Verstappen says F1 should avoid sprint races at tracks where passing is difficult

Max Verstappen criticised Singapore as a venue for a Formula 1 sprint, saying overtaking is too difficult there. The series plans to expand its sprint calendar from six races to 10 next year, including at circuits such as Monaco.

RaceFans has reported:

Max Verstappen criticised Formula 1’s decision to stage a sprint race in Singapore, saying the series should avoid sprint events at circuits where drivers cannot pass. The Dutch driver started from pole but lost the lead to George Russell at the start; Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap, and Verstappen led the remainder of the race.

After the race, Verstappen said Singapore was a poor choice for a sprint. Formula 1 plans to increase the number of sprint races from six to 10 next year, with events at other circuits where overtaking is known to be difficult, including Monaco.

“We shouldn’t host a sprint where you can’t pass,” Verstappen said. “You have tracks where you can race and can overtake, but of course, in some places you cannot pass and we are going to have sprints there also next year.”

Verstappen has been among the most vocal critics of the sprint format, which has divided fans. He has also repeatedly criticised the limitations of Formula 1’s current power units, saying they make passing even harder in Singapore.

“I’m fine, I just do my thing, but it’s not what I like,” he said. “Also the problem we have at the moment is with the Overtake Mode, it barely does anything here. You don’t really gain a lot on the straights.”

“So also that with how all the rules are at the moment with our lovely batteries, it just doesn’t do much. You can’t even get super-close or have a massive overspeed at the moment.”

Verstappen praised the circuit while suggesting changes to its layout could improve racing. “I of course fully agree we need to have a longer straight or more of a proper hairpin to overtake,” he said. “But even with that also, we need a bigger delta [between speeds] on the straight.”

The Singapore sprint took place on a wet track. Other developments from the event included Russell acknowledging that he had been “overly confident” before his first-lap crash, and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri being placed under investigation over a last-lap crash. The sprint result and championship points were also published.

The comments were reported on Oct. 10, 2026, at 12:39 by Keith Collantine, who founded RaceFans in 2005 under its original name, F1 Fanatic. A former motoring journalist, Collantine began running the site full-time in 2010 to focus on motor racing.