Still no agreement on the sprint races: 'You have to do it perfectly'

In 2021 Formula 1 will run 23 races for the first time and some Grands Prix will also feature a sprint race on Saturday. Stefano Domenicali explains how things stand.

Sprint races in F1

In 2021 Formula 1 wants to test a new format for a Grand Prix weekend during three race weekends. This will involve a sprint race on Saturday, and that result will be the starting grid for Sunday's race. Despite the 2021 season having already begun, details of this plan have not yet been revealed.

''We are talking about it and hope to finalise that in the next few days. We are having discussions about this with the teams. For us, it's also true that if you want to do something like this, you have to do it perfectly,'' Stefano Domenicali told Ziggo Sport. It is reported that the stumbling block at the moment is the amount of money that the teams want to receive for the extra costs that they make with such a sprint race, for example, because of crashes and extra wear and tear on other parts.

Coronavirus continues to play a role

Besides the sprint races, the calendar itself remains an interesting subject of discussion. With 23 races this year F1 could break a record with the number of races in one season, but with the coronavirus still far from being eradicated, it cannot be ruled out that some races will be cancelled. Domenicali is not adjusting his target for this, however.

''The situation continues to develop. It is impossible to predict what will happen tomorrow because nobody has a crystal ball. What I can share is that our target remains 23 races, and all the organisers want to keep their race as well. However, the situation may vary from place to place depending on the vaccination program, but hopefully, with time things will improve. We will have to respect the guidelines per country in any case'', concludes the F1 CEO.