10 Sprint races in 2027
10 Sprint races in 2027
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Discussion

ghuk

Original Poster:

105 posts

178 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
I see that F1 will hold 10 sprint races in 2027, one of them being at Monaco.

Does anyone know why they are actually considering this? To me it makes very little sense unless the track is being significantly altered, or it's simply just another way to rake in additional cash during the weekend......

ajm_ph

1,578 posts

105 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
I saw the same thing, and had the same immediate reaction as you. What on earth is the point of a sprint race at a track where you can't race?
What has been suggested is that it allows them to have 2 qualifying sessions at Monaco, and since qualifying is the only thing worth watching that might be what they were thinking. The sprint "race" is really just an excuse for a 2nd qualy session.

LM240

5,708 posts

248 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
For me the sprint hasn’t really added anything (other than some more F1 action to watch over the weekend). It is simply a shorter Grand Prix due the fact there isn’t any different variable involved. Cars are lighter, but they all are. Tyres the same.

The idea this was going to be a spicier action packed ‘sprint’ wasn’t ever going to work.

The other big negative is that it usually spells out what you’re going to watch on the Sunday and the teams better understand the deployment and tyre performance, further removing other variables.

I can’t say I want artificial things like random or reversed grids either.

More track action at Monaco, but it isn’t going to be somehow an amazing race in sprint format.

reggie747

295 posts

157 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
ghuk said:
Does anyone know why they are actually considering this? or it's simply just another way to rake in additional cash during the weekend......
The last sentence is the reason. The article you read states just that.

ajm_ph

1,578 posts

105 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
I largely agree regarding the sprints in general. It's more time with F1 cars racing on track, and that's a good thing. But any suggestion that it would be somehow harder racing because they are driving flat out over a shorter distance hasn't really played out. I don't find myself getting more excited about sprint weekends TBH.

As suggested, it's just a commercial decision. Sell more tickets on Friday as now it's a competitive session, sell more tickets on Saturday as now that's two competitive sessions. Almost nobody watches practice, so sprint qualifying and the sprint means more viewers, which means more advertising revenue.

reggie747

295 posts

157 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
ghuk said:
Does anyone know why they are actually considering this? or it's simply just another way to rake in additional cash during the weekend......
The last sentence is the reason. The article you read states just that.

Dermot O'Logical

3,766 posts

159 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
ajm_ph said:
I largely agree regarding the sprints in general. It's more time with F1 cars racing on track, and that's a good thing. But any suggestion that it would be somehow harder racing because they are driving flat out over a shorter distance hasn't really played out. I don't find myself getting more excited about sprint weekends TBH.

As suggested, it's just a commercial decision. Sell more tickets on Friday as now it's a competitive session, sell more tickets on Saturday as now that's two competitive sessions. Almost nobody watches practice, so sprint qualifying and the sprint means more viewers, which means more advertising revenue.
I feel the same - it's another step towards F1 becoming all about "the show".

We already have banked corners, how much longer before the FIA decide to put in a "loop the loop" to "spice up the show"?

That back straight in China would be ideal. Then they could give the cars names, and have the drivers dress up as plumbers or gorillas...

RacingStripes

1,228 posts

60 months

Wednesday 16th September
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No idea why people complain about sprint races. What kind of wierd person would prefer tp watch 3 practice sessions rather than an extra quali and race, wether they turn out to be good ones or not.

StevieBee

15,337 posts

285 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
RacingStripes said:
No idea why people complain about sprint races. What kind of wierd person would prefer tp watch 3 practice sessions rather than an extra quali and race, whether they turn out to be good ones or not.
Exactly this. They add additional intrigue, excitement and jeopardy.

Sheetmaself

6,123 posts

228 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
One qualifying session for main race.

One reverse championship one lap qualifying session for sprint race.

Reverse grid for all positions for the sprint race

Points for both races to be distributed to all classified finishers

I think this would make it fun.

hondajack85

1,711 posts

29 months

Wednesday 16th September
quotequote all
Monoco seems weird till you think everything bar the quali is usually boring so why not change the usual routine, with 2 lots of quali.

Sandpit Steve

15,152 posts

104 months

Thursday 17th September
quotequote all
hondajack85 said:
Monoco seems weird till you think everything bar the quali is usually boring so why not change the usual routine, with 2 lots of quali.
Yes Monaco is actually the one circuit where the Sprint format will work. Two qualifying sessions!

Usually the track gets a lot quicker on Friday and Saturday as the rubber goes down, but just the one hour of practice before sprint qualifying should make things a little more interesting. The sprint race itself only needs to be two laps though, because the running order at the end of L2 will be the running order at the end, and they’ll all be well off the pace to keep it safe and not bin it ahead of the GP qualifying later on Saturday.

Feel sorry for any rookies though, it’s going to be a brutal introduction to the place in the F1 car.

TikTak

3,081 posts

49 months

Thursday 17th September
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Same as others really. I don't dislike the sprint weekends but the sprint races are just a mild GP with nothing to really spice it up.

