“It can ruin the whole weekend”– Helmut Marko flares a warning to Formula 1 ahead of the sprint races implementation in Grand Prix.
The sprint races are a hot topic before the British Grand Prix next week, and there are hardly any fans of the concept in the paddock with many calling it a money-making machine for Formula 1.
To add up to the conflict, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has sent a warning against the sprint races by claiming it could ruin the whole weekend.
“If something goes wrong on Friday, it can ruin the whole weekend,” Marko told Speedweek. “The first practice session is the only chance to check your form, after that the parc ferme regulation comes into force.
“That means you can only correct something on Saturday in the second practice session,” he concluded. The sprint races have pushed the qualifying on Friday, which will now determine the grid positions for the sprint races, and the latter for the main race.
No harm in trying
Even though the sprint races haven’t received the ideal amount of support from the paddock, there’s been also an agreement among all drivers and team management that there is no harm in trying it.
Most probably, the feeling is there because F1 hasn’t imposed the concept and instead are transitioning it with only three sprint races this year, viewing it as a preliminary stage, and giving it a possibility of scrapping it.
So, if it is successful, then the sprint races may be implemented full-fledged in 2022. F1 managing director recently has shown his nervousness with the sprint races, as he has claimed he worked immensely hard to make it possible.
Thus, it will be seen on Saturday that what the people of F1 think about it.
