F1 Chinese Grand Prix: Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz question wisdom of sprint race on return to Shanghai International track
- The China race will include the first of six sprint rounds this season but only one free practice session to get used to the track
- Both drivers feel the sprint would ‘spice things up’ and be ‘exciting’ for fans but was risky for the drivers and engineers
World champion Max Verstappen has questioned the wisdom of throwing Formula One drivers into a sprint weekend on their return to the Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019 later this month.
Verstappen restored normal service with a dominant pole-to-flag victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, leading teammate Sergio Perez home for yet another Red Bull 1-2.
Next up in two weeks is the return to China, where Formula One has been absent for five years as the country dealt with the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chinese Grand Prix will include the first of six sprint rounds this season, offering points for the drivers in Saturday’s stand-alone 100km race, but only one free practice session to get used to the track.
“I think it’s not great – let’s say it like that – to do that,” Verstappen told reporters after Sunday’s race at Suzuka.
“Because when you have been away from a track for quite a while, I think you never know what you’re going to experience, right? So it would have been better to have a normal race weekend there.
“Purely from a driving perspective, performance perspective of the sport, I think it’s not the smartest thing to do. But yeah, we’ll see what we get there.”
