{"id":2664,"date":"2026-09-23T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=2664"},"modified":"2026-09-23T10:00:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T13:00:55","slug":"verstappen-dismisses-monaco-sprint-winning-one-doesnt-excite-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/verstappen-dismisses-monaco-sprint-winning-one-doesnt-excite-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Verstappen dismisses Monaco Sprint: \u2018Winning one doesn\u2019t excite me\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Max Verstappen says he is not a supporter of Formula 1 Sprint races despite understanding their commercial appeal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Red Bull driver expects Monaco\u2019s 2027 Sprint to reproduce the circuit\u2019s familiar overtaking problem.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Speaking to <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> in Baku, Verstappen said winning a Sprint does not carry the same emotion as winning a Grand Prix.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Max Verstappen has dismissed Formula 1\u2019s decision to expand its Sprint calendar and said winning one of the shorter races does not generate the same emotion as a Grand Prix victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">F1 will increase the number of Sprint weekends from 6 to 10 in 2027, with Monaco joining the format for the first time. Speaking to <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> reporter Leonid Kliuev in the Baku paddock, Verstappen acknowledged the reasoning behind the expansion but made clear that it does not change his priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMore Sprint races\u2026 Personally, I\u2019m not a fan, but I understand the reason behind it,\u201d Verstappen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt also brings more action throughout the weekend. We will take part and try to do our best, but I am always thinking about the main race. That is where my focus is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Verstappen expects familiar Monaco problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Monaco\u2019s inclusion has attracted particular attention because of the circuit\u2019s limited overtaking opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2027 weekend will feature only one practice session before Sprint Qualifying on Friday. The Sprint takes place on Saturday before traditional Grand Prix qualifying, creating two competitive races around the narrow Monte Carlo circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lando Norris believes the reduced practice time will <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/norris-says-monaco-sprint-will-force-f1-drivers-to-take-risks-earlier\/\">force drivers to take risks earlier during the Monaco weekend<\/a>. Verstappen, however, does not expect the format to improve the racing itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Sprint in Monaco will be the same scenario as the main race,\u201d he said. \u201cYou get excited for the start, but then you cannot overtake. I think it is quite predictable. But perhaps Monaco wanted it\u2014I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Sprint may increase the importance of Friday and offer a second qualifying session, but Verstappen believes the central limitation will remain unchanged once the field starts racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f1-2026-monaco-rodrigo-ruiz-domingo-corrida-01-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1010404335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f1-2026-monaco-rodrigo-ruiz-domingo-corrida-01-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f1-2026-monaco-rodrigo-ruiz-domingo-corrida-01-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f1-2026-monaco-rodrigo-ruiz-domingo-corrida-01-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f1-2026-monaco-rodrigo-ruiz-domingo-corrida-01-150x84.webp 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f1-2026-monaco-rodrigo-ruiz-domingo-corrida-01.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Verstappen says Grand Prix wins matter more than F1 Sprint victories (Photo: Rodrigo Ruiz\/Grande Pr\u00eamio)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Grand Prix remains Verstappen\u2019s priority<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen also rejected the suggestion that the choice of Sprint venues matters greatly to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t care where the Sprint races are held,\u201d he continued. \u201cAs I said, I take part and try to do my best, but I don\u2019t feel any particular emotion about winning or not winning a Sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSince I was a child, what I looked forward to was the race, which is normally on Sunday. Sometimes on Saturday,\u201d he added, referring to this weekend\u2019s unusual Azerbaijan GP schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen\u2019s position contrasts with F1\u2019s continued investment in the format. The championship argues that Sprint weekends increase television audiences and place meaningful track action on all three days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/f1-confirms-2027-calendar-with-24-races-and-record-10-sprint-weekends\/\">2027 F1 calendar<\/a> includes Sprints in Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Canada, Monaco, Great Britain, Italy, S\u00e3o Paulo, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Monaco will host its first Sprint on June 5, with the Grand Prix following on June 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Monaco will host its first Formula 1 Sprint weekend in 2027 (Photo: Rodrigo Ruiz\/<strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">Formula 1<\/a> returns this week for the Azerbaijan GP. Practice begins in Baku on Thursday, qualifying takes place on Friday and the Grand Prix starts on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does Max Verstappen support F1 Sprint races?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Verstappen understands why Formula 1 uses them but says he remains focused on the main Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time does the 2026 Azerbaijan GP start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race starts on <strong>Saturday, September 26, at 12:00 UK time<\/strong>. It begins at 07:00 ET and 04:00 PT in the US, 16:30 in India and 21:00 AEST in eastern Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who starts on pole for the Azerbaijan GP?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">George Russell starts from pole for Mercedes, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. Isack Hadjar qualified fourth, followed by Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is the Azerbaijan GP being held on Saturday?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race was moved to Saturday because Sunday, September 27, is Azerbaijan\u2019s Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning. The entire F1 weekend was brought forward by one day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Speaking to GRANDE PR\u00caMIO in Baku, Max Verstappen said his attention remains on the main Grand Prix despite F1 expanding to 10 Sprint weekends in 2027<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020315155,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Verstappen expects Monaco Sprint to be \u2018predictable\u2019 in 2027","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Red Bull Content Pool","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":21,"location":"Baku"},{"id":22,"location":""}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[330,550,64,377],"42wp_author":[22,21],"class_list":["post-2664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-f1-2027","tag-f1-sprint","tag-max-verstappen","tag-monaco-gp","42wp_author-jp-nascimento","42wp_author-leonid-kliuev"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2664"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2665,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2664\/revisions\/2665"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020315155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2664"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=2664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}