Verstappen questions 2027 sprint plans at tracks where passing is difficult

Max Verstappen has urged Formula 1 not to stage sprint races at circuits where overtaking is nearly impossible. “We shouldn't host a sprint where you can't pass,” he said during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. Verstappen won Saturday's sprint from pole, with no serious passing move behind him.

Verstappen said some such circuits were nevertheless due to stage sprints the following year. He added that he would still do his own thing, but that he did not like racing at those venues.

At Marina Bay, he said the current overtake mode barely helped: drivers gained little on the straights and could not get close enough or build a large speed advantage. He suggested a longer straight or a more effective hairpin, along with a greater speed difference on the straight.

The contrast is plain in 2027: F1's expanded 10-sprint calendar includes a Monaco sprint, although Monaco has the fewest overtakes of any circuit in the championship.