George Russell has citied his experience in junior categories as a reason why reversed grids in Formula 1 Sprint races "won't work."
As a way of making the shorter Sprint format more exciting in 2024, F1 bosses are discussing format changes, with reversed grids one idea mooted.
Reversed grids have long been proposed as a way of making Grand Prix racing a better spectacle, with the famous 2005 Japanese Grand Prix where winner Kimi Raikkonen started 17th on the grid pointed to as what the format could offer, but leading F1 drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and the now retired Sebastian Vettel have spoken in opposition.
The format is a part of the F2 and F3 schedules, with the top 10 in qualifying for the main feature race reversed for the shorter sprint, with 2018 F2 champion Russell explaining why reversed grids could not work in F1.
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Russell: It won't work
"I won't talk on behalf of the drivers, but my own personal view is that I don't think reverse grid races will work," Russell told media including RacingNews365.
"Purely because I learned when I raced in Formula 2 and Formula 3, is that if you've got the 10 fastest cars, the most challenging car to overtake is the one who you are fighting with.
"If you reverse that grid, you are going to have the quickest car in 10th, trying to overtake the second quickest car in ninth, who is trying to overtake the third quickest car in eight, so each car is trying to overtake their most direct competitor.
"What you'll probably find is that it'll just be a DRS train because you might have a Williams leading from a Haas who he can't quite get past, who is leading from an Alpine who is leading from a McLaren or whoever. The concept won't work.
"The best Sprint races have been when there is tyres degradation, like we saw in Qatar and people on different strategies, and equally in Brazil, the tyrs could only just make it 25 laps, and it was a good race.
"But most of the time, in the Sprint races, you put the Medium tyre, and you're just flat out to the end and there is no good racing."
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Bohunkgearhead
So the possible solution to his quandary is to mandate that everyone race on the soft tire with the reverse grid. Manage your tires (something he is not great at) or get passed by multiple cars at the end.
johnpaul#61287
Modern day F1 drivers don't know how to race and battle it out. Fastest cars are always upfront thanks to DRS, and told not to battle their own feirest rival, their teammates.
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Paul Woodthorpe
A simple solution is to use Qualifying Results for both Sprint and Race. For Sprint race, move 1st-10th qualifiers to the 11th-20th spots, and 12th - 20th qualifiers to 1st - 10th on the grid. That puts more emphasis on the 10 fastest having to overtake the 10 slowest. A semi-reversed grid also means qualifying on Pole starts you in the middle and not the back of the Sprint, and it encourages the lower teams to try to push in qualifying to get a better grid slot for the Sprint and try to score some points to open up the battle for season prize money. The main race will just be the standard race we know with cars starting based on the Qualifying result. This will ensure the likes of Max, Lewis, etc all trying to get Pole for the main race, knowing that it will also mean a better mid-grid start in the Sprint race, and eliminates Russell's concern because small teams will fight every inch for an extra point or two in a Sprint, while Max and Lewis will push hard to overtake knowing that they only have to overtake one or two slower cars to get an extra point or two towards their championship, rather than race from the very back and have to take lots of fast cars. And one qualifying means the Pole winner still gets the Pole for the main race and the glory to go with that while knowing that while it handicaps them in the Sprint too, it isn't a full "back of the grid" handicap.
Lilanopoulos
I think Paul Woodthorpe’s suggestion is the best I’ve heard so far. At least if the qualifying order was used for both races there could be no manipulating of the order for the sprint race/reversal of top 10. The sprint race definitely needs something …
BeniHana
Why not totally seperate Sprint from the regular race and make a seperate Sprint championship that could give some extra spending on the cost cap, or extra wind tunnel time along with a lottery grid. Thinking outside the box, maybe too Las Vegas for some fans.
Glenn Jones
If they reverse the grid some of the points should be for qualifying and the rest for finishing or they will sandbag ,and track limits should only be for cutting across a curve they have way to many to have a good race
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