Formula 1 has grand ambitions for sprint events, albeit ones that have yet to be realised primarily thanks to conservatism and resistance from teams.
But there’s one aspect of them that little or no effort has been made with. If it’s all about getting fans engaged, giving them more to watch, more content to consume and therefore a few more million dollars in FOM’s balance sheet, why is the effort made with storytelling almost non-existent?
Yes, the sprints are always talked up before the fact and while there’s always a high risk the single-stint races will be processional, when a big talking point does flare up, often there’s very little material to support the storytelling or attempts by F1 to generate it.
Take the Austin sprint, where Oscar Piastri’s first-corner cutback resulted in a clash with Nico Hulkenberg and team-mate and title rival Lando Norris (incident pictured above).
After that, Piastri said a grand total of 45 words about a moment that could be pivotal in the drivers’ championship battle.
It would be one thing if Piastri were only willing to say 45 words, that’s his prerogative. But usually there’s a single question from FOM for everyone outside the top three at the end of a sprint.
And by the time there's wider access to drivers at the end of the day, the events of grand prix qualifying are foremost in both their minds and the audience's, so revisiting sprint topics is rarely worthwhile - as will be the case again when the format is used this weekend in Brazil and again later this month in Qatar.
Yes, many drivers have little more to say than words to the effect of ‘I started 12th, drove around in 12th and nothing happened’ after a sprint but when a significant tale erupts it needs to be told, and in a relatively short period of time before the main event gets going.
You might argue that this is just a complaint about the written media not getting their pound of flesh. It would be helpful to be able to speak to the drivers after sprints but it’s understandable that they want to avoid the post-race media pen being too time-consuming with qualifying proper to come. It would be a good start just to have more broadcasters able to ask questions rather than relying on the FOM question.
What happens on track is a big part of the story, what’s said off it is also an important element of it and this source of information, insight and comment from the people actually at the centre of the action is wiped out.
Sprints are fundamentally forgettable, but if F1 wants them to become a genuinely integral part of the weekend then there must at least be the chance to get a bit more out of the names in question.
Whether that’s achieved by expanding the pen (even if just for the broadcasters), or perhaps by selecting several key and storied drivers to appear in a second press conference outside the top three is up for debate, but something needs to be done better.
It’s not about expecting the drivers to give hours of their time to explain everything, but it is part of what F1 supposedly considers an entertainment offering.
What’s more, it is actually in the interest of the drivers to get their point across sometimes, meaning a little more time spent after the race if required shouldn’t be too much to ask. After all, it’s their way of speaking to the fans.
This all feeds into the impression the sprints are disposable, forgettable and perfunctory.
There’s plenty that can be done to give sprints their own distinct feel and relevance to the F1 world championship, but they have always been an almost-apologetic bolt-on. Even within the existing format limitations, there are simple ways to enhance them and at least give the impression that those participating believe they matter and that, as a consequence, those watching at home should too.
