Eddie Jordan wants to see sprint races either “banned with immediate effect” or limited to rookie drivers. The format has been a lacklustre addition to race weekends since being debuted in 2021.
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That’s despite several changes in the seasons since to try and make them a more exciting spectacle. While fans have differing opinions, F1 legend Jordan is staunch in his view.
If he had his way, they’d be scrapped tomorrow. But the 76-year-old acknowledges they’re likely here to stay, and therefore proposed a rule change to try and improve their usefulness.
Speaking on his Formula For Success podcast alongside broadcast colleague David Coulthard, Jordan said: “There’s lots of young drivers out there who are twiddling their thumbs because it’s really difficult to get in.
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“And I came up with a little scheme where - I hate sprint races, I think they’re awful, they should be banned with immediate effect - however if we’re going to keep them, please can the sprint races be for young drivers who have not completed 10 Grand Prix.
“So maybe give young drivers the chance to compete against themselves so we, the fans, can actually see what’s about to unfold to us in the future, see what the potential is, give the guys a chance. Those who are racing every weekend in karting, in Formula 4, in Formula 4 2000, whatever the Formula is, at least give them the chance and the belief that they have a chance of making Formula One.”
Coulthard was a fan of the suggestion, outlining one of the positives it would create. “It would avoid potential young F2 drivers arriving on a full contract and then not delivering,” he declared. “You would see it in the sprint weekends. I don’t want to name names on this particular podcast unless you force me.”
Jordan wasn’t going to let him off that easily, saying: “Oh go on, it’s not like you to be on the fence David.” So Coulthard continued: “[Nicholas] Latifi, Logan Sargeant at the moment. Latifi didn’t rise to the level that maybe his junior Formula career would’ve shown.
“Sargeant hasn’t reached the same level as Alex Albon [at Williams]. You maybe could’ve found that out in a few sprint races, because F1 is very different to any other Formula. It’s a different pressure, it’s a different animal altogether. The intensity, the pressure, the spotlight. Some people are just not cut out for that.”
There’ll be a total of six sprint weekends this season. The 10 teams agreed to alter the format earlier this year so sprint qualifying, or shootout, is held on Fridays, with the race following on Saturday before qualifying for the GP.