Should F1 follow Flavio Briatore's call for more Sprint weekends?

Flavio Briatore recently put forward a radical proposal calling for Sprint weekends to take up a much larger share of the Formula 1 calendar. But is this the inevitable direction the sport should take? Since its introduction in 2021, Formula 1 has taken a measured approach to expanding the Sprint format. The experiment began with three events in its first season, a figure that remained unchanged in 2022 before being doubled to six from 2023 onwards. Alongside its growing presence on the calendar, the format itself has undergone several revisions over the years, with F1 repeatedly adjusting the structure of Sprint weekends as the concept has evolved. In a recent interview with The Race, the Italian manager argued that Sprint races should feature at every Formula 1 weekend, believing the format would offer spectators more meaningful track action. Briatore criticised the traditional Friday schedule for being largely focused on technical work, with drivers completing limited running that he feels offers little entertainment for fans. He believes Sprint weekends provide greater value by giving drivers another competitive session with something at stake rather than spending their time primarily gathering information for engineers. For Briatore, having two races and two starts across a Grand Prix weekend would improve the spectacle, leading him to propose the most radical possible expansion of the format: 24 Sprint races across a 24-round calendar. "I believe we need to do the sprint races. If it was me, every race, because we need to give something more to the spectator. We do nothing for the spectator, because Friday morning is only technical. You got two laps, you come back, and people are not here," he said. "After Saturday in the morning, after you have the qualifying and that's finito, you have the race. With the sprint race, at least you have two races, two starters, and the driver is driving for something. He's not driving only for the engineering. For me, 24 races, 24 sprint races." Photo: Race Pictures Photo: Race Pictures While Briatore's proposal to introduce Sprints at all 24 Grands Prix appears too ambitious for the time being, Formula 1 is already moving towards increasing their presence on the calendar. The F1 CEO confirmed that plans are already in place for a larger number of Sprint events in the future, with an announcement expected alongside the calendar. According to Sky Sports, the number could rise to nine or 10, which, combined with 24 Grands Prix, would effectively produce as many as 34 races over the course of a season. The question therefore arises naturally: should Formula 1 continue increasing the number of races through additional Sprints, or should the calendar move in the opposite direction to avoid placing an even greater workload on drivers and teams over the course of the season?