Max Verstappen And George Russell Fail To Agree On Proposed Calendar Change

Saajan Jogia | Sep 8, 2024

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 24, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. / Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Max Verstappen and George Russell have expressed their views on the sprint race which has been proposed for rookie drivers after the Abu Dhabi grand finale, and their opinions differ vastly from each other. Formula 1 is considering the sprint race as an initiative to offer young talent more exposure to premier-class machinery.

Due to the limited testing opportunities rookie drivers receive in the current cars, senior figures in Formula 1 management believe that new F1 drivers are less prepared now than they were in the past when more track time was available. Thus, various ideas are being explored to offer them more time on the track in F1 cars.

For the upcoming F1 Commission meeting, sporting directors have been asked to assess the proposal's feasibility and identify potential adjustments to the current regulations, as it would require a modification to the sporting rules.

If the rookie sprint race were to be confirmed, it would be scheduled for the day after the single-day test in Abu Dhabi, specifically on the Tuesday following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December. When three-time world champion Verstappen was asked for his views, he revealed that the rookie sprint race would be received with a lack of interest. Instead, he offered a suggestion that could be considered by Formula 1. He told the media:

"Not my problem. I'm on holidays.

"I don't know. I don't think everyone is excited after the final race to then do another race on Tuesday. If you want to give rookies a chance, just put them in the car."

Mercedes driver George Russell, however, expressed excitement about the idea, revealing that he has always had mixed feelings about the FP1 outings for rookie drivers. He said:

"I actually quite like the idea, to be honest. I always have mixed feelings about the FP1 sessions for a rookie because unless you've had a lot of experience, doing F1 tests is very, very challenging.

"I remember my first FP1 I did with Force India in Sao Paulo. I'd only done two days of F1 testing prior to that. I'd never been to Sao Paulo. And it really felt that I was thrown in that deep end. There was a lot of scrutiny on those two laps, three laps you get on a brand new set of tyres. But an opportunity for rookie drivers to do a full day of testing, then straight into a sprint race weekend. Yeah, I think it's a good idea."