Verstappen and Sainz voice concerns over Shanghai sprint race

F1 returns to Shanghai after five-years

After a forced four-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Formula 1 is set to return to the Shanghai International Circuit for the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend.

However, the event's comeback has been coupled with the introduction of the sprint race format, a decision that has drawn criticism from leading drivers Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz.

Drivers raise setup concerns

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen believes it was "not the smartest thing" to schedule a sprint race at the Shanghai track.

With teams facing several unknowns regarding the performance of the current generation of cars at the demanding 5.4km circuit, the Dutchman argues that a normal race weekend would have been more appropriate.

"When you have been away from a track for quite a while, I think you never know what you're going to experience, so it would have been better to have a normal race weekend there,"

Verstappen stated.

Limited practice time a concern

The primary concern stems from the limited practice time teams will have to dial in their setups.

With only a single 60-minute practice session before the sprint qualifying, drivers and engineers will have little opportunity to fine-tune their cars, especially considering the track has undergone resurfacing since the last race in 2019.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz echoed Verstappen's sentiments, suggesting that the sprint format might be a step too far for the Shanghai circuit's return.

"With these kind of cars, to go to a track with one hour of practice and straight into qualifying, with the regulations that they put on us, with the plank wear and things like this and how tricky one bump could make the car."

"I think it's not a good choice to put the sprint [there] after four or five years of absence,"

Sainz explained.

Revised sprint format

While the sprint format has been tweaked for 2024, with parc fermé conditions lifted after the sprint race to allow setup changes for Sunday's grand prix, the limitations of a single practice session remain a concern for teams and drivers alike.

As Formula 1 returns to the iconic Shanghai International Circuit, the introduction of the sprint race has sparked a debate within the paddock, with top drivers voicing their apprehensions over the potential setup challenges and lack of relevant track data.

Nonetheless, the sprint format promises to add an extra layer of excitement and unpredictability to the Chinese Grand Prix weekend.