While sure it will be a “great addition”, Formula 1 is prepared to backtrack on the new Sprint Qualifying format, Ross Brawn admits.
On Monday, after months of talks, the teams unanimously voted to trial the new weekend schedule at three Grands Prix in 2021, twice in Europe and once elsewhere.
The new format will see a normal qualifying session held on Friday to decide the grid for the 100km sprint race on Saturday afternoon.
The top three from that race will score points, while the final results also determine the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
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Introducing the revised format has been a key aim of Brawn, F1’s motorsport chief, and he is confident the significant change for the sport will increase the action on track.
“The thing to remember about Sprint Qualifying is that its intention is to expand the whole weekend,” he said via Formula1.com. “It is not intended to impact the race event.
“The Grand Prix is still the vital event of the weekend.
“We want to give fans engagement throughout the whole weekend. Sunday’s Grand Prix is fantastic, and we don’t want to cannibalise that, but we want to lift up the engagement on a Friday and a Saturday.
“Friday is really for the aficionados at the moment. Watching practice sessions on Friday is fun but there is no conclusion to it. On a Friday now [at these selected events], we’ll have the excitement of the qualifying format.
“I think it will be a great addition. There is unlikely to be pit stops, so it’ll be a clean race. It’ll be 30 mins roughly, 100km of action.
“We want to see how fans engage with it and if the short format is appealing, it’s complimentary and if it works with the main race. We feel it will. We feel it’s going to be very exciting.”
Currently, the British and Italian GPs have been earmarked to use Sprint Qualifying, as has the Brazilian GP, should the race at Interlagos go ahead.
Before Monday’s final vote there were still several concerns to quell, with teams noting the potential for additional costs in particular.
“Everyone had a different opinion on what that should look like. It was also about finding an economic and logistical solution that didn’t impact teams too severely,” Brawn explained.
“They want this event, but they are all working under massive challenges and we had to find a solution that worked with them without compromising the event.
“The drivers are open-minded about the format – and that’s all we ask, that the drivers keep an open mind so we can evaluate this event and then we decide if in the future it forms a feature of the F1 season.
“If it doesn’t work, we put hands up and we will think again.”
But even if Sprint Qualifying is a success, the championship-winning team boss acknowledged there will be times when it won’t be used.
“I’m not sure this format would be as successful at Monaco,” Brawn said. “We’re considering these weekends being ‘Grand Slam’ events, spread through the season, so it is something different.
“I don’t think it’ll go to the whole season, I think it’ll be a limited number of races, but that is to be decided.”