The Sprint Race element of an F1 Grand Prix weekend has recently been put under the spotlight, with NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman questioning the need for the event. Writing an article for ‘TheMoneyLap,’ Kligerman called the sport out for being “greedy” over the addition of the new race system. Furthermore, he claimed no driver from another discipline was jealous of what was happening in F1.
“Sprints have none of us jealous,” he claimed.
Kligerman is an American stock car racing driver and also a pit reporter for NASCAR on NBC. Competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Kligerman drives the #48 Chevrolet Camaro for Big Machine Racing. Hence, the American is decently familiar with the world of racing.
Fernando woke up today to drag F1 silly sprint format in one interview to the hell back and forth.
You ask why I like him so much? Because he is the last one of the old warriors, who are saying what they are thinking.
pic.twitter.com/dE79ccnLes— Thatch (@19_ed_Thatch97) May 4, 2024
Writing further about the F1 races, Kligerman claimed that when any driver of another discipline watches the Qualifying session of an F1 Grand Prix, they all want to do it as well. The technological advancements in the sport allow cars to go as fast as “humanly possible” and make racing more exciting.
But, with the introduction of the sprint session, the Amerian believes F1 has only been “cheap” and “greedy.” However, he has a solution for the problem as well.
Parker Kligerman has a plan of action for F1
On Sprint weekends, the Practice sessions go out the window, making way for Sprint-related sessions. As per the 33-year-old, F1 should think about changing the entire system instead of these “cheapened tricks.”
He has suggested the sport create a separate set of qualifying rounds that set the grid for the Grand Prix. These can include one with entirely different aero rules or a “super low” downforce set of wings that a team has to choose for the weekend.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali sees no reason not to add more sprint rounds to the calendar in future seasons.
Six of the 24 rounds on the 2024 F1 calendar are sprint events. The first took place last weekend in China and the next round in Miami will also feature a sprint… pic.twitter.com/vcAcQamFFZ
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) April 26, 2024
Different tires and parts to focus on could also be an element of these rounds, according to him. As for the main GP, the race shall remain sacred for Sundays.
That way, people who don’t follow the sport much would also know when the main race will take place. The introduction of more variables, as presented by Kligerman, could add to the challenges faced by the drivers.
The points system would be similar to that of the Sprint session, adding to the appeal. Presumably, the changes would make racing more exciting for all those watching as they could add a bit of uncertainty to each event, given it isn’t necessary that the same team excelled in each department.
