F1 News: Toto Wolff Damning Statement - "Sprint Races Are Stupid"

Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff speaks out on the sprint race format changing.

Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff has expressed his preference for traditional Grand Prix weekends over Sprint races in Formula 1. His recent comments suggest a dramatic shift towards a 'WWE '-style racing format for Sprints.

Key Takeaways:

• Toto Wolff's Criticism of Sprint Races: Wolff has voiced his criticism of the Sprint race format in Formula 1, labelling it as "stupid" and expressing a preference for the traditional Grand Prix format.
• Suggested Changes to Sprint Format: Wolff suggests a more entertainment-focused approach for Sprint races, proposing a reverse grid format to differentiate them from the main Grand Prix events.
• Wolff's Openness to Experimentation: Despite his criticisms, Wolff acknowledges the interest in Sprint races and is open to experimenting with new formats, including a unique qualifying system using specific tyre compounds.

Mercedes' team principal Toto Wolff has made a striking statement about the Sprint race format in Formula 1, describing it as "stupid" and showing a preference for the traditional Grand Prix weekends. This comes as the F1 Commission is considering changes to the Sprint format, which has been a subject of debate since its introduction in 2021.

Wolff's comments, as quoted by PlanetF1, reveal a nuanced view of the Sprint races. He commented:

“We discussed it. I think it’s an interesting format. We like it. But we have too many variables at the moment.

“Sprint weekends in general, I’m not the biggest fan because I think it dilutes the value of the Grand Prix.

“But I can understand the service, that people like it – there’s more people like it than don’t. Maybe I’m too purist. Maybe I’m too old school.

“But I’d rather have a Grand Prix than a Sprint race weekend. We need to know that a Grand Prix is at two or three o’clock in the afternoon, and that’s it.

“We’ve done those Sprint race weekends, and we are tweaking the format, which I think is positive.

“I think, to a degree, you do a Sprint qualifying, you do a Sprint race, you do Grand Prix qualifying, and you do a Grand Prix. That works much better.”

While acknowledging the popularity and potential for entertainment, he remains a purist at heart, favouring the classic Grand Prix setup. Wolff's idea for a 'WWE'-style approach to Sprints suggests a dramatic shift, proposing reverse grid races to create a clear distinction from the main Grand Prix events.

“We talked about reverse grid races.

“I can get my head around a reverse grid Sprint race because at least we are really declaring ‘that’s the stupid race’.

“Six times a year, we’re doing something that is really stupid, and everybody knows to differentiate that.

“There will be other winners and different podiums, that’s refreshing. We do WWE on Saturday six times, and then we play Formula 1 24 times on Sunday.”

Mercedes Press Image