Perez wants reverse grid sprints, Max says bin it

Sergio Perez believes Formula One should use reverse grids to set the starting order for sprint races next year or drop the concept of the shortened races altogether.

The sixth and final sprint race of the 2023 season took place in Brazil on Saturday, with Perez’s Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen winning the 24-lap race ahead of Lando Norris.

Verstappen has been critical of sprint races ever since their introduction in 2021, despite small changes to the format each year that have attempted to improve the show.

The initial idea floated by Formula One had been for 100km (62.1 mile) races featuring a reverse grid — most likely with the starting order decided by flipping the championship standings.

The reverse grid idea was rejected by the teams but as a concession they agreed to three sprints in 2021 and 2022, with the order setting the grid for the grand prix, which then morphed into six races in 2023 with the sprint featuring as a standalone race that is unrelated to Sunday’s main event.

Perez believes now is the time to go back to the original idea or drop sprints altogether.

“I think if they want to keep this format of the sprint races, we have got to change it,” Perez said after finishing third in Saturday’s race.

“I would propose a reverse grid, something like that, to make it more interesting for the fans because I don’t think it is working what we want to achieve.

“Nothing really happens in these sorts of races.”

Asked if he was being serious about reverse grids, Perez added: “Yeah, I think it would mix things up and create more opportunities, a lot more overtaking.

“If we want to keep this format, give it a go on something quite different. The last few years this sort of event hasn’t brought a lot of good racing.”

The current format sees qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix on Friday, a second qualifying — known as the shootout — on Saturday that then sets grid for the 100km sprint race later the same day.

The minimum length of an F1 race, per the regulations, is 305km (190 miles).

That order of the sessions is likely to change next year so that the shootout is on Friday evening, the sprint race is the first session on Saturday, grand prix qualifying is the second session on Saturday and the full-length race still takes place as the main event on Sunday.

When Verstappen was asked what he would change, he said: “Just a normal race weekend, please. Thank you.

“I’m not interested in any changes [to the format]. I just don’t like it.”

The day before winning the Sao Paulo sprint race, Verstappen qualified on pole position, where he will start Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.