Stefano Domenicali, the CEO of Formula 1, is open to the idea of incorporating more sprint rounds into future seasons. Currently, six out of the 24 rounds on the 2024 F1 calendar are designated as sprint events.
The inaugural sprint race of the season occurred in China last weekend, with another scheduled for Miami.
Since its introduction in 2021, Formula 1 and the FIA have progressively increased the number of sprint rounds from three per season to six in the preceding year. However, Domenicali suggests that there’s potential to further expand the presence of sprint races in the calendar.
When questioned by Sky about the possibility of proposing additional sprint races, Domenicali expressed openness to the idea. He stated, “Why not? I would say this is great because it keeps the tension on every day.
“And this is something that we will discuss in the future. Now, let’s see how this year with the sprints in the way that we have decided this year will go – but that’s a point of discussion.”
Domenicali pointed to the recent sprint race qualifying session in Shanghai as evidence of the entertainment value provided by sprint rounds compared to traditional race weekends.
The session, which was influenced by rain, resulted in neither Red Bull driver securing a front-row position on the grid. This unpredictability adds to the excitement and allure of sprint events.
“For sprint qualifying in incredible conditions, we had a lot of runs,” he stated. “And that reminds us that we have a duty to make sure that every day there is some action on the track, to respect the fans that are coming here because they want to have fun.”
Stefano Domenicali is determined to prevent a repeat of the scenario witnessed at the previous round in Japan, where rain during the second practice session led teams to limit their laps to conserve sets of intermediate tyres.
Domenicali is adamant about ensuring the sport “avoids any possibility” of such an occurrence.
“This is not good for the people that are coming to see us, to see the drivers,” he emphasized. “And I’m sure that the teams will understand. So we need to find solutions.”
