With the changes on the books for a while now, the sprint qualifying session finally had its debut during the British Grand Prix.
Following the race, fans were divided in opinions on whether the qualifying was a good idea or not.
However, many drivers did agree that the entire concept was something different for fans to enjoy.
FIA Race Director Michael Masi stated that he was not entirely dissatisfied with the sprints.
What did Masi say?
“I think everyone should be proud of what we achieved,” Masi said.
“If you think about the original intention, which was that over the three days of the event there would be three race elements for the spectators, the public, and the fans, I think it has its advantages,” he explained.
The next sprint race is scheduled to take place at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Weekends needed a change
“From the point of view of the FIA and Formula 1 as a family, I’m very proud of the way we got to this point,” Masi continued.
“When I talk to friends around the world, they all say they liked it, that it was different.
“Of course, there have been changes in the sport before, but the structure of the weekend has been relatively stable for many years,” Masi said.
Irrespective of the interest a sprint qualifying generates, Masi believes that the format should not be applied on all weekends.
“Do I see it having a place at every event? No. But yes, it is a different format and Formula 1 has openly said that we will look at other options at different events in the future,” he concluded.
Let us know what you think in the comments below!
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