Verstappen doesn’t understand the expansion of Sprints
Max Verstappen does not understand why Formula One is expanding to six sprint races from 2023, believing the series should “just stick to the main race.” Sprints were introduced last year, but tweaks were made this year including the return of designating pole to the driver who topped qualifying on Friday.
The sprint race result then sets the final starting grid for Sunday’s race. This weekend in Sao Paulo sees the final sprint of the season before they double to six next season with the sprint weekends to be announced at a later date.
However, the two-time champion says he enjoys the regular weekend format, and that the risk of damaging the car or dropping to the rear of the field in the sprint races on Saturdays meant drivers tended to remain cautious. Verstappen told Motorsport.com, “Every time I do these [sprint] races, it’s about ‘don’t get damaged, make sure you stay in the top three.”
“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. You do another start, which is exciting, but it’s only really people who are out of position that move forward because only you put a tyre on that just lasts a whole stint and not much happens.”
Verstappen believes that F1 “should stick to the main race,” instead of throwing an extra sprint into the weekend format. He explained that he doesn’t understand why when the sport has so many exciting races, why you need to add an extra third of races at a third distance.”
He added, “Everyone is so careful anyway, because if you are fighting for third and you have a little touch and you drop to last, you know your Sunday is going to be tough. Probably you won’t risk it, so that’s not really a race.”
F1 teams have been supportive of the expansion of the sprint race format in 2023, which received approval from the FIA at the latest World Motor Sport Council meeting.
The two races held so far this season at Imola and the Red Bull Ring had varying levels of action. But last year’s sprint at Interlagos, where the final sprint of this year will take place, saw Lewis Hamilton charged from last place on the grid to finish fourth in last year’s sprint race at Interlagos before going on to win the G=rand Prix on Sunday.
But the seven-time champion believed that the sport had to be “very selective” where it held sprint races, favouring tracks where overtaking was easier, but he had liked the format because it was “different.”
He also criticised the decision to return to a four-day weekend mid-season, saying “I wasn’t too happy about.”
“The races are not always the greatest. It does create a few more options, but sometimes there’s no overtaking, so we should hopefully learn from the races where there’s been no overtaking in the sprint races.”
Norris confirms he had talks with Red Bull
Lando Norris has confirmed he spoke to Red Bull, and several other teams, before signing a long-term contract extension with McLaren earlier in 2022. Ahead of this season the Englishman signed a contract with McLaren until the end of 2025 but told Auto Motor und Sport – that he had held discussions with Red Bull.
Asked on Thursday, ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix, whether his comments had been accurately understood and translated, Norris confirmed the talks had happened, and provided further context. He said, “It’s more just I was coming to the end of my contract, and it wasn’t like we (Red Bull and I) were talking heavily.”
“I literally said, it was just, everyone always tries to speak to all teams at some point, so I spoke to them, I spoke to a few other people. A chat’s a chat, it’s not like, ‘what we can do straight away?’”
“Just keeping in touch, things like that, it’s as simple as that sometimes. It was just coming to the end of the contract, you see what options are available, you just kind of find out what’s possible, what might be possible over the next few years.” Norris wasn’t only talking to Red Bull, saying he spoke to several teams.
Norris’s current market value is high having comprehensively outperformed outgoing team-mate Daniel Ricciardo this season, despite McLaren failing to produce a car capable of competing with the front-runners.
While he says that he “could be happier” at McLaren with a more competitive car, Norris insists that he prefers the “security” of a long-term deal over the excitement of talks as a soon-to-be free agent.
Adding, “I’ve always been happy with McLaren, as much as I could be happier, I’ve always been happy. Before I’ve ever spoken to anyone else, my talks have always been with McLaren first, that’s always how it goes.”
Ricciardo eyes Mercedes reserve role
Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff has described Daniel Ricciardo as a “great character”, as he confirmed that there were talks between the Australian and the German manufacturer about a reserve role next season.
Ricciardo has been left without a seat for next season, with the Australian set to leave McLaren after having his contract terminated a year early following a second disappointing campaign with the British team. While he had hoped to join a midfield team, now he has hinted that he without a seat for next season, with the Australian set to leave McLaren after having his contract terminated a year early following a second disappointing campaign with the British team.
