Enthusiasm for sprint races: "It was intense"

The British Grand Prix was the first stage to feature a sprint race. Although it recieved mixed reactions it turned out to be an extra moment in the race weekend with plenty of excitement.

FIA Race Director Michael Masi was therefore very pleased with the way the first sprint race took place. Masi saw former World Champions Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso, among others, battle for their starting positions for the race, giving spectators in the stands and TV viewers plenty to see.

Around the world, Masi noticed enthusiasm, he told Motorsport.com. "I spoke to friends around the world and they told me they thought it would be nice to see something different. We've had changes to qualifying in the past, of course, but the format of the race weekend has been pretty much the same for a long time."

Future of sprint racing

Masi noticed that there was a lot of spectacle on the track. "It was intense. When you get past those first few laps and you hear the announcement 'ten laps to go' over the radio, you also realize how fast it all goes," he said, expecting sprint races to return more often in the future. "But not at every race."