Max Verstappen Is NOT HAPPY With FIA\’s New Rule Change! Additional Sprint Races Are Concerning

The year 2022 has been Max Verstappen\’s season in Formula One. He is having a fabulous season and is almost certain to be crowned Formula One Champion for the second time. However, FIA has announced a new scheme change ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. The addition of the six sprint races in the 2023 season might not land well with the young Dutch driver.

FIA Approved Huge Changes!

The FIA has declared that starting in 2023 and continuing into later years, there will be more sprint sessions on the racing calendar. Although Max Verstappen has publicly voiced that he is not a fan of the races, the events garnered a mixed reception. The number of sprint races on the racing schedule will now increase to six from the existing three. Since the introduction of the 100km races the previous year, qualifying has been forced to relocate to Friday, resulting in three-day racing events.

The teams have long been in favor of doubling the number of Sprints. But F1 and governing body FIA rejected it. However, on Tuesday, the World Motor Sport Council unanimously voted on the proposal to increase the sprints. The CEO and president CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed the news in an official statement. He said, \”I am pleased that we can confirm six sprints will be part of the Championship from 2023 onwards, building on the success of the new format introduced for the first time in 2021.\”

With competition starting on Friday and continuing through the main event on Sunday, the Sprint offers action over three days. Consequently, the weekend will now have more drama and excitement. Verstappen is now leading the Formula One standings with 335 points. And Charles Leclerc, a driver for Ferrari, is his closest challenger with 219 points. It looks like the Dutchman will have a long reign at the top of Formula One. However, the 24-year-old may need to get used to a life filled with sprint races.

What Is A Sprint?

The short Saturday race, known as The Sprint, was introduced by FIA in 2021 and come back in 2022, changing up the typical weekend schedule and adding another race for more wheel-to-wheel racing. Drivers race over 100 km, which is essentially a scaled-down version of what we see on Sundays. 

In a dash for grid positions for the Grand Prix and points for their championship aspirations, this race is only a third of its normal length. Max Verstappen won both of this year\’s Sprint events in Imola and Austria, giving him a total of eight points. The next event of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix, will see the sprint\’s comeback.

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