Wolff said in Mexico City, “I think Daniel is speaking to a few teams about a potential role, also Red Bull. For us, we very much like him, he’s a great character but we are not in a position yet who is going to be our third driver.”
Since leaving Red Bull in 2018, Ricciardo’s stock has dropped. He had two largely unsuccessful seasons with Renault (now Alpine) before joining McLaren. Ricciardo has been largely outperformed by his teammate Lando Norris, despite taking the teams only race victory since 2012 at last year’s Italian GP.
While his stock as a driver has undoubtedly dropped at McLaren, Ricciardo’s larger-than-life personality has established him as one of the sport’s most popular individuals, increasing his value as a reserve option for potential suitors. Asked what Ricciardo could bring to Mercedes, Wolff said: “Personality, and he’s been around for a long time. He knows these cars inside out so that could be really advantageous. But I don’t want to put any rumours out there because we haven’t decided.”
Ricciardo offered a reminder of his talents as he secured a brilliant seventh-place finish in Mexico, despite receiving a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda. He has appeared to accept he wont have a set next year, but added “I still want to be in the sport, and I want to be working with a team still with the ambition to be back on the grid in 2024.
A “line in the sand” for use of black-and-orange flag for minor damage
Alpine believes its protest of Fernando Alonso’s penalty in Austin helped draw a “line in the sand” for using the black-and-orange flag for minor damage. The Spaniard initially lost his seventh-place finish in the United States Grand Prix after Haas successfully lodged a protest claiming his car was unsafe due to a missing rearview mirror, caused by the crash with Lance Stroll.
The resulting thirty-second penalty dropped the Spaniard to fifteenth, but Alpine lodged a counter-protest on the grounds Haas had submitted its initial protest too late. But the stewards ultimately ruled in Alpine’s favour, ensuring Alonso regained seventh in Austin, but the case led to talks over the use of the black-and-orange flag in F1 for minor damage.
Haas initially lodged the protest in a bid for consistency, having been forced to pit three times this season due to a loose front wing endplate that it claimed was still safe.
Alpine’s sporting director Alan Permane welcomed the FIA’s ruling and said he was encouraged by talks over what would be considered enough damage to warrant intervention.
Permane said, “We had some very positive discussions yesterday with the FIA technical department, and I think they agreed that things have gone a little bit too far. I don’t think anyone, maybe apart from Haas, felt that having a mirror knocked off in an accident that wasn’t your fault. And then that drive Fernando did, he should have kept that seventh place.”
He says from now on he believes that things like small minor non-structural things will not be considered to be a black-and-orange flag offence.
Motorsport.com reported last week that the FIA is set to reduce the amount it uses the black-and-orange flag in races, placing the onus on teams to ensure their cars are running in a safe manner.
This came after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem requested a review into the use of the black-and-orange flag in the wake of the Alonso incident and the subsequent protests.
Bottas hoping to stay for Audi’s takeover
Valtteri Bottas says he would be interested in sticking around at the Sauber-run team for when Audi jumps in as a partner in 2026. Last month it was announced that the German manufacturer would go into partnership when the new engine formula starts in 2026.
After Alfa Romeo’s sponsorship deal with the Hinwil team lapses at the end of 2023, it is expected Audi will gradually start ramping up its involvement as it becomes a shareholder in the Swiss outfit. For Bottas, who joined the privateer after five years at Mercedes, driving for a bona fide works team again is naturally an enticing prospect.
Asked by Motorsport.com, f he is hoping to stick around at Sauber when Audi jumps on board in 2026, Bottas said: “Why not? I’m 33 years old, so I hope that I’m going to be there.”
Bottas explained that Audi’s entry will help keep both him and the team motivated in the coming years. Saying, “I would say yes, because if you look at the big picture, I think it’s huge. There’s big potential for Sauber with Audi. No doubt they want to succeed in the future. They want to do well and show they’re serious.”
“So, I think for any driver on the grid, especially for me now being already part of Sauber, it would be very interesting to be part of that project. I definitely think it’s possible.”
The Finn accepts that there was still a lot of work to do, but the facilities are there, which he believes are better compare to championship winning teams. He says with the backing of Audi should be able to challenge in the future.
