Carlos Sainz urges F1 to experiment with Sprint race formats
In today’s Formula 1, one topic that resurfaces frequently is the format of Sprint races. Opinions are divided: some fans and drivers enjoy the shorter events, while others find them less appealing. However, since Sprint races have now become a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar, the main question is how to make them as exciting and engaging as possible, rather than simply serving as a “warm-up” for the main Sunday race.
Carlos Sainz, who delivered Williams’ best-ever result in a Sprint race with his third-place finish in Austin this year, shared his thoughts on how F1 could experiment more boldly with the format. Sainz explained that he is not currently a big fan of the Sprint races, as they tend to reveal too much about Sunday’s opening stint. He suggested that F1 should explore new ideas to make these Saturday events more unpredictable and entertaining.
Soft tires as a simple experiment
One straightforward idea proposed by Carlos Sainz is having all drivers use soft tires in the Sprint, which wear out quickly and could create more strategic variety. Normally, soft tires are used only on select tracks for the first stint of the main race. Carlos Sainz noted that this approach could be a simple, short-term solution, especially considering that teams often use five sets of soft tires each weekend and typically only run them for a single lap in qualifying before returning them to Pirelli.
“A simple idea could be to ensure that everyone runs the Sprint on soft tires, which have high wear,” Carlos Sainz explained. “Usually, we only choose softs for the first stint of the race on a few circuits, so this could be an easy and immediate solution. Every weekend we go through five sets of soft tires, and in qualifying we only use them for one lap before returning them. I’m not sure where Pirelli stores them, but for us, it’s basically a single-lap tire, so it could be an easy fix.”
Exploring reverse grids and superpole
Carlos Sainz also encouraged more adventurous experiments, such as reverse grids or alternative qualifying formats. “Probably something a bit spicier is needed,” he said. “The Sprint should be a good opportunity to try different formats. We need to be open-minded: if something works, great. If not, we adjust, as we’ve done in the past. I’m not a huge fan of reverse grids, but I wouldn’t be completely opposed to trying something different. Even Sprint qualifying could be modified, perhaps with a superpole in SQ3. We just need to keep adding new ideas and experimenting.”
As GPDA director alongside George Russell, Carlos Sainz’s opinion carries significant weight within the sport, and his suggestions could influence the future direction of Sprint races. By encouraging F1 to embrace creativity and experimentation, Carlos Sainz is pushing for more dynamic, unpredictable, and entertaining Saturday action for teams, drivers, and fans alike.
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