Another boring sprint race at the United States Grand Prix, which had triggered a surprising lack of interest from fans as ticket sales took a hit, has prompted a belief that something needs to change.
And while F1 is wholly committed to keeping sprint weekends as part of the championship longer term, sources have indicated that grand prix racing's bosses are eyeing a bold shake-up.
While formal proposals have not yet been put forward for potential changes to the sprint format that could come as early as 2024, Autosport has learned that informal discussions have begun in the paddock about what can be done to spice things up.
Sources have indicated that F1 is not afraid to be aggressive in totally overhauling the sprint rather than just playing around with the edges.
It is understood that several radical ideas are already being floated around for consideration.
These include turning the Saturdays into a standalone F1 Sprint championship, so any points earned on a Saturday do not count for the main F1 championships.
This would also help avoid a repeat of the scenario in Qatar where the drivers' crown was won in a sprint event rather than the main grand prix.
One idea to encourage drivers to take the sprint format more seriously could be to get a sponsor on board and offer a major cash prize for the winners – that could stretch to $1 million.
Source: Autosport