Formula One fans are expecting that the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix weekend will include an additional sprint race. It will be the third such event this season, following China and Miami. While some people love the sprints, others consider them to be fillers, taking away from the excitement of the Grand Prix. Which view is more prevalent among both fans and drivers?
For those not fully immersed in the world of Formula One, a sprint race might be a foreign concept. It is an additional race held during a Grand Prix weekend, taking place on a Saturday. Its appearance changes the structure of the weekend. Two of the three practice sessions are exchanged for sprint qualifying and then the sprint itself.
What characterizes sprints is their brevity. They cover around 100km, which is about a third of Sunday’s race. Without interruptions, they last around 30 minutes. There are no mandatory pit stops to be performed over the short distance, but teams are allowed to change tires if they decide it could be beneficial. The winner gets eight points added to their championship tally. Other drivers from the top eight get progressively less. So, the second driver adds seven points to his total, the third six, and so on.
There are six sprint races planned for the 2025 season. The two that have already taken place have proven that, while they can be useful for predicting the outcome of Sunday’s Grand Prix, more often than not, they are a completely separate competition.
Many fans claim that sprint weekends are better than the ‘regular’ racing events. They offer a better deal for those who purchased tickets to a Grand Prix weekend, as they provide double the racing action. For that reason, they are also generally liked by fans watching at home.
Due to their different structures, they can provide an excellent opportunity for ‘outliers’ to score at least one or two points for their teams. It’s also an additional chance for teams to try a more experimental setup in racing conditions and gather more data for Sunday’s main event.
However, the sprints also have an uglier side. For one thing, they require a lot of additional work from everyone involved in the sport. From the drivers, through the mechanics, to the journalists, everyone has to put in double the effort for one Grand Prix weekend.
The second issue was outlined by the reigning World Champion, Max Verstappen. He stated multiple times that he believes that they don’t add much to the Grand Prix weekends, and instead take away from the general excitement over a race.
“And besides that, like now we’ve done this [sprint] race, everyone more or less knows what’s going to happen tomorrow between all the cars in terms of pace, so it takes away a bit the excitement of it.” (Max Verstappen winning the sprint race during the 2023 Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas)
The question remains: are the sprints a good addition? In general, it seems that the more casual fans enjoy them, while those who delve deeper into the sport tend to hold the opposite opinion. No matter which group prevails, the sprints are here to stay. They generate a significant amount of additional income and publicity for the organisers. And if there is one thing everyone knows about Formula One, it is that it’s a sport ruled by money.
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