Toto Wolff has supported the decision to discuss changes to the sprint race weekend schedules, but believes dramatic changes may not be best for the sport. Formula 1, the FIA and F1 team bosses are in talks to change the schedule for the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix. RacingNews365 understands that an agreement has been reached between the ten Formula 1 teams to alter the format to include two qualifying sessions; one for the main grand prix, and one for the sprint. Whilst F1 team principals have been largely unanimous in their support for a schedule change, the finer details, such as the exact format of the additional qualifying session and tyre usage, will have been key topics for the team's figureheads.
Wolff: Use a Stanley knife, not a baseball bat
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff warned that, whilst he trusts the opinion of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, the sport needs to be cautious about adjusting too much, too soon. “We all share the same objective: We want the sport to continue to develop well and grow its audiences. We just need to find a common denominator of what the best principle is," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.com . “I’m more on the conservative side. I like qualifying, I like the grand prix, the great prize, but we have to also be open minded about where the sport is going to go and some of the sprint races have been fantastic. “So whatever Stefano decides is good, I think he will have all the data on the table what is good for the audiences, what is good for the brand and then we just want to maybe try and tweak things without using a baseball bat, but with a Stanley knife. “I think two qualifying sessions per se is not something that's bad, but even if we stick with the current [qualifying] format, I think we wouldn't be able to do this with the engine management, and I think Pirelli's hasn't got enough tyres. That's something that needs to be solved."
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