Ever since the introduction of the sprint race, there’s been one driver outstandingly vocal in his criticism of the format. In April last year, Max Verstappen had come to terms with the sprint but was not a fan of it. Fast forward a year later, and the Dutch Lion has lost all hope in the format.

The three-time world champion has been adamant that the only way we get more interesting and closer to racing is if the cars themselves are more competitive. He had the same opinion when asked for the millionth time what he believes would ‘make’ the sprint more interesting.

[Luke Smith] Top three asked by @JBLAutosport in the press conference what changes they’d like to see for sprints next year to make them better races. Verstappen: “Just a normal race weekend, please, thank you. I’m not interested in any change. I don’t like it.”
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The Brazilian GP sprint race was arguably the most entertaining of them all, but it was created somewhat artificially by not allowing the teams to reach their true pace with only one practice session. When the podium finishers were asked about their opinion on what changes could keep the sprint this entertaining, Verstappen was furious. The sprint winner shared, “Just a normal race weekend, please, thank you. I’m not interested in any change. I don’t like it.”

The Dutch Lion’s comments gained traction on a Reddit post, after all, Verstappen seems to be the only driver echoing fans’ concerns with the sprint weekend!

Max Verstappen is hailed as the ‘people’s champ’ after calling it quits on Sprint Format

“Personally I enjoy seeing teams try to nail their setup during the course of 3 practice sessions. Having a sprint race where you are simply hoping for lack of practice to influence the race has never sat well with me.” – This fan agreed with Verstappen’s prior concerns that the sprint form just does not give the teams enough time to perfectly dial in their set-ups. This has resulted in heartbreak for Lewis Hamilton recently, at the US GP.

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“Put that on the front page of your website F1.” – Another Redditor called out Formula 1. Well, sharing such a reaction to a format from the sport’s current champion would not be in the books for Liberty Media.

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Earlier, Verstappen had also made a comparison with soccer, stating that the rules had remained consistent in that sport, which is why it’s maintained its popularity. This Redditor extended his support to the three-time champion. “Fully agree. I hate sprint weekends. Holding a truncated version of the main event, the day before the main event is the dumbest sh*t ever. Imagine if they had a mini 15 minute match between the world cup teams the day before the main game. It’s f**king stupid.”

READ MORE: “Like Handing a Cookie”: Max Verstappen Takes Hilarious Jibe at Lando Norris Moments After 1st Lap Humiliation

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While Verstappen always has a clear-cut answer for the sprint-race questions, a fan was left in awe of the media’s stubbornness with the topic, “How many times are they gonna ask Max?“

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“I love the fact Max is openly wanting closer competition, this is something that a lot of drivers would dodge around naturally. I think he and Fernando are the only two recently that have continually pushed for teams to be closer.” – Delighted on Verstappen’s campaign to promote better racing, this fan commended Fernando Alonso as well for his efforts and also called out other drivers for turning a blind eye.

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Another fan chimed in, “I like him more because he’s one of only people talking crap about it. I completely get that F1TV commentators need to hype sprints but stuff like “Lando Norris wants to get his maiden win” grinds me gears because it wouldn’t even be counted for win dammit!”

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Going along the same lines, a pattern emerged. “That’s also a lot of what I hate about the format. You win a sprint and what are you? You’re not an F1 race winner.” The matter in question, of course, is Oscar Piastri’s sprint race win in US GP, which he dismissed because it was during the sprint session. With many fans calling it a ‘session win’ instead, it’s confusing even for the commentators!

With his consistent answers hoping for other teams to catch up to Red Bull on merit, and not based on luck during the sprint weekend, the No ’33’ driver has become a fan-favorite, over-coming the hate he received earlier – “Verstappen is truly the people’s champ” 

WATCH THIS STORY: How Do Sprint Races Work at an F1 Grand Prix?

Whilst the Brazilian GP sprint race gave us a tantalizing display of excitement, it has unfortunately been a rare occurrence. With immense pressure from Verstappen and Co. to get rid of the format, only time will tell if the Sprint Race format survives!