![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/sky-sports-pundit-proposes-second-f1-world-championship-after-max-verstappen-quit-threat/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/0_F1-Belgian-Grand-Prix-2023-Spa-Belgium-30-Jul-2023.jpg&description=Max Verstappen holds a healthy lead in the Formula 1 drivers' championship, and desperate measures are being put forward with his title defence looking like a formality Sky Sports pundit David Croft has called for Formula 1 to introduce a Sprint world championship alongside the main competition, despite reigning champ Max Verstappen having spoken out against the format. Verstappen holds a 125-point lead in the