Usually, when faced with a new format, it is right to wait a few weekends before summarizing it. However, this does not appear to be the case Liberty Media that intends to push more and more on the accelerator, completely forgetting the brake pedal.
The new Sprint format
In the past weekend, in which the Formula 1 stopped at Baku, in Azerbaijan, we witnessed alla cousin Sprint of the year, characterized from new format. On Friday we had the first free practice session, followed by qualifying to decree the Sunday grid. Saturday was instead characterized by qualification to sanction the starting grid of the Sprint held in the afternoon and won by Sergio Perez. The only event, rightly and obviously, immovable, was the race held on Sunday.
Liberty Media's idea: 10 Sprints in 2024
Although there is only talk of the first event out of six scheduled with the new format, Liberty Media is already thinking about next year. Based on what gleaned from the Miami paddock from Motorsport.com, in particular by Roberto Chinchero, there seems to be the idea of having a minimum of ten Sprints during the 2024 season. If so, considering the hypothetical return of China (therefore a year made up of 24 stages), we could have 34 races scheduled over the season.
Does it really make sense?
There are two things above all that, however, are not convincing: first of all, being still only at the beginning, it is practically impossible to establish and decree whether the new format is a success or a failure. The television data, which can play a very important role in the decision, will arrive and will be evaluated only at the end of the season. Also, if the idea is proposed, it will not be easy to find tracks that are willing to spend extra to have this particular weekend format, without forgetting the opinion of the pilots. The famous "unanimity" of which Liberty speaks does not seem to be so overwhelming. After all, it is enough to think of Verstappen's words that he defined this format: "Tremendous".
5 more races to decide
The proposal whirls in the mind of Liberty Medium but it is inevitable to say that they will be the next few months to play a key role to decree the future of a format that in the end not everyone, as one wants to think, considers successful.
