Although they continue to provoke feelings of apathy for a large portion of Formula 1’s hardcore fanbase, sprint races have now become deeply ensconced as a sporting element of the modern world championship.
Sprint races were brought in after Liberty Media assumed ownership of F1’s commercial rights holder FOM – and Liberty are evidently keen on the format.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, in particular, appears to be the biggest fan of sprint races of anyone. Under his leadership, sprint races have doubled from three per season to six over the last three seasons.
Domenicali has previously mooted the idea of introducing reverse grids into the sport for grand prix events. While the idea has long faced opposition from teams, he has once again begun pushing the idea of reversing grids for sprint races, as seen in F2 and F3.
The sprint race format is only seen at one-quarter of the world championship rounds and Domenicali’s enthusiasm for it is clearly not shared by many of the drivers. But having gradually established the concept, has the time come to shake it up again with an even more radical change?
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For
Sprint races exist for one reason only: entertainment. An attempt to offer a more bite-sized, intense form of racing to thrill fans even further. Because if F1’s fans love racing, why not give them more of it?
But too often, the 100km races fail to deliver the spectacle that everyone would want to see. And often it’s the same team and drivers ‘fighting’ for the victory and points paying positions that fans can expect to see doing so on Sunday.
So by inverting all or part of the grid, you would all but guarantee fans the excitement of seeing unusual cars and drivers fighting for the victory and seeing the fastest cars on the grid having to work to gain positions from deep in the pack. What’s not to love?
Against
Reverse grids work for junior formulae, which are inherently supposed to be training grounds for drivers seeking to compete one day in Formula 1 or other major championships.
By forcing the fastest teams and drivers to start from the middle of the grid, they are helping to give critical racing experience to the most talented drivers and offering opportunities for those who may need to develop their skills more a chance to taste the intense pressure of battling for a podium or win. An opportunity they might not typically get.
And given that drivers would be racing in their positions through entirely artificial means, what value would there truly be if, say, Gabriel Bortoleto wins a sprint race for Sauber from reverse grid pole?
I say
Stefano Domenicali is unquestionably a fiercely intelligent figure, who has made a more meaningful contribution to both Ferrari and Formula 1 as a sport than the vast majority of people ever to work for either. Yet sometimes, it is hard to understand what his motivation is behind some of his takes about the racing series he presides over.
Oh no, that’s right. The motivation is money.
It would be foolish to pretend not to see why reverse grids are appealing. Sure, let’s see how far the McLaren drivers can rise from the back row of the grid in 20 laps. That would be far more intriguing a prospect than most sprint races are ever likely to offer at the best of times.
But there are far, far too many problems with reverse grids to ever seriously fathom introducing them into the current sprint format.
First of all, how much of the grid is ‘reversed’? The top ten, like in F2, or the entire field? Whichever they do, how do they decide the original grid order to reverse? The results of Friday qualifying? What is the incentive for drivers to do their best in sprint qualifying, in that case?
Then there’s the most important question of championship points. Formerly a reward exclusively withheld for top ten finishers in a grand prix, they are currently handed out to the top eight in Saturday sprint races too. If you introduce reverse grids, will drivers still earn points based on their finishing positions? If they will, won’t that lead to farcical sprint qualifying sessions where drivers are attempting to get the tenth-fastest time? And if you remove points from reverse grid races, what is the incentive for drivers to care about sprint races at all?
Reverse grids make no sense in Formula 1. In any capacity. At some point, the pursuit of creating value for promoters has to overridden by the pursuit of maintaining F1’s value as a sporting competition. One that is supposed to be the most prestigious circuit racing contest on the planet.
Ultimately, sprint races need reverse grids about as much as Formula 1 needs sprint races to begin with.
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You say
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