Flavio Briatore argued for a radical overhaul of the Formula 1 format, proposing Sprint races at every event on the calendar. The proposal would increase the total number of races in the season and would significantly reshape the weekend structure in the sport.
Since the Sprint format debuted in 2021, F1 has pursued a gradual expansion. There were three events in the inaugural year, the same number in 2022, before the count rose to six starting in 2023, while the weekend format has also undergone various changes.
Speaking to The Race, Briatore argued that the traditional weekend format during Grands Prix delivers little entertainment to spectators on Fridays. For the Italian, much of the day’s work is devoted to technical preparation, with drivers clocking only a handful of laps before returning to the garages in the two practice sessions.
“I believe we need to implement Sprint races. If it were up to me, I would apply them to all the GPs, because we need to offer spectators something more,” Briatore stated. According to him, the drivers should be racing for something beyond engineering work, and a Sprint race would create a second contest within the same weekend.
“With the Sprint race, at least you have two races, two starts, and the drivers are racing for something. They are not just piloting solely for engineering. For me, 24 GPs, 24 Sprint races,” Briatore concluded.
The idea of holding Sprint races at all 24 rounds still appears as an ambitiously considered expansion, but the sport is already working to increase the format’s footprint. The F1 CEO has confirmed that there are plans to expand the number of events, with an announcement expected alongside the release of the upcoming calendar, while Sky Sports reports hint at the possibility of nine or ten Sprints in the future.
In this scenario, a season with 24 GPs and as many as ten Sprint races could total 34 events. However, the expansion also raises questions about the impact of an even busier calendar on drivers and teams.
