Max Verstappen will have been among those who were not particularly thrilled about the increase to the number of Formula 1 Sprints for the 2023 season.
The short-form races have been trialled at three weekends in each of the last two seasons. It changes the whole format of the weekend, with one fewer practice session and qualifying moved to Friday to add more racing action to the schedule for fans in the form of the Sprint.
It has been praised by some for doing exactly that, while others are not so convinced. Some of its detractors feel the racing is not very exciting, while others feel aspects need to be changed, such as the point system and the fact the finishing order in the Sprint decides the grid for the main race on the Sunday.
Despite the format not being universally popular, F1 chiefs are keen to press ahead with its expansion. The number of Sprints has been doubled for the 2023 season, with six set to take place, including four at venues which have never before hosted a Sprint.
Double champion Verstappen will not be happy about that, having been particularly vocal in his opposition to the format in recent times. On two separate occasions last month he made it clear to reporters that he does not see the point.
"Every time I do these [sprint] races, it's about 'don't get damage, make sure you stay in the top three,'" said the Dutchman. "For me, that's not really a race, because you go into the main race and you know there are way more points available anyway, you just risk a bit more there."
A few days later he doubled down, adding: "You don't do a pit stop so you just put on the tyre that will last the distance. With these cars the racing is probably a little bit better, but overall you don't really see a lot of overtaking unless there is a car out of position. But it's really not that fun for me. Everyone has their own opinion but for me it is not that fun.
"I do like having one practice session and then straight to qualifying, I don't mind that because it's less practice for everyone to get fully up to speed and then you really need to nail the setup. So that's okay, but I always feel when I go into a Sprint race that you're not really risking a lot because you want to play safe."
F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali appears unmoved by criticism of the format, declaring: "We have seen a hugely positive reaction to the F1 Sprint events during the first two years of its running. We can't wait to bring even more action to fans with six events next year, including our first US F1 sprint in Austin."
