Carlos Sainz Presents F1 With Radical Change To Create More Excitement

Would this idea work out the way Sainz believes it could in F1?

Atlassian Williams Racing

Carlos Sainz has called for Formula 1 to continue tweaking the sprint weekend format to inject excitement into the spectacle.

The sport has run the alternate format since an initial run of three trial events during the 2021 season, with that number since increased to the current tally of six per campaign — the fifth of which in 2025 is at this weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos.

Sprint weekends originally held qualifying for the main grand prix on Friday after the sole practice session, with parc ferme implemented when cars rolled out for the first competitive session. That left sprint as a standalone event on Saturday, though no changes could be made to set-ups between the shorter race and the grand prix.

The start of the sprint at the 2025 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. | Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Tweaks were made before what we have now, where sprint qualifying and sprint follow each other across Friday and Saturday before parc ferme is relaxed ahead of qualifying for further tweaks to be made. The sprint remains an open tire choice, with most drivers running on mediums to ensure they can reach the end.

Yet Sainz is hoping further experiments will be held to perfect the format moving forward.

"You might get a wet race in Canada or a shower in Singapore, and it turns out to be the best sprint in history," Sainz told media, as per RacingNews365. "It's more the format change that I think is required for the sprint, and I think Stefano [Domenicali, F1 CEO] is open to doing that.

Excited for more of this! 💚💛#F1 #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/9KkZPVgLex

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 3, 2025

"Right now, the sprint, I'm not a big fan, because it unveils what the first stint on Sunday is going to be like, because qualifying is the same format as on Sundays. I would rather have different ideas around the sprint, so it doesn't reveal so much about the race.

"One simple idea could be to make sure everyone does the sprint race on soft tires, which is a high-deg tire.

"Normally, on a very few numbers of tracks, we choose the soft for the first stint of the race, and that could be a very easy, short-term solution, and also because we are throwing five sets of tires in the bin.

"Every week, we put one lap on soft tires in qualifying, and then we give them back, and I don't know where Pirelli stores them, but for us, it is a one-lap tyre, so that could be an easy fix."

Could F1 try reverse grids?

Carlos Sainz, Williams, in the FIA press conference ahead of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. | Williams F1 Team

Reverse grids have consistently been rumored to be in discussions when addressing how to make the sprint format more exciting, though this has drawn ire from drivers and teams as they aim to preserve the meritocracy of F1.

But Sainz is open to at least trying more radical ideas, including reverse grids and qualifying format changes.

"It probably requires something a bit more spicy, and the Sprint race should be a bit more spicy, and it should be a good opportunity to maybe experiment with different formats, to be open-minded and if it works, great, and if it doesn't, change it again like we did in the past.

"I am not a big fan of reversed grid, but I wouldn't be completely opposed to trying something different, and Sprint Qualifying could be different, with maybe a superpole in SQ3. You should just keep adding something different and keep trying different things.

"If it works, great, and it's better for the format, but if it doesn't, don't be scared to say, put it in the bin, acknowledge it didn't work, and try something different."

The Latest Formula 1 News

Williams Announces Name And Logo Changes For F1 2026

F1 Hits Back At Drivers Over TV Broadcast Criticism

Grassroots Fan Ventures Are Filling The Void In Formula 1’s U.S. Strategy

Liam Lawson Cleared Of Wrongdoing As FIA Provides Investigation Update