Sky Sports F1 Podcast: David Croft calls for introduction of separate Sprint world championship
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Last Updated: 15/08/23 2:56pm
Sky Sports F1's David Croft says creating a separate Sprint world championship could help the sport optimise its alternative weekend format.
Having debuted in 2021, the Sprint format has delivered many exciting moments but continues to have imperfections that some members of the paddock feel could be improved.
With the number of Sprint weekends having doubled to six this season, the format is undoubtedly here to stay, but Croft believes creating a separate title would add more value.
"We need to think about the show and the spectacle and marketing sometimes needs to be a bit more important than engineering," he told the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
"But we need to also keep that balance in engineering as well, and I think we're getting there with the Sprint.
"I think the Sprint concept is good, I like it, but I don't like it being part of the world championship.
"I'd like two separate world championships, like cricket has T20, ODIs and Test match, and we'll keep them separate."
The current format sees a solo practice session take place on Friday ahead of main qualifying for Sunday's race, before a Sprint qualifying and race double on Saturday.
There has been criticism over the current rule that after that one 60-minute practice session, cars are put under parc ferme rules, which leaves teams unable to make set-up changes through the remainder of the weekend.
"Have your Sprint day on a Friday maybe, rather than the Saturday," Croft added.
"You could go into Sprint qualifying and then the Sprint, with maybe a 20-minute warm up in the morning - that's your Friday.
"And then the cars are not in parc ferme for the rest of the weekend, because you then have your practice session on the Saturday morning, Saturday qualifying and then the race on Sunday.
"So you're keeping the two very separate for different world championships."
World championship leader Max Verstappen has repeatedly criticised the Sprint format, suggesting that continued changes to the calendar could hasten his eventual exit from the sport.
Croft says drivers could be given the option not to compete in the Sprint competition, creating opportunities for the next generation of drivers.
"If the teams and all the drivers don't want to run in the Sprint world championships, fine, there's enough reserve drivers that do," Croft said.
"Maybe that's a good way of getting the reserve drivers involved in that. So commercially, that's kind of what I'd look at.
"There are a fair amount of fans who don't like the sprint at all, but maybe if you had the Sprint at the start and then the rest of the weekend is the Grand Prix weekend, that might overcome that a little bit."
Should blue flags be banned?
Croft has also suggested banning blue flags could make races more entertaining.
Blue flags are used by the race director to instruct cars that are about to be lapped to move out the way and allow the car behind through.
Ignoring blue flags and failing to let a car through promptly can result in a time penalty or disqualification for the offending driver.
"Just put the show first, occasionally, ban blue flags because if you're good enough to be leading a race, you're good enough to pass another driver, who's not leading the race because they're last, without them having to jump out the way," suggested Croft.
"It might make things a lot more interesting as well and you could do that without any investment in the sport, without any engineering challenges whatsoever.
"With a wave of a flag, you could actually just get rid of something that I just think is unnecessary. Other motorsport categories don't have blue flags.
"But it's difficult, we have a tradition and a heritage in Formula 1 that you don't want to upset too much, and you want to keep."
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