As for the tracks they select, well it seems to rotate so it was only a matter of time before Monaco got it. Might be interesting for quali but both races will be terrible. It just makes it more likely someone is going to to miss out with traffic or a flag with extra competitive sessions.

thegreenhell

23,995 posts

249 months

Thursday 17th September
quotequote all
StevieBee said:
RacingStripes said:
No idea why people complain about sprint races. What kind of wierd person would prefer tp watch 3 practice sessions rather than an extra quali and race, whether they turn out to be good ones or not.
Exactly this. They add additional intrigue, excitement and jeopardy.
Any additional intrigue, excitement and jeopardy in the Sprints is usually extracted from the Grand Prix. Have we ever seen an exciting GP on a Sprint weekend?

34 races is just too many for me. I've already stopped watching all of the them live. I don't have the time, and the dopamine hit is too diluted now. There is no building anticipation when it's a race every week, and now two races most weeks. It's becoming a grind.

Zetec-S

6,898 posts

123 months

Thursday 17th September
quotequote all
Sandpit Steve said:
hondajack85 said:
Monoco seems weird till you think everything bar the quali is usually boring so why not change the usual routine, with 2 lots of quali.
Yes Monaco is actually the one circuit where the Sprint format will work. Two qualifying sessions!

Usually the track gets a lot quicker on Friday and Saturday as the rubber goes down, but just the one hour of practice before sprint qualifying should make things a little more interesting. The sprint race itself only needs to be two laps though, because the running order at the end of L2 will be the running order at the end, and they ll all be well off the pace to keep it safe and not bin it ahead of the GP qualifying later on Saturday.

Feel sorry for any rookies though, it s going to be a brutal introduction to the place in the F1 car.
Yep, 2 qualifying sessions is the draw, and without the jeopardy of pit stops then 2 laps is all that's required in the sprint.

ajm_ph

1,578 posts

105 months

Thursday 17th September
quotequote all
Sandpit Steve said:
The sprint race itself only needs to be two laps though, because the running order at the end of L2 will be the running order at the end, and they ll all be well off the pace to keep it safe and not bin it ahead of the GP qualifying later on Saturday.
100% agree with this. Everyone will be on a tyre that will comfortably last to the end, there will be no pit stops and no differing tyre strategy, and nobody will risk breaking the car before the real qualifying session for the sake of 1 point. Everything after lap 2 will just be a waste of everyone's time.

stemll

5,584 posts

230 months

Thursday 17th September
quotequote all
Sheetmaself said:
One qualifying session for main race.

One reverse championship one lap qualifying session for sprint race.

Reverse grid for all positions for the sprint race

Points for both races to be distributed to all classified finishers

I think this would make it fun.
Reverse grids. Surely that just means that everyone will try to be slowest in qualifying so they start on pole? That would be gripping.

Sandpit Steve

15,152 posts

104 months

Thursday 17th September
quotequote all
stemll said:
Sheetmaself said:
One qualifying session for main race.

One reverse championship one lap qualifying session for sprint race.

Reverse grid for all positions for the sprint race

Points for both races to be distributed to all classified finishers

I think this would make it fun.
Reverse grids. Surely that just means that everyone will try to be slowest in qualifying so they start on pole? That would be gripping.
If you’re doing reverse grid, it needs to be basked either on GP qualifying order or championship order, neither of which give you the second qualifying session that’s the whole point of the exercise!

thegreenhell

23,995 posts

249 months

Thursday 17th September
quotequote all
Sandpit Steve said:
stemll said:
Sheetmaself said:
One qualifying session for main race.

One reverse championship one lap qualifying session for sprint race.

Reverse grid for all positions for the sprint race

Points for both races to be distributed to all classified finishers

I think this would make it fun.
Reverse grids. Surely that just means that everyone will try to be slowest in qualifying so they start on pole? That would be gripping.
If you re doing reverse grid, it needs to be basked either on GP qualifying order or championship order, neither of which give you the second qualifying session that s the whole point of the exercise!
Or award points for qualifying so they still try to qualify fastest, which then becomes last. Half the points for qualifying, half the points for the race. So to get maximum points they have to qualify fastest and then win the race from the back of the grid.

ajm_ph

1,578 posts

105 months

Thursday 17th September
quotequote all
thegreenhell said:
Sandpit Steve said:
stemll said:
Sheetmaself said:
One qualifying session for main race.

One reverse championship one lap qualifying session for sprint race.

Reverse grid for all positions for the sprint race

Points for both races to be distributed to all classified finishers

I think this would make it fun.
Reverse grids. Surely that just means that everyone will try to be slowest in qualifying so they start on pole? That would be gripping.
If you re doing reverse grid, it needs to be basked either on GP qualifying order or championship order, neither of which give you the second qualifying session that s the whole point of the exercise!
Or award points for qualifying so they still try to qualify fastest, which then becomes last. Half the points for qualifying, half the points for the race. So to get maximum points they have to qualify fastest and then win the race from the back of the grid.
While we are at it why not an egg an spoon race on the Thursday, and half the sprint races they need to drive one-handed, the other half they do it wearing flippers.