While Formula 1 plans ten Sprint weekends next season, the choice of the Principality raises questions due to the particular characteristics of its circuit.
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The narrow streets of Monaco and the dimensions of modern F1 cars make overtaking extremely difficult.
The arrival of a Sprint therefore raises fears of a particularly processional race, even if the format will offer spectators an additional qualifying session.
Greater risk-taking
The positioning of the Sprint in the schedule could also influence the behavior of the drivers. The short race must take place only a few hours before the Grand Prix qualifying. On a circuit where the slightest mistake can end in the barriers, some might therefore favor caution so as not to compromise their participation in the decisive session.
The reigning world champion Lando Norris has already reacted. For him, the main interest is not necessarily the Sprint, but the fact that drivers will have to attack in Monaco after only one free practice session: “You don’t have as much time to gradually build up, so you’ll probably have to take a bit more risks earlier.”
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He himself acknowledges that not much usually happens during the race in Monaco. However, going straight from FP1 to Sprint qualifying will force drivers to find their limits much faster on a circuit where the slightest mistake ends in the wall. He believes this should be more exciting for the spectators.
Two qualifications, more spectacle
In Monaco, qualifying already holds exceptional importance since grid position strongly influences the race result. With Sprint qualifying followed by Grand Prix qualifying, the two timed sessions could ultimately offer more spectacle than the two races themselves.
The Automobile Club of Monaco is said to have made a significant investment to secure the organization of the Sprint, notably due to the economic benefits generated by an additional day presenting a real sporting challenge. The choice of Abu Dhabi among the other 2027 Sprint rounds also fuels discussions, as the Yas Marina circuit is not systematically conducive to many overtakes.
The increase to ten Sprints in 2027 thus illustrates Formula 1’s desire to strengthen the sporting interest of each day of a weekend. It remains to be seen whether this format will work in Monaco, where the difficulty of overtaking and the risk of damaging the car before qualifying could produce the opposite effect to that sought.