Lando Norris has voiced his agreement with Max Verstappen over F1 Sprint races after the Dutchman revealed that he is not a fan of the format. Verstappen stated that his belief that there is "no feeling" in the event, which will be held for a third and final time in 2022 over the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend. The Red Bull driver also suggested that the focus on not collecting any damage means that the Sprint is "not really a race". Other drivers, such as Lewis Hamilton, have showed support for the shortened races, with the number held across a season set to increase to six in 2023. Like Verstappen, Norris enjoys the traditional weekend format without the Sprint. "Growing up, always having qualifying and then a race – that's always what I've known Formula 1 to be so, in a way, I'm with Max on that," Norris told media, including RacingNews365.com . "I love the build-up [and] the pressure of having qualifying and one race, [with] nothing coming in-between."
Norris 'doesn't mind' Sprint at correct tracks
Despite this, Norris also believes that the Sprint can work if held at the most appropriate tracks. "At the correct tracks, I also don't mind it," the McLaren driver said. "So when it was in Austria or Monza, tracks you can actually race [at]. Interlagos, reasonably, the easiest track to race on I would say, for most people." The 2021 Sprint race in Brazil proved to be a memorable one for Hamilton, with the seven-time World Champion working his way through the field to finish P5 after starting from the back of the grid due to a penalty. Norris does not think that this type of comeback would be possible for any driver in the Sprint. "That's Lewis in a Mercedes. I don't think it's for everyone; it's not as simple as just saying Lewis did this or that," the Briton continued. "You have to look at the whole grid, the whole field. There are obvious ones [Sprint races] which everyone races at and can have good fun in. "And if you want to put on a better show, which is what the whole point of it is, then I understand it. "But I like Formula 1 how it is, just because I've grown up watching that and being part of it. Sometimes I don't like change, but I also don't mind it."
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