Isack Hadjar, driver for Red Bull Racing, has changed his mind about sprint races in Formula 1 after experiencing a difficult weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix.
His time at the Marina Bay circuit got off to a bad start, as he expressed that his car was behaving poorly, especially in braking zones, during the first practice session. Additionally, he finished seven-tenths behind his teammate, Max Verstappen.
His performance in the sprint qualifying was not more hopeful, despite reaching the third round of qualifying. Hadjar stated that he was unable to complete a clean lap, as he was constantly battling with his vehicle.
The French driver acknowledged that he did not have the opportunity to improve the setup of his car due to mechanical issues. He suffered engine failures during the sprint race, a fourth-gear failure during the main qualifying session, and managed a disappointing tenth place in the complete race.
Although his difficulties were mainly due to a lack of reliability, Hadjar emphasized that the reduction to a single practice session hindered making vital adjustments to his car. ‘With these weekends, you don’t have the chance to work on the car; you just have to rely on luck,’ he lamented.
His dissatisfaction became evident when asked whether the sprint format adds stress or excitement to the weekend. ‘Maybe it rewards those who don’t work as well,’ he reflected, thus showing his disappointment with the current format.
Moreover, Hadjar expressed his concern about the increase in sprint races, which will go from six to ten starting in the 2027 season. ‘I don’t know who makes these decisions,’ he said, questioning the usefulness of a sprint race in Monaco, where overtaking is nearly impossible.
With this perspective, Hadjar, who had previously enjoyed sprint races, is now skeptical about their future in this format in Formula 1.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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