Wolff: Performance gaps weighing on sprint race entertainment

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes the performance gaps that exist within Formula 1's field are taking away part of the entertainment of Saturday's sprint events.

Last weekend's 100 km mad dash resulted in another win for Red Bull's Max Verstappen who, like at Imola earlier this season, defeated Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

But it was another easy win for the Dutchman, with very little entertainment on offer for the fans, not only among the front-runners but up and down the field.

The lack of action defeats the purpose of the 30-minute events which are expected to take place at six race weekends in 2023.

Wolff points to performance variations among the teams as a factor weighing on the on-track spectacle.

"I think the reason why races have less entertainment is because there's just too much performance gap between the teams," he said.

"If you have Verstappen disappearing in a distance, the two Ferraris being the only entertainment during the race and then we [Mercedes] are in the middle of nowhere in no man's land.

"Then the others are further behind, and then you have DRS trains. That never can make a good sprint race."

• Read also: Mercedes still missing 'two or three tenths' – Wolff

In some cases, Wolff reckons that track layouts are also robbing fans of tighter fights and battles.

In the context of next year's prospective increase of the number of sprints, the Mercedes boss trusts F1 chief Stefano Domenicali to wisely choose the right venues to host the Saturday afternoon events.

"I think if I have trust in one person to choose the right sprint races, it's Stefano," he said. "And Stefano will have seen [the Austria race] and will take it into consideration."

But beyond the entertainment factor, some drivers appreciate the sprint races for the format change they deliver to the weekend.

"I like it," said McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo, quoted by Motorsport.com. "The Friday, it's a bit more fun for a driver to be honest.

"And also, I've said it a few times, but when you've been doing it for 10 years, like a Friday practice, I think when there's something to fight for every day, it does keep the weekend a bit more, I don't want to say exciting, but there's more purpose, every session.

"You don't have the luxury of two hours on track Friday to get it right, then you have another session Saturday morning. So you have one session.

"There's a lot of pressure on everyone. And then it's bang straight into quali. I think that mix up is good. I think it's kind of refreshing as well."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter