Max Verstappen threatens to quit F1 over Sprint Races: 'It is not worth it for me'

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has threatened to turn his back on Formula 1 if the sport's bosses press ahead with plans to expand the number of sprint events.

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The shortened-race format was first introduced at three rounds in 2021, and has been doubled to six this year, with the first of the season taking place in Azerbaijan at the end of the month.

In its current guise, Friday qualifying determines the grid for Saturday's dash. The sprint result then establishes the order for Sunday's Grand Prix.

But Saturday's schedule could now see an additional qualifying session set the grid for the sprint. Friday's qualifying result would then be the starting order for Sunday's main event.

The change in format could even be introduced at the next round in Baku, with an informal meeting of the grid's major players occuring in Melbourne before Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

'I'm not a fan'

But Verstappen, who won Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, said: "I hope there won't be too many changes; otherwise I won't be around for too long.

"I am not a fan of it at all. When we do all that kind of stuff, the weekend becomes very intense, and we already do a lot of races. But it is not the right way to go about it.

"I understand they want to make every day at the track exciting, but they should reduce the weekend, and only race on Saturday and Sunday and make those two days exciting.

"We are heading into seasons where we could have 24 or 25 races, and if you then start adding more, it is not worth it for me. I will not enjoy that.

"And even if you change the format, I don't find that is in the DNA of F1 to do these kinds of sprint races.

"F1 is about getting the most out