Polarising F1 Sprint feature back on the table in new Domenicali reveal

Michelle Foster 12 Aug 2025 11:15 AM

F1 Sprint medal.

F1 chief Stefano Domenicali has put reverse grids for Sprint events back on the table, saying it is a discussion that needs to be had between F1, the FIA and the teams.

Formula 1 introduced Sprint in 2021, beginning with three events, which in 2023 was increased to six.

Reverse Sprint grids? ‘We are open for that’

The short races have been met with mixed reviews from drivers and fans who suggest too many have produced dull, tyre-saving processions.

Even this year’s three Sprints, have been a snapshot of that.

Lewis Hamilton won in China with a lights to flag drive, while Belgium was labelled boring as it offered little by way of entertainment beyond the first lap that saw Max Verstappen overtake pole-sitter Oscar Piastri.

The Miami Sprint was a better event, but that was a wet-dry race livened by the drama that comes with racing in the rain.

It’s led to Domenicali again making the call for the Sprints to begin with a reverse order grid.

It’s a suggestion the former Ferrari team principal has put forward every year since 2021, but the teams and drivers have balked at the idea, calling it too artificial.

However, the Italian believes there is an appetite to try something different in the Sprint events, even adding a few more to the calendar.

“I do believe there are possibilities to extend two things, which we need to discuss, both with the drivers and the teams, and, of course, with the FIA,” he told The Race podcast.

“There are: can we apply that [Sprint schedules] with more races?

“And is this the right formula to have the possibility to have a reverse grid, as we are doing with F2 and F3? These are points of discussion.

“I think that we are getting there to be mature to make sure that this point will be tackled seriously with the teams.

“The vibes to progress in this direction are definitely growing, and therefore I’m ready to present and to discuss not only more sprints… but if there are new formats, new ideas.”

More on F1 2025’s Sprint races

👉 F1 Sprint explained: New rules, format and how it differs from standard F1 races

👉 The results of the F1 2025 championship

Put to him that there’s a growing number of fans who would like to see a shake-up to the Sprint format, many even supporting reverse grids that are used in Formula 3 and Formula 2’s Sprints, Domenicali said he was open to the idea.

“We are open for that, because I think that’s the right thing – to listen to our fans, to try to create something, and not to be worried to do mistakes,” he said. “The one who believes to do no mistakes doesn’t do anything new.

“I think that the Sprint, whatever will be the right format, we need to have it. It will represent the future.”

The F1 drivers, though, aren’t in favour.

A topic that’s been on the table for several years, Max Verstappen said in 2021 that it goes against everything that F1 is about.

“It’s artificial and trying to create a show, which is not what F1 stands for,” he said. “The cars will end in the same position. The fastest car should be in the front. That’s what everyone works for. F1 is about pure performance.”

Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director George Russell said a few years later: “If you reverse that grid, you are going to have the quickest car in 10th, trying to overtake the second quickest car in ninth, who is trying to overtake the third quickest car in eight, so each car is trying to overtake their most direct competitor.

“What you’ll probably find is that it’ll just be a DRS train because you might have a Williams leading from a Haas who he can’t quite get past, who is leading from an Alpine who is leading from a McLaren or whoever. The concept won’t work.”