Teams and F1 bosses have begun discussions about potential changes to sprints for 2024 in the wake of concerns that the current set-up is not delivering enough for fans.
A range of options are on the table, including the potential for reverse grids, a complete standalone sprint championship, cash prizes and an overhaul of the weekend timetable to shuffle sessions around.
There have even been suggestions that F1 should do more to ensure there is greater strategic variance in terms of tyre choices – with that having been a key factor in making this year’s Qatar Saturday race so exciting.
But Pirelli thinks that it is not necessary to start playing around with the sprint race itself – because it will always be difficult to try to engineer circumstances that open the door for varied tyre calls.
Instead, Pirelli’s chief engineer Simone Berra thinks that the best way to ensure good sprint entertainment is to make sure the events take place on tracks that provide overtaking opportunities.
“I don't think we should change anything in terms of distance for the sprint,” he explained.
“It should be better to decide properly where the layout of the circuit can help a lot because we can make decisions to help the sprint be even more spectacular.”
Source: Autosport