Haas-team is thinking along: 'It's just an idea'

There will also be sprint races in Formula 1 next season. A total of six are planned. Exactly what these weekends will look like is under discussion. There may be a separate qualifying session for the sprint race, in addition to a qualifying session for the Grand Prix.

In the paddock, there has been division over sprint racing since the first moment. Some - for example Max Verstappen - think there are too many risks involved for the championship contenders, while others feel that Friday is also relevant for spectators now. "There is good and bad in what we do," Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer told Speedcafe. "Yeah, there are some things we could do to make it a little better, but I think we should discuss all those amongst ourselves and come up with something."

Free practice

Separate qualifying for the sprint race is one such option. According to Guenther Steiner, at the helm of Haas, there could be a sprint race first on Saturday, followed by qualifying for the Grand Prix. Currently, there is free practice on Saturday alongside the sprint race. But no working with the cars is allowed as they are under parc ferme rules. "Obviously there would be the need to make some detailed work on it, it’s my idea, I can throw it out there, but I don’t know the consequences – it’s just an idea, I haven’t looked into the detail if it’s doable or not," Steiner said.

The 2023 sprint races will take place in Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, the United States and Brazil.