Hughes on sprint race: 'Won't change competitive order'

This weekend at Silverstone we will see the new Formula 1 GP weekend format for the first time. Lewis Hamilton has already been critical about the expected spectacle, while Ross Brawn expects overtaking action.

At the Silverstone GP we will see the format in action for the first time and tentative conclusions can be drawn. Mark Hughes says in The Race podcast that he sees what F1 is trying to achieve. Still he thinks things will be different.

"It's not going to change the competitive order, but there may be some more variable in the way. The idea is that in an ideal world we get a 100 KM sprint where drivers don't have to worry about strategy. That's what F1 is looking for. I don't think it's going to work like that." The question then becomes: why not?

Team not going to take risks

That's what Hughes thinks, anyway. Indeed, the consequences that come with that for Sunday's race could be quite significant. "I think after the first lap a lot of drivers won't take that many risks. A retirement or damage to the car is going to ruin your chances for Sunday's race. You can look at it as the first stint of the race. That's probably how it will be seen by teams." He therefore sees only one real change thanks to this system:

"I think there will be some tyre management and it will still be the same style of racing. Just the way we get to the grid on Sunday is different." Next weekend at Silverstone will have to prove whether the format actually has a chance of succeeding.