I think we can all agree that what happened at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix qualifying is one of those moments where we take a deep breath and say, “I love F1”, as it restores our faith in the sport.
But this little voice in my head wishes it wasn’t a Sprint Race weekend.
The pole from Haas and K-Mag was incredible, the scenes in the garages were epic, and I could almost hear the cheers from every F1 fan’s household as the timer for qualifying ran down.
But doesn’t it make you sad that they could get very few points from it by the end of the weekend? I’d have loved to believe the Haas could’ve made it through the Sprint unchallenged, a lights-to-flag victory! But, realistically, the top 3 teams were always going to swallow him up.
Though, he did give it a good shot.
Sprint races have been met with criticism from fans since the F1 introduced them; they are full of controversy. On the one hand, as racing fans – how can we dislike the fact we get to see more racing over the weekend?
On the other hand, the Sprints are often just a parade of cars driving around, taking no risks because it could hinder their actual race.
Although, not all drivers listened to that advice this weekend. *coughs* Ocon and Alonso *coughs*
Admittedly, I’m definitely ‘Team No Sprint Races’, and despite another incredible Sprint race in Brazil, this weekend has confirmed that even further.
Imagine if that same qualifying session had happened on Saturday, like usual. Kevin Magnussen would’ve lined up on the grid on Sunday, ready to give absolutely everything for at least a podium. And, with potential weather risks, strategy to shake things up, and more laps to build some ground, I think he’d of had a better chance of gaining essential points during a full-length race.
Instead, he drove into his grid place, knowing he was a sitting duck.
Starting P8 on the grid tomorrow, Kevin’s very likely to drop out of the points altogether, which would be extremely disappointing for fans and the team.
I mean, at least it counts as an actual pole position and not just the Speed King award.
Do you think the sprint races should stay in F1?
