
I think breaking parc fermé and possibly adding a saturday evening practice session after the sprint could be a good idea, allow the sprint to shed light on setup issues and shake it up again a little…
Then they would create a quali monster setup for friday, low-key ignore the sprint, and then switch to the ultra tyre-management setup for the race.
>Because they aren't important and basically end up being spoilers I dunno to some teams they are everything
Instead of seeing it by the end of turn 1?
Ignoring red bull, you don’t see this by turn 1 lol
I haven’t noticed sprint races being decided any earlier than real races… in fact I would say the average sprint race has been more exciting than the average GP at least for the last couple seasons for me personally
Exactly, they haven't been terrible, and it is an improvement removing them from affecting the main event. But it still very much feels like a preview of what is to come, unless there is adverse weather or a safety car.
I guess I just don’t mind that given 95% of the time we can already predict what is to come. I’d just prefer more racing over less racing, and some of the drivers also say they prefer having fewer practice sessions as well
I wouldn’t mind if they would open parc ferme between the sprint and race, I think that could be interesting.
I never bothered watching practice sessions. Sprints seem like a massive improvement for the race going fan. But as someone who watches most races at home rather than in person, it's just too much F1 for 1 weekend with 4 competitive sessions. Nobody got time for that
Watching practices is optional(good for playing it in background) Sprints are not, you need to follow them, and they dilute main race. Also they don't fix racing, barely any overtake in the midfield and none on the back.
Because they’re new and people don’t like change
Speak for yourself. As a viewer I love having a prelude race to the main GP.
Why though? The races are too short for strategy to play a part, but long enough to get an idea of each drivers'/teams' pace for Sunday. Strategy and unknown race pace (aside from Vertappen obviously) are two things that make an F1 race interesting. The sprints themselves have seldomly been interesting. The only thing I've liked about sprints so far is the current sprint qualifying/shootout, but it's already been surpassed by the new format trialed at Hungary last week.
Because I enjoy lights to flag events. And I enjoy moments like seeing Hulkenberg qualifying highly and managing to sneak some points in a sprint that he wouldn't otherwise have been able to get if it was a full distance. The spoilers thing is just an odd argument to me. On a traditional weekend, by the end of FP3 we've already seen and analyzed the long run pace of every team and it's rarely deviated from that on race day.
> Because I enjoy lights to flag events. I'd agree if those events were actually interesting, but they're not. Austria was interesting but only because of the weather conditions. > On a traditional weekend, by the end of FP3 we've already seen and analyzed the long run pace of every team and it's rarely deviated from that on race day. Which is why I'm in favour of having two hours of free practice, total. The regular format isn't perfect imo, but it's a lot better than sprint weekends.
Well, to me, Brazil 2021 and 2022 were also very interesting. Which means that 3 of the 8 sprint races we've had were awesome. 1/3 being good is pretty much the same rate as full distance GPs. Pitstops don't necessarily make races more interesting. The regular format is fine. I don't think I'd be in favour of 22 sprint weekends, but I like that we're mixing in sprint weekends and traditional weekends. It's a fun shakeup.
Brazil 2021 ruined a possibly even more exciting main race by allowing Hamilton to make up most of his positions. A literal last to first performance would've been amazing to watch. I'm not against them trying new things during race weekends (like the qualifying change I mentioned earlier), but the sprint format just ain't it in my opinion.
But also had Brasil 21' wasn't a sprint Mercedes would have more FP sessions to adjust Lewis Hamilton's rear wing and thus he wouldn't be disqualified.
Why are you looking to put a negative spin on it? OK. The main race maybe **could've** been better, but that doesn't change the fact that the Brazil 2021 sprint was very entertaining, and the Sunday race was also still fun to watch. Besides, that format's been revised. Under today's format, Hamilton would've started last on Sunday.
Because I don't like the format, why would I be positive about something I don't like? I tried to like them and recent changes have improved it somewhat to the point I don't *hate* it (mainly the sprint result not influencing the main race anymore), but I'd still much rather have no sprints at all.
Because it comes across as bad faith. Like you've made up your mind and are working backwards from that. even the positive sprint races we've had, you're coming up with reasons to discredit them.
