‘It’s not really a race’: Max Verstappen slams F1 sprints ahead of the Grand Prix in Brazil insisting ‘not much happens’… despite his attempt to make it a hat-trick of victories at them this season at Interlagos
- Max Verstappen has said he does not think Saturday sprints are ‘really a race’
- F1 introduced the concept last season, and the Dutch driver has been successful
- However, he thinks drivers don’t take risks with the main event held on Sunday
- Sprints will be held six times next season, at a quarter of 2023’s race weekends
Max Verstappen has criticised F1’s dalliance with Saturday sprint races ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The two-time champion has won both of the dashes this season, going into this weekend’s prelude to race day at Interlagos.
But Verstappen said they were more about damage limitation for himself, because they ‘aren’t really a race’. The first eight drivers earn points under the format, which also confirms Sunday’s starting grid.
F1 are obviously fans of sprints, with a quarter of race weekends next season set to include them. However, the Dutch driver reckons that there is no need to take risks with the main event the following day.
Max Verstappen is not a fan of the F1 sprint races that take place on certain race weekends
‘Every time I do these [sprint] races, it’s about “don’t get damage, make sure you stay in the top three”, Verstappen said.
‘For me, that’s not really a race, because you go into the main race and you know there are way more points available anyway, you just risk a bit more there.
‘You do another start, which is exciting, but it’s only really people who are out of position that move forward because only you put a tyre on that just lasts a whole stint and not much happens.’
The Red Bull star won the first ever sprint race at Silverstone last year, as well as conquering both Saturday dashes during the 2022 campaign so far in Imola and Austria.
The Dutch champion has won both of the sprint races held in the 2022 season so far
Despite these successes, Verstappen said the extra race is not necessary, because of the brilliance of the full-length GPs on the Sunday.
‘I don’t understand what the problem is for that, because we’ve had so many exciting races, so you don’t need to add one-third of a race distance,’ the said.
‘Everyone is so careful anyway, because if you are fighting for third and you have a little touch and you drop to last, you know your Sunday is going to be tough. Probably you won’t risk it, so that’s not really a race.’
After the fight to the finish to clinch last season’s title, Verstappen has dominated throughout 2022, and secured the World Drivers’ Championship for the second time at the Japanese Grand Prix last month.
Verstappen, with girlfriend Kelly Piquet, sealed his second’s driver’s title last month in Japan
