Formula 1 News: Alonso rails against F1 Sprint weekends

(GMM) Formula 1 drivers are continuing to rail against the controversial sprint weekend format, and Fernando Alonso raised his voice loudly in Miami on Friday.

Amid talk of an expansion of the concept from six to 12 grands prix for 2025, the tweaked format debuted in Shanghai recently and is in play once again in Miami.

“It felt a little weird (in China) having the sprint race and then you prepare again for qualifying,” admitted McLaren driver Oscar Piastri.

Sergio Perez added: “Opening the parc ferme has put a lot of extra workload on the mechanics and I think it’s something we really have to look at.”

With the harshest opinion of all, however, is F1 veteran Fernando Alonso. He was harshly penalized by FIA stewards for a clash with Carlos Sainz Jr. in the recent Shanghai sprint.

Aston Martin appealed the decision, but in Miami, the case was thrown out.

“The decision surprises us,” team boss Mike Krack told DAZN, “but now we have to turn the page. We are now in Miami, we have another sprint weekend and we have to move forward.”

Alonso, though, remained furious about the situation even after qualifying eighth in Friday’s sprint qualifying in Miami.

“We will see what we can learn for the race, but the sprint is useless,” Alonso told Spanish reporters in Miami.

“There are very few points at stake and they don’t let us compete because they keep penalizing us. So it will be a boring day from outside – we will be on the car train, but we will collect useful information at least.

“We haven’t done any long runs in practice and the sprint doesn’t mean anything,” Alonso, 42, continued. “Especially because we can’t fight or anything like that. We receive penalties for everything we do.”