Max Verstappen has made no secret of his disdain for Formula 1’s Sprint format, but admits to being indifferent to Monaco joining the Saturday race slate in 2027.
While the next year’s calendar presents a logical progression of Grands Prix, expanding Sprints to 10 events – including bookending the year in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi – has raised many eyebrows across the paddock.
It is the choice of Monaco, however, that has proved most controversial. The glitzy Principality’s narrow streets leave virtually zero margin for error, upending the traditional practice progression where drivers gradually brush closer to the guardrails at iconic turns like Tabac and the Swimming Pool.
Now, that deliberate build-up gives way to early high-stakes sessions where substantial risk yields questionable reward.
Reactions across the grid have varied sharply as drivers weigh the practical realities of the change. Sergio Perez admitted he was completely blindsided by the announcement until his phone blew up with messages.
"I found out through our [WhatsApp] group, actually. There were some comments there," the Cadillac driver smiled.
"It was a bit busy in the group! I didn’t pay much attention, other than what happened in the group. And that stays in the group, as you can imagine."
Pushing comfort zones and Verstappen’s pragmatic apathy
The addition of a Saturday short race means fans receive a double dose of Monaco's high-stakes qualifying, but the compromised track preparation presents a tricky dilemma.
For drivers lower down the grid, pushing to the absolute limit early on Friday will carry massive financial and competitive liabilities if a crash ensues.
"Maybe you take a bit less risk," Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad admitted. "If you're P15, maybe you don't try as hard, but the top teams, they'd always have to push.
"I think it would just mean that you can't build as nicely as you'd want towards qualifying. You just have to get outside your comfort zone a bit earlier in the weekend."
For Verstappen, the specifics of the venue matter very little. Known for his unwavering hate for the Sprint experiment, the Red Bull driver greeted the news with his characteristic apathy, refusing to romanticize or overanalyze the change.
"Yeah, more sprint races… Personally, I’m not a fan of it, but I understand the reasoning behind it, of course," Verstappen said in Baku.
"It brings more action throughout the weekend, so yeah, we'll participate... But, for me, I always think about the grand prix and that's where my main focus is."
Just another ‘processional’ race
Verstappen views Sprints as an unwanted trailer that dilutes the main event, predicting that adding one to Monaco will simply offer a duplicate view of an already processional outing.
"About the sprint in Monaco, yeah, it's the same scenario as what happens in the main race, right?" Verstappen said. "Like, you are excited for the start and then you can't pass. That's quite straightforward."
When pressed on whether selecting Monaco surprised him, Verstappen remained unmoved.
"I don't know. For me, I honestly don't care where the sprint races are," he said. "I just participate and of course you try to do the best you can. But I have no emotion attached to winning a sprint race or not winning it.
"From when I was a kid, you look forward to the grand prix. That's normally on a Sunday or sometimes on a Saturday."
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While Monaco presents clear passing hurdles, drivers pointed out that other venues on the schedule would be far better suited for short-format racing.
Lindblad noted that high-speed street venues with real overtaking opportunities offer the ideal canvas for aggressive wheel-to-wheel battles.
"This should be a sprint, this would be an amazing sprint race," the Racing Bulls driver said, pointing to the Baku layout.
“In the end, it's a track we can pass and the whole point of a sprint race is the idea of a flat-out race and passing. I think this should be one."
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