Peter Windsor tells F1 not to implement ‘ludicrous’ format change in the future

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There is a big divide in Formula 1 over Sprint races and whether they provide greater value for fans while generating more competition during a race weekend.

After being introduced in 2021 in an attempt to provide greater value for fans by adding more competitive racing to the weekend, the F1 Sprint format has changed a lot in an attempt to make the racing better.

Initially, the format saw one practice session on Friday followed by qualifying, which would set the grid for the Sprint on Saturday. The Sprint would then be used to determine the grid for the full-length Grand Prix on Sunday.

The format was later altered to accommodate a stand-alone qualifying session on Saturday morning for the Sprint, in place of a pointless practice session whereby teams were unable to change setups anyway due to Parc Ferme rules.

This was tweaked further to have the Sprint shootout on Friday, then the Sprint race itself on Saturday morning, before qualifying for the Grand Prix in the afternoon. However, the FIA drew criticism pre-season for making these changes which many felt ‘did not make sense’ as it effectively turned the Saturday Sprint into a sideshow.

Now there could be another change in the form of reverse grids, with F2 boss Bruno Michel stating that F1 is ‘open to’ making the change. But Peter Windsor has advised against making it when speaking on the Cameron F1 podcast.

Peter Windsor warns against F1 Sprint rule change

With six Sprint events a year, the idea of having a reverse grid was floated as a way to make the standalone events more interesting.

Windsor believes the reverse grids would be ‘ludicrous’ and has warned Liberty Media against making the change and that they should instead focus on other aspects of F1.

“It’s ludicrous, I hope they don’t go to reverse grid races I like the purity of a proper grid with a guy on pole who is the fastest guy in the race, so if he has done well to win the race by three laps and lap the entire field three times then good luck to him. That’s what I love about racing and the purity of it.

“We don’t need to do it. If they think some areas of F1 need to be improved in terms of generating a bigger audience then they [Liberty] should capture the world of debriefs, drivers briefings, and other things we don’t get to see. There is a massive story to be told of every aspect of the F1 industry.”

F1 must find a solution to key Sprint problem

At present, the Sprint races only provide teams with more data they can use for the race and can spoil the intrigue for fans ahead of the race on Sunday.

Since it is no longer used to determine the grid order, having a reverse grid might be the final solution to making Sprint races work as an intended way to improve the on-track action.

Teams would need to unanimously support any change to the format, which may be why it would be difficult to implement as those at the sharp end would object to any competitive handicap.

There is set be another six Sprint events next year at China, Miami, Belgium, Austin, Brazil, and Qatar. In 2024 there will be another three Sprint races at the US, Brazilian, and Qatar Grands Prix.