Formula 1's experimental Sprint Qualifying format was used again at the Italian Grand Prix, with Carlos Sainz stating that more can be done to improve Saturday's track action. F1 rolled out the Sprint format at Silverstone back in July, featuring FP1 and qualifying on Friday, followed by FP2 and a Sprint race on Saturday, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday. There were mixed reviews after the past weekend's action. Red Bull's Sergio Perez was critical of the format, calling it boring for fans and drivers alike , while F1 Motorsport Director Ross Brawn believes it gave a different complexion to the weekend . Sainz weighed in on the matter as well, stating that while Friday has improved with qualifying now taking place in the evening, changes are needed in order to make Saturday more exciting. "I think Friday is clearly improved for everyone," Sainz told RacingNews365.com and other members of the media. "I think FP1 is exciting because you know you need to learn. "Also for the teams, with the amount of simulation tools there are nowadays, it forces the teams to be modern, up to date and to be on top of the simulations to try and put together a good car already on Friday. "Teams nowadays have enough tools to make that happen, as you saw at Monza and Silverstone. "We need to find a way to make Saturday a bit more exciting. I don't see the Sprint being more exciting than Saturday qualifying, so we need to find a way to make it better for everyone." Leclerc echoed his teammates sentiments by admitting he's a bit bored on a normal Friday, while pointing out that he didn't enjoy Monza's Sprint race as much as the one held in Silverstone. "I think for the Friday it's definitely something positive," Leclerc told RacingNews365.com and other members of the media. "I am a bit bored on the normal Friday because with FP1 and FP2 there is nothing to gain and nothing to lose. "I mean you get to put in laps and that's always good, but you've got so many chances to make up for what you have lost in FP1 for example. Now FP1 is an actual session where it's worth pushing and finding the limits. "As for the Sprint Qualifying, it was good at Silverstone but I didn't enjoy it as much at Monza. Maybe there's room to try something different for Sprint Qualifying. I think we are more or less all on the same page to just try and do something different."
Most read
