What is the point of the sprint race in 2023?

SpeedPagan

SpeedPagan

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In 2021, FIA introduced sprint racing to Formula 1, a 100km race that would set the grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday. As someone who is a huge fan of stock car racing and dirt racing this made sense to me. You have qualifying to set the grid for the sprint race (or heat race in dirt racing term) and the sprint race sets the grid for the main event, the Grand Prix. Granted, it's a tad bit different on the dirt side, but it's still the same concept.

Then in 2023, the Sprint race becomes it's own little thing? Like Qualifying sets up the grid for the Grand Prix. Then they have sprint shootouts to set the grid for the sprint race, and this doesn't affect the Grand Prix in any way, but the drivers can still earn championship points in the main sprint race?

Does the 2023 Sprint format doesn't make sense to anyone else or am I just not involved in Formula 1 enough to "get it?"
 
It’s just a shorter race with no mandatory pit stop that pays (fewer) points. They decoupled it from the Grand Prix because people thought it detracted from qualifying and made the GP more boring, since the sprint race would already set the grid on race pace and allowed for teams to make up for qualifying mistakes.

I’d say the majority of fans still don’t like them.
 
FLRacingFan said:
It’s just a shorter race with no mandatory pit stop that pays (fewer) points. They decoupled it from the Grand Prix because people thought it detracted from qualifying and made the GP more boring, since the sprint race would already set the grid on race pace and allowed for teams to make up for qualifying mistakes.

I’d say the majority of fans still don’t like them.
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Glad to see NASCAR isn't the only motorsport sanctioning body to double down on ideas that fans don't like.
 
SpeedPagan said:
Does the 2023 Sprint format doesn't make sense to anyone else or am I just not involved in Formula 1 enough to "get it?"
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Their TV deals are increasing in value and along with that increase comes a demand for more content. Sprint races are content they can create without much of a lift: they've already travelled to the track, they're already going to do something that day anyways at speed, so why not then do a sprint race for the audience? That seems to be the rationale as best I can discern it. I personally think it is silly and know we will one day have to have a discussion about some poor sap who only managed a Sprint Race win and not a "real race" win and how they should be counted vs. people who won shortened events with half points. I'm sure Liberty's perspective on such a controversy is a Bischoffesque "Controversy Creates Cash," which someone needs to tell athletic leagues is only true if it leads people to watch rather than disengage.
 
Doc Austin said:
I'de love to see them eliminate sprint qualifying and line them up for the sprint in reverse points order. Then we'de surely see some real action.
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I’d like to see either this or become congruent with the F2/F3 format where they invert however many positions you want to pick from qualifying, which still sets the grid for the feature race. The big teams wouldn’t go for it though.

So far the only interesting sprints we’ve seen have been a result of weather, whether the sprint itself was wet or the applicable qualifying session. Not enough variables in a 100km race otherwise.
 
Doc Austin said:
I'de love to see them eliminate sprint qualifying and line them up for the sprint in reverse points order. Then we'de surely see some real action.
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I agree. The way it is now sprint races serve no purpose. There is no excitement because there are no pit stops and pit strategy. They need to do something to spice it up.
 
Marcingak said:
I agree. The way it is now sprint races serve no purpose. There is no excitement because there are no pit stops and pit strategy. They need to do something to spice it up.
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This is what I'm saying, there's no point to the sprint races other than I guess an extra 1,000km race for reduced points earning?
 
I don't really see the point of sprints other than keeping cars on the track. Along with DRS and the tire game, it's just more fake stuff to "spice up the show." I could see a usefulness if it set the grid or something, but the way it is now it just waters down the weekend and detracts from the Grand Prix weekend instead of adding to it.

I read the idea is being floated to have a "sprint championship" using reserve drivers. Not sure I like that idea either.

autos.yahoo.com

F1 Sprint World Championship? The unusual proposal involving reserve drivers

Could a suggestion to separate the Sprints into their own World Championship have any traction?
autos.yahoo.com autos.yahoo.com
 
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