Verstappen dismisses Monaco sprint race plan with blunt 'no emotion attached to it'

Max Verstappen has made clear he has no interest in debating the merits of Formula 1’s decision to add a sprint race to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend in 2027, telling media in Baku that he feels “no emotion attached to it” — a response consistent with his long-standing indifference to the sprint format regardless of venue.

The four-time world champion’s dismissal came as F1’s newly published 2027 calendar drew widespread attention in the paddock, not only for expanding the number of sprint weekends from six to ten but for the locations chosen. Bahrain will host the season-opening sprint, Abu Dhabi the finale, and Monaco — a circuit where overtaking is virtually impossible — has also been designated a sprint venue, a choice that caught several drivers off guard.

Sergio Perez revealed he first heard the news through the F1 drivers’ WhatsApp group rather than any official communication. “I found out through our group, actually. There were some comments there,” the Cadillac driver said with a smile. “It was a bit busy in the group. I didn’t pay much attention, other than what happened in the group. And that stays in the group, as you can imagine.”

Beyond the novelty of the announcement, the Monaco sprint raises genuine sporting questions about how drivers approach a street circuit that demands a careful, incremental build-up across a race weekend. Traditionally, drivers leave significant margin in early practice sessions at circuits such as Monte Carlo, edging progressively closer to barriers at corners like Tabac and Piscine before committing fully ahead of Saturday qualifying. The sprint format compresses that process and forces drivers to take risks earlier.

Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad acknowledged the dilemma facing mid-grid runners in sprint qualifying. “Maybe you take a bit less risk,” he said. “If you’re P15, maybe you don’t try as hard, but the top teams, they’d always have to push. I think it would just mean that you can’t build as nicely as you’d want towards qualifying. You just have to get outside your comfort zone a bit earlier in the weekend.”

The concern is particularly pointed at Monaco, where starting position is almost deterministic of finishing position. A driver who crashes out of sprint qualifying trying to escape the bottom of the grid gains little, while the cost of damage to the car ahead of the main race is high.

Verstappen, however, has no interest in that calculus. His position on sprint weekends has been consistent throughout their existence in the sport: he participates because he must, and the location makes no difference to his feelings about the format.