McLaren predicts: 'Sprint races will only really impact on this'

The first sprint races in the premier class of motorsport are approaching. Three Grands Prix will host sprint qualifying prior to the race, on the Saturday, which determines the race's starting order. Looking ahead to this logistical adjustment, McLaren technical director James Key expects a number of changes in the preparation work.

"I think for us - from the perspective of the car - it doesn't really change anything, except that we have to ask ourselves how we can quickly adapt to a different set-up for the weekend," Key began to the Dutch branch of Motorsport.com

Key expects the changes to be mostly in the technical domain. The technical director explains: "I think we will approach a [sprint] weekend differently from a technical perspective. We will prepare better for the set-up and we will certainly have to do a lot more work in the simulator to see how a sprint race might turn out."

Key continued: "After that, it's a matter of tuning up. I think it will be a matter of extremely good preparation." However, Key does not expect the sprint races to have an impact on the teams' testing programmes.