Max Verstappen has criticised the decision to have the Sprint format in operation upon Formula 1’s return to China this weekend, branding it “not the smartest thing”.
The Chinese Grand Prix had been an ever-present fixture on the F1 calendar from its debut race in 2004 until 2019 when the Covid-19 pandemic curtailed its hosting.
Therefore, the five-season hiatus since F1 visited the Shanghai International Circuit means the track hasn’t been used since the sport reverted to ground effect cars.
Meanwhile, the extent of the historical data the teams have gathered about the circuit will be rendered even more meaningless as the track has since been resurfaced.
The teams’ preparations will be further complicated amid F1’s choice to include a Sprint race, granting them a single hour’s worth of practice to set up their machines.
Asked about the decision-making process to include a Sprint in China, Verstappen, who has been an opposer to the revised schedule, was upfront about his reproval.
“Yeah, it’s very smart to do that,” he remarked. “I think it’s not great, let’s say like that, to do that.
“Because when you have been away from a track for quite a while, I think you never know what you’re going to experience, right?
“So it would have been better to have a normal race weekend there. But on the other hand, it probably spices things up a bit more, and that’s maybe what they would like to see.
“But yeah, purely from a driving perspective, performance perspective of the sport, I think it’s not the smartest thing to do. But yeah, we’ll see what we get there.
“I mean, I always loved driving there. So yeah, hopefully we can hit the ground running as well as we can, and hopefully we don’t need to fine-tune too many things on the car.”
The Sprint has undergone changes in each season since it was introduced in 2021 and further tweaks have been made for this term following complaints last season.
The Sprint Shootout used to determine the grid for the truncated race will be held following FP1 with the Sprint to come the next morning before grand prix qualifying.
In addition, parc ferme regulations will become open for a second time each weekend after the Sprint to prevent a repeat of the disqualications that occurred in Austin.
However, Sainz argues that trialling the revamped format for the first time on an unknown asphalt could trigger a replica of the issues that transpired back in October.
“I think there’s two different topics,” Sainz added. “I think China as a race circuit is a great one. I think it’s one of our favourite ones for everyone.
“It’s just a great racing track and a track that offers a good possibility to overtake, so a Sprint makes sense to have it there.
“At the same time, we say to FIA and Formula 1, with these kind of cars to go to a track with one hour of practice and straight into qualifying, with the regulations that they put us, with the plank wear and things like this, and how tricky one bump could make the car, I think it’s not a good choice to choose to put the Sprint after four or five years absence.
“We also heard there’s been resurfacing going on, so Istanbul 2.0 maybe on the cards! Yeah, I hope not. So yeah, it just shows the uncertainty.
“Maybe for you guys at home it’s exciting, but for engineers and drivers, it’s something that for me, in my opinion, we shouldn’t take the risk and have a normal weekend.”
