Carlos Sainz has proposed a complete revolution of the Formula 1 Sprint weekend format, suggesting new ideas to make the event more engaging and exciting for fans. The Spanish driver shared his thoughts during the media day ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, explaining how both the qualifying session and Saturday’s short race could be improved.
Since its debut in 2021, the Saturday Sprint race has sparked plenty of debate among drivers, fans, and teams alike. Some, especially among F1 purists, see it as a gimmick designed only to boost entertainment value. Others view it as a teaser for the main Grand Prix on Sunday, while many fans enjoy it as an opportunity to see more racing action starting from Friday.
Even the FIA itself seems uncertain about the best way to make use of the Sprint format. Since its introduction, Formula 1 has tested several versions: from having a single qualifying session on Friday, to introducing a separate Sprint Qualifying on Saturday morning, making the second day of the weekend stand on its own, up to the current setup we see today.
Speaking during the media day at the Circuit of the Americas, Carlos Sainz offered his own proposal for a more captivating structure to the Sprint weekends. “My proposal is that all drivers should run the Sprint race on soft tyres, and that the Sprint Qualifying session should consist of a single timed lap — a Superpole format,” explained the Spanish driver.
Carlos Sainz also added that he is not particularly thrilled with the current setup: “Right now, the Sprint format doesn’t excite me too much, because it already reveals a lot about how Sunday’s race will unfold. A reversed grid? I’m not a big fan, but I wouldn’t oppose it completely, just to try something different.”
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