Sprint racing is one of those concepts that has divided opinions not just among the experts but the drivers too. The concept was first introduced in 2021 and since then has gone through a number of iterations. One man who has opposed it all the way since the beginning is Max Verstappen. And the one who has embraced it with open arms is none other than his sworn rival, Lewis Hamilton. While the duo continues to hold differing opinions on yet another issue, the Dutchman gets advice on following Fernando Alonso‘s instincts.

Before the FIA was pondering over introducing Sprints in F1, Max vehemently opposed it. He cautioned against it, citing the chances of drivers damaging their cars just for a few points. Moreover, because that was the year when the ruling body introduced the cost cap, he also raised the issue of the cost of repair work in the event a driver crashes. Later, he went as far as calling it “not a real race”.

Starting from the next GP in Baku, FIA is ready to introduce another set of changes to the race weekend owing to another change to the Sprint concept. The weekend will now have two separate qualifying sessions, one for the Sprint race and another for the main race.

Discussing how drivers are the best ambassadors of the concept in a recent episode of The Last Lap podcast, co-host Aldas said, “There was that big question (ahead of the first Sprint at Silverstone in 2021), ‘are drivers really going to go for it? It’s the first one, maybe they’ll take it back’. Fernando Alonso did not hold back. That first lap was unbelievable. And that kind of set the tone because that was a season when there was a lot on line for all of the teams. So, I think the drivers don’t hold back. It’s in their nature to just go for it.”

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Hamilton too spoke on the recent changes introduced for race weekends with the Sprint race. He supported FIA for bringing little changes one step at a time.

Lewis Hamilton lends his support to the FIA despite Verstappen’s vehement opposition

When the Sprint race first came in 2021, the top 3 drivers scored 3, 2, and 1 points. In 2022, they changed it to accommodate top-8 drivers in point-scoring finishes. The points were distributed in descending order, from P1 getting 8 points and P8 getting 1. Until the recent announcement, the only change FIA introduced was doubling the sprint race weekends from 3 to 6.

Lewis lauded this approach of slowly bringing in minor changes. GP Fans recently quoted him as saying, “I do think we constantly need to be evolving and assessing what we’re doing.”

“I think the changes with the sprint races have been positive in some places. I’m open to changes, to continue to make it more inclusive and more engaging for the fans.”

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As the FIA continues to promote Sprint racing, it will be interesting to know what Verstappen feels about it. Will he be amused with the new race weekend schedule?