What do you think of the rumoured plan to revamp F1 sprint races?

Late last year F1 announced that there would be double the number of sprint races in 2023, but with just four weeks until the first one in Baku reports suggest bosses want to change the format. Wait, what?

Quick recap: the current ‘sprint’ weekend sees qualifying shifted to Friday to determine the grid for a mini race on Saturday. The results from that set then set the grid for Sunday’s grand prix, with a handful of world championship points dished out in the process.

When the format was first used in 2021 it was the top three who earned points, but now it’s the top eight who are rewarded for their efforts.

Though it was introduced to spice up the action for fans, the results have been mixed. Not only does it feel contrived, but it also breaks the relationship between qualifying and the race. For 70 years pole position went to the fastest driver over a single lap, but on sprint weekends it goes to the fastest over 100km. Which isn’t quite as romantic.

So, what are the new plans? Well, rumour has it that both F1 and the FIA want to make sprint races a standalone event that had no bearing on the grand prix itself. So qualifying would be held on Friday in its current knockout format with Q1, Q2 and Q3, but it would set the grid for Sunday’s race as it does most weekends. Happy days.

The sprint would then become its own thing on Saturday, with each car’s grid position decided by a mini-qualifying session held beforehand on the same day. With us?

It sounds like the format of this quali-lite is the real sticking point: if it’s so short that drivers can only squeeze in one flying lap, what happens if there’s a crash early on and no one sets a time?

And exactly how many risks will drivers realistically take in the name of our entertainment if the big points - y’know, the ones they’re actually paid to deliver - are put in jeopardy by a big shunt during the sprint?

Over to you: what do you think of the rumoured proposals? Sure beats our suggestion from last year to have a standalone sprint race but with the grid set in reverse championship order. Ahem.