The upcoming British GP has everyone’s attention. It’s the season’s first sprint weekend, which will, presumably, spice things up. While Lewis Hamilton believes the race will be nothing special, Ross Brawn supposes otherwise. F1’s managing director credits Baku’s restart for giving everyone a peek into the thrill Silverstone can hold.

“I think what was fascinating was Baku and the little sprint we had at the end, which was exciting,” explained Brawn.

Brawn believes that the drivers can’t get the competition out of their system. “I think racing drivers will race each other in a supermarket car park with shopping trolleys. It’s their nature that they want to beat each other: and there is nothing worse for them to be beaten by somebody.” 

The sprint qualifying could turn a new leaf in the Hamilton-Verstappen title rivalry. Brawn further intensified his hopes, saying, “I think it will be a very good event, a great race… do we think Max [Verstappen] and Lewis [Hamilton] is going to have a different mindset going into that first corner because it’s a sprint? I don’t think so.

“But that’s to be established, and that’s what we need to find out.”

Sprint racing, explained

The FIA and F1 are trying to bring back pure, hard racing. The new format promises 30 minutes of crisp racing, no tire changes, and no mandatory pit stops – just the driver, car, and track. And this is an idea Brawn supports.

“We’ve really tried to encourage flat out racing the whole time. We wanted to have no holding back in qualifying, no funny tire choices in the qualifying, and the same in the sprint… to create a situation where you wouldn’t be disadvantaged in the race by your tire choice”

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The 100km sprint will start on Saturday, the results of which will set the grid for Sunday. Drivers finishing in the first three positions of the sprint will get points – P3 with one point, P2 with two, and P1 with three points.

What to look forward to at the British GP

A lot of opinions are being bounced around about the new format. Some say it’s necessary and won’t continue, while others think it will help boost the sport.

The managing director stated, “Even if you could argue the sprint is only the precursor to the main event, the race, I think they will be desperate to beat each other and shows who’s the fastest, and who’s the strongest.”

The short distance of the event, accompanying the tire rules, may motivate the drivers to aim for the best result.

A very exhilarated Brawn concluded, “I think none of us know how the drivers will behave, how conservative they’ll be, and how much pressure they get from their teams to be conservative or to be aggressive.” 

The sprint racing this weekend is a trial process; however, it could set the tone for the future of the sport. The format is foreign to everyone – the drivers, the teams, and even the fans. One can only hope that the British GP provides for a riveting race.

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