Alonso wants more influence from fans: 'I think they should decide'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
According to Fernando Alonso, it is up to the fans to decide the fate of sprint races. In 2021, Formula 1 first tested what it was like to have a short sprint race on Saturday and this was received with mixed reactions.
A "normal" qualifying session on Friday, a sprint race of about a hundred kilometres on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday. That was the idea that Formula 1 tested three times in 2021 to better spread the action throughout the Formula 1 weekend. The new format was not welcomed with open arms by everyone.
Fans should have a say
Alonso says the sprint races didn't necessarily work out well or badly for Alpine but knows the change is mainly for the fans. "I think the viewers have to decide if we need to change something," says the Spaniard according to SpeedWeek.com.
"The new format didn't change anything for the race teams. It wasn't better, it wasn't worse, it was just different," Alonso continued. The Alpine driver believes that the fans should have priority and wants them to tell what needs to be improved about the sprint races.
Changes to sprint races
Meanwhile, changes are already being worked hard in the background. Besides the fact that F1-CEO Stefano Domenicali would like to see the number of sprint races increased from three to six per season, it also seems that the distribution of points is going to change. Currently, the winner gets only three points, the number two gets two and the driver in third place gets one.