F1: Brawn wants double the ‘sprints’ in 2023

(GMM) Ross Brawn wants Formula 1 to expand to double the amount of ‘sprint races’ for the 2023 season.

This year, F1 teams could not agree to the desired expansion and settled on three sprints for the second consecutive year.

Mercedes’ George Russell would be no fan of having more Saturday sprints in 2023, however, as he called the first edition for 2022 at Imola “processional”.

“I know from my own experience that a driver who is not at the front usually doesn’t like anything. That’s just psychology,” Brawn, who is F1’s managing director and a former team boss and owner, said at Imola.

“Yes, the two Mercedes could not overtake anyone, but in the middle of the peloton and in the leading group there was a lot of overtaking,” he insisted.

Brawn told Algemeen Dagblad newspaper that he would like the teams to agree to double the amount of sprint weekends from three to six for 2023.

“I’m optimistic that the teams will all see the value of it,” said the Briton.

“Don’t forget that Fridays on the sprint weekends are also a spectacle with qualifying. That means three days of action for the fans, and we can’t ignore that.

“Great show, a lot of fighting, overtaking. We have shown that these cars are capable of following one another closely.

“Yes, I know some might say it’s all about DRS, but you can’t actually use DRS unless you get close enough to your opponent. So overall, I think it’s been a success,” he added.