Mika Häkkinen is in favor of the new sprint format
For the two-time world champion in 1998 and 1999, this new format is a good thing for the sport. It could offer more excitement. There will be 6 Sprint races this season, and therefore 6 Sprint qualifiers.
The official announcement came very late. At the beginning of the week, just a few days before the start of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Formula 1 announced the new format of the weekends with sprint races. From now on, the Saturday sprint races will remain independent from the rest of the competition weekend.
This change has clearly won over former McLaren driver, Mika Häkkinen. It’s great to see how popular Formula 1 has become, and I think the CEO of F1, Stefano Domenicali, is right to experiment with this new format,” he assured in his column for Unibet.
No more show
With only one free practice session on Friday before the teams qualify for the Sunday Grand Prix, they have very little time to collect data and play with the settings.
For him, the most significant change is the fact that the sprint race no longer determines the starting grid for the Sunday race. « I think it’s a fantastic decision. »
The double world champion is certain that the Formula 1 officials have introduced this new format to create more interest among fans in the stands or those who are watching on television. « I truly believe that it will work, although the teams are quite nervous about the potential for additional damage. »
