'We should not go the MotoGP route in Formula 1'

The interpretation of sprint races is currently under discussion within Formula 1. Max Verstappen would like to get rid of it completely, the teams want to continue with it. Although there need to be some changes, everyone realises. There is also a division within the driver group on how to deal with sprints.

Daniel Ricciardo, for instance, thinks sprint races don't need to be held every week: "I like some of them in terms of there's room for a few of them across the calendar. It does change it up a little bit. I still prefer a conventional weekend. If it's one or the other, I'll take the conventional, but if we have a season of 23 24 races if half a dozen of them are sprint I think it adds a little bit of spice. But I wouldn't want to go down the motor GP route and have it every weekend."

Proponents for the reverse grid

Charles Leclerc actually likes having just one free practice where his Ferrari has to be tuned: "I don't think we should have more than six sprint weekends in a year. I think six is good, but to have one free practice and go straight to qualifying is something I enjoy. I think the Saturday could be changed and improved, but I really like the Friday. To not have three free practice sessions. It is really long, and sometimes it can get a bit boring. We always go through the same programme. So I like the fact of having only one free practice and going straight to action with qualifying."

For his part, Lewis Hamilton has another idea: the reverse grid. That means the fastest from qualifying starts at the back, and the slowest from pole. "The best sprint race I ever had was when I started last. So I'm in favour of the swapping order, except if we had that, then everyone would just try and qualify last. But I think it maybe should be a little bit longer, the sprint race because it's only like 19 laps or something.," said the Briton.

Carlos Sainz says a reverse grid would not be bad: "You better try something else on Saturday. Is that reverse grids? Is that single-lap qualifying? Is that whatever? I don't know. But I think given that the sprint format is a bit of an experiment going on right now in Formula One, I would be open to keep experimenting to see which format is best. Because for me, the one we have now, just Saturday, doesn't feel completely right for what then comes on Sunday."