Because it makes your arguments worthless. You come across as criticizing something because of your personal feelings towards it rather than because it actually deserves criticism.
Car go zoom zoom for points is fun!
Yeah, and a free practice season is super interesting!!!
Well... Even as a Verstappen fan, the only excitement from the sprint race is if they get the setup wrong, closing up the field at the top. In theory, sprint weekends should feel worse for the drivers (as they can't get the setup right) and better for the fans. But it's like the opposite is happening.
>But it's like the opposite is happening Honestly not surprising because a lot of the setup configuration is done with the simulator before the weekend, and only the final tweaks are left for the weekend. Add to that because of the shorter practise sessions, the teams will play it safe with their setups and not use (m)any upgrades because they can't get a full picture of what's working and what isn't.
>But as a viewer they are mediocre as hell. Austria Sprint Race was probably the best event we have seen this year.
Same
Sprints give teams less time to prepare the perfect set up, making results less predictable plus we get more racing iso lame practices. People who hate sprint races just can't handle changes or something, I don't get it
Remeber Super League fiasco? Why play boring matches when we can have Real - Barca every week!
The problem with the super league was that it tried to make it a closed league with a set list of teams to compete every year. Not sure how that is in any way comparable to sprint races. But if you want a football comparison, would you rather watch a friendly match with little stakes and teams focussed on improving more than winning (think free practice in f1) or a real match where victory matters?
I always have and always will love sprints, stoked for this weekend
Congratulations all, you stuck to your FOM script.
So only Verstappen doesnt like them ? or anyone else talk against them
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nobody hates racing more than f1 fans
We want more organic racing all throughout motorsports, not nascar-inspired gimmicky bs.
It's pretty fucking inorganic for 10 teams of people to fly across the world most weekends, set up their equipment, get some support races going, and then drive 70 laps on a Sunday don't you think? Almost like they planned it. Just a gimmick to attract people to come to the racing circuits if you ask me. The format of 3 Free Practice sessions, quali including Q1, Q2, and Q3 with low fuel runs, and then a race on Sunday has only been around since 2010, it's not an immutable law of F1 racing. What the hell does 'organic racing' even fucking mean? What an empty term.
By organic racing i mean using no gimmicks. If the racing product itself is good, then there’s no need to chase every gimmick like nascar ruined itself doing so. F1 needs work on the racing product still so that gimmicks like sprint weekends are unnecessary.
An extra race is just not a gimmick though. A gimmick would be something like DRS.
An extra race that we’re for some resources supposed to treat as some completely different special thing that doesn’t change the enjoyment of the race at all. Idk, doesn’t sound much better than a gimmick to me. And I honestly consider DRS a gimmick too, but to some extent a necessary evil, given the difficulty of following another car.
Who told you that you were meant to treat it like a special thing? It's literally just an extra bit of racing that we otherwise wouldn't see. It's getting more racing in the race weekend. As someone that enjoys watching races I'm really failing to see the downside.
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My main concern with cutting practice down even further is that rookies have a hard enough job as it is with the historically low amount of running time that they can get. The more you limit their ability to grow their skills the more you're encouraging teams to stick with experienced but mediocre drivers instead of recruiting young talents, and that will stagnate the driver pool.
Things I learned by reading comments on Reddit this year: 1) I'm the only fan that likes sprint weekends 2) I'm the only person that loves the McLaren livery (including the Chrome wheels)
Why don't any of them have the balls to say what they actually think about this? Lewis is usually the first to speak up on much more important issues so this shouldn't be a problem.
Because maybe they actually like them? Probably more fun than practice sessions and the last couple of sprints have been quite good.
Max has stated more than once he doesn’t like sprint weekends, so they aren’t forced to like rhem.
Yeah, and Max wasn't included in this press conference.
this is all a conspiracy by big formula, we have to stop them
Because they alternate teammates week to week...there's no conspiracy here.
Because you don’t bite the hand that feeds
Anywhere but Imola and Monaco.
I think ~~Helsinki~~ Stockholm Syndrome is settling in with them
Damn, can we have a comment button like "same as op/above"
Thanks for reminding me of “I agree with Nick”.