The decision to introduce a sprint race in China has drawn criticism from Formula 1 drivers. Many of them believe that the race weekend in Shanghai will be fraught with chaos due to several factors, including the track’s prolonged absence from the championship calendar, the characteristics of the current generation of cars, and the recent resurfacing of the circuit.
The last Formula 1 race held in Shanghai took place in 2019, and since then, the event has been absent from the calendar due to various COVID-19 related restrictions.
This season, China is slated to host the inaugural sprint weekend of the year. Consequently, drivers and teams will have only one free practice session available before turning their attention to sprint qualifying.
Some drivers have voiced their dissent regarding the inclusion of a sprint race in the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. They express concerns that the compressed schedule may leave insufficient time to address any potential issues with the cars, potentially leading to unforeseen complications during the races.