Lando Norris is impressed by the new sprint format
Not really a fan of sprint race weekends, Lando Norris still seems impressed by the new format that will be introduced at the next Grand Prix in Baku.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will take place from April 28th to 30th, will host the first of six sprint races of the season. A new weekend format is expected to be introduced, replacing the current Saturday morning free practice session with a qualifying session for the sprint race. This session, which used to determine the starting grid for the Grand Prix, will no longer have that role as a qualifying session for the Sunday race will take place on Friday afternoon.
A new format validated by Lando Norris
If he maintains that he is still not the biggest fan of sprint races, indicating that he prefers all the pressure of a Sunday and the qualifications of a Saturday, Lando Norris is optimistic about these changes.
This new format is designed to address the numerous criticisms that have been made about sprint races since their introduction in 2021. The Saturday morning free practice session loses all interest since the qualifying had already taken place the day before.
« It’s true – honestly, I prefer that,” he says to Motorsportweek. « I like FP1 and the fact of diving straight into the heart of the matter. It puts the drivers a little more under pressure, the engineers a little more under pressure. We go straight into the action, into a demanding scenario,” he explains.
In the image of the British drivers, the teams themselves are also enthusiastic about these changes. The official vote and agreement from the FIA will take place in April. This season, six sprint races are scheduled: Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, United States (Austin), and Brazil.
