Williams driver Carlos Sainz is urging Formula 1 to radically reform its unpopular Sprint race format, calling the current events predictable and a mere “replica” of the Grand Prix’s first stint.
Sainz, fresh off a podium finish in the US Sprint, proposed an immediate fix: mandating the use of soft (high-deg) tyres for all drivers in the short Saturday race.
He argues this would introduce needed strategic variance and resolve the current issue of wasting soft tyre sets used for only one lap in qualifying.
Beyond the tyre change, Sainz advocates using the Sprint as a testing ground for bolder ideas, stating the format needs to be “a bit more spicy.”
While personally not a huge fan, he said he wouldn’t be “completely opposed” to trying controversial measures like reversed grids or experimenting with different qualifying formats, like a Superpole for the Sprint.
Sainz emphasized the need for F1 to be open-minded: “If it works, great, and if it doesn’t, change it again.”
