Sprint races approved and happening in 2021. Balls.

[Circuitmaster]

Bottom post of the previous page:

I'll give it a go. From experience, F1 teams react to changes like this pretty much as you all have in the posts above.. so I reckon they'll be pretty uneventful 'races'.

[Michael Ferner]

I might watch it. It's short, and I take it there will be no pit stops, so much better than watching a full GP. For those watching the full GP, maybe you'll start liking the concept after one of the fast ones retires early in the Q race and will have to start the GP from the back?

[White six]

Yep, get over it you fannies!

[MonteCristo]

I'll give it a go. From experience, F1 teams react to changes like this pretty much as you all have in the posts above.. so I reckon they'll be pretty uneventful 'races'.

It'll be a race to the first corner.

Not worth the risk beyond that unless you're a Hamilton behind a Mazespin. In which case, it's like taking candy from a baby anyway.

[Aty]

Should there be an accident and equipment ends in shambles (Bottas v. Russell), how much spare parts a team needs to drag with them around globe, and all of it under budgetary constrains? Especially if there are races in two consecutive weekends?

Working whole night to have a replacement racer ready without having any chance to validate the overnight assembled vehicle, then they will go into a race, and suffer perhaps some more (especially if a reserve driver needs to jump in)?

More I think about curious logistics, reliability strain under increased number of races, new accrued expenses, etc. From 30000 ft I am lost over way how current F1 management thinks (assuming they do at all).

[MonteCristo]

I've also wondered what they'll do with gearbox/engine reliability. I assume the average car does under 100km in a practice session.

[Kai-Star]

It seems like they just want more eyeballs watching on Fridays and Saturdays. The only part that really annoys me is that we now need a new category for this Sprint Qualifying Race in the statistics column. A Saturday race winner is not a 'race' winner.

[Vassago]

It seems like they just want more eyeballs watching on Fridays and Saturdays. The only part that really annoys me is that we now need a new category for this Sprint Qualifying Race in the statistics column. A Saturday race winner is not a 'race' winner.

No need for a new category. Saturday race winner will be counted in the pole positions standings?

Btw, does anyone remember 1959 German Grand Prix was held in two heats? Tony Brooks won both but of course it's only counted as one GP victory.

[Michkov]

That was tyre related iirc, with the powers that were worrying about the high speeds stressing the tyres beyond their limits. With no scheduled stops in F1 they ran it as two heats. Took only 46 years to see they were right to worry about tyres and high speed banking.

[Aty]

https://www.grandprix.com/features/stra ... ender.html

Interesting thoughts, and somewhat more substantive discussion about sprint races. (Essential reading, methinks).

[MonteCristo]

https://www.grandprix.com/features/stra ... ender.html

Interesting thoughts, and somewhat more substantive discussion about sprint races. (Essential reading, methinks).

With the cars already under Parc Fermé rules, and only one set of tyres available per driver, you won't be able to try new set-ups for the two races, so you'll be just using precious Power Unit and gearbox mileage during those 60 minutes without getting any benefit.

Ouch.

[Michael Ferner]

Confused ramblings.

[Aty]

Confused ramblings.

Elaborate, please.

[Picci]

I keep thinking they’ve got this the wrong way round. The real race should happen before the sprint race, not after. If you have the sprint before, then drivers and teams will work conservatively to make sure they’ve got their car intact for Sunday. The top teams could technically end up colluding and agreeing not to pass each other so that they can get to Sunday without issues. The few points at stake also don’t make it very worthwhile. If they are let loose and we sprint on the Sunday, like in F2, then there would be a “nothing to lose” element in it because the main race’s already been done.

[John]

This is F1 fixing things that aren't broken in the first place. I'm not crazy about this but I'll reserve judgement for now.

[Mawerick]

The top teams could technically end up colluding and agreeing not to pass each other so that they can get to Sunday without issues.

This is true. However, it would create an opportunity for backmarkers to go hell-bent for leather and score some points.