Why even Verstappen will appreciate these changes to the sprint format

The FIA presented the new format for a sprint race weekend. The adjustments could make sprints look very different in 2024. Why could a seemingly minor adjustment make such a big difference?

Between the news about Christian Horner and the car launches of Stake and Williams, you might have missed the news from the FIA. In a brief statement, Formula 1's governing body announced that the F1 Commission had reached a number of decisions. One of them was about the sprint race format.

There was no clarity on that until Monday, according to the announcement of the times presented earlier by the FIA. The F1 teams wanted an adjustment to the sprint race format. GPblog previously reported what this would mean for the schedule, which was confirmed by the FIA on Monday.

What will change to the sprint race format in 2024

It seems like a seemingly minor change. Qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix will shift from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, pushing the sprint race events earlier in the schedule. The impact is huge, however, as it also shifts the rules around parc fermé.

The rule is that parc fermé starts after qualifying for the Grand Prix. In a sprint race weekend last year, this caused many problems. After just one practice session, teams had to decide on their setup, sometimes with dire consequences. For instance, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified from the results of the US Grand Prix. The plank was too damaged, a result of a setup that was just not adjusted well enough.

The second problem with this rule in a sprint race weekend was predictability. Max Verstappen, in particular, complained about this phenomenon. Because the cars are exactly the same for the sprint race and the Grand Prix, after a sprint race, you can already predict what will happen on Sunday. Only different weather conditions can then shake things up.

Why Verstappen will be happy with these changes

Adapting this format addresses both problems. First, teams now have until Saturday afternoon to optimise their car, as is the case in 'normal' race weekends. Instead of two extra practice sessions, teams can now test their setup during the sprint shootout and sprint race. Only after qualifying for the Grand Prix does Parc Fermé start.

Therefore, Verstappen's problem will disappear completely. As teams can optimise their setup through the weekend, the setup for the Grand Prix will again be just a little better tuned than for the sprint. Indeed, teams might tune a setup, especially for the 100-kilometre sprint race.

You will see the same phenomenon in the sprint shootout. Whereas in qualifying for the GP, teams have to take the race into account with their setup, the setup for the sprint shootout can be focused entirely on a fast qualifying lap. As a result, it will automatically make for a different ranking.

While you may still personally prefer an 'old-fashioned' race weekend, the sprint race weekend in its new form will be a big improvement over its predecessor. Who knows, it might even convince Verstappen of this concept now.