Verstappen slams sprint format: 'Just scrap the whole thing'

Formula One's new standalone sprint format had its fans on Saturday but Red Bull's double world champion Max Verstappen was not among them.

"Just scrap the whole thing," he said after finishing third in the 100km race, the first of six scheduled for 2023's record 23-round season.

"I think it's just important to go back to what we have, and make sure that every team can fight for a win, that's what we have to try and aim for and (not) try to implement all this kind of artificial excitement.

"It's not proper racing, it’s more like gambling. I think I will have more success in Vegas if I go to the casino. So yeah, I like racing, I'm a pure racer and I think this is more for the show."

Saturday was the first time Formula One had run sprint qualifying and race on the same day with no connection to Sunday's main grand prix.

Previously the Saturday sprint had been used to set the Sunday grid while also awarding points to the top eight finishers.

This time there was only one practice session on Friday, followed by a qualifying for Sunday and then a day of sprint activity on Saturday. At old-style grands prix, there are three practice sessions and qualifying on Saturday.

"I would say I got bored through today's qualifying to be honest," said Verstappen.

"I like to have one particular qualifying, where you just put everything in it, and that was yesterday, which I of course enjoy, and then they have to do it again today. I'm like, ‘my God, another qualifying?’ I just don't really enjoy that."

He compared having two races one after the other to a soccer game where "it's 3-0 up for one team and then suddenly you just say ‘oh let's reset it to 0-0 and go again’."

Mexican team mate Sergio Perez, who won the sprint and has the best record of