Max Verstappen fires warning ahead of 2027 F1 calendar sprint changes

Max Verstappen has questioned the wisdom of staging a sprint race at a street circuit where overtaking is close to impossible.

Verstappen won Saturday's sprint in Singapore from pole position without a single serious passing move behind him.

Although the four-time F1 champion won his first race around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the result did little to change his view of the format.

Speaking to media, including RacingNews365, Verstappen said sprints should be reserved for venues where cars can actually race each other.

"We shouldn't host a sprint where you can't pass," said Verstappen.

"You have tracks where you can race and can overtake, but of course, in some places you cannot pass, and we are going to have sprints there also next year.

"I mean, I'm fine. I just do my thing, and then that's it, right? But it's not what I like."

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Verstappen highlights major problem

Verstappen pointed to the car's limited overtaking aids as the root of the issue at a track like Marina Bay.

"The track is great, but also the problem we have at the moment is with the overtake mode, it barely does anything here," he said.

"You don't really gain a lot on the straights. So that, and with how all the rules are at the moment, with our lovely batteries, it just doesn't do much.

"You can't even get super close or have a massive overspeed at the moment. So we need to have a longer straight, or more of a proper hairpin to overtake, but even with that, we also need a bigger delta on the straight."

Verstappen's comments carry extra weight given what is coming next year, with a sprint confirmed ahead of the Monaco GP as part of an expanded 10-sprint F1 calendar. Monaco already produces the fewest overtakes of any circuit in F1.