"Exhausting" - F1 presenter's verdict on sprint weekend format of 2023 Azerbaijan GP

F1 presenter Rachel Brookes has said that the 2023 Azerbaijan GP was 'exhausting' for many in and around the paddock.

Of course, it was the first race weekend where the sport introduced a new format with a sprint shootout qualifying session for the sprint race itself, apart from the regular qualifying and main race.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Brookes explained how the drivers, team personnel, TV crew, presenters and everyone else in the paddock had to be present and active throughout the three-day race weekend, as there were no low-energy sessions like practices. She said:

"Exhausting! Exhausting, not just physically. I think everybody was kind of ... we were looking forward to it. Because this new format, you were like, 'right, you know, this is going to change it up', but being up and ready for every single session in the way that everyone had to be, including drivers, teams, team personnel, everybody, I think by the time everyone got to the end of the race yesterday, it was like, 'Wow, that was full-on hard work'."

Furthermore, she explained how the TV crew and people who were packing up the paddock were punished by pouring rain after the race day in Baku. Hence, they were already tired but had to catch a flight to Miami as soon as possible, as the race was due next week. She concluded:

"And then the rain came, so for those guys and girls packing up that paddock and de-rigging TV crews, everybody to then de-rig all that in the pouring rain quickly so they could all get on a plane for 14, 15, 16 hours to Miami today, I mean just exhausting. Don't make it back to back, sorry, that's it, don't please don't make it back-to-back like that."

---

Mercedes F1 boss tips team to close gap on Red Bull

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is positive that his team can close the gap to the runaway leaders towards the end of the 2023 F1 season.

He explained how the W14's pace is similar to that of Ferrari and Aston Martin when it's driven in free air. So, Mercedes need to work harder to start closing the gap (via formula.uno):

“The pace in free air today looked similar between ourselves, the Ferraris and the Aston Martins. It was hard to tell who was ultimately quicker, though, because with the difficulty of overtaking – you are stuck when you are stuck. The Red Bulls, meanwhile, sailed away into the sunset on merit.”

Wolff added:

“If we can get the platform right, though, I think we can close that gap this year. It’s not about adding points of downforce, more (about) giving the drivers a car that they have confidence in.”

Mercedes (76) are third in the 2023 F1 constructors championship, trailing second-placed Aston Martin by 11 points, but well behind Red Bull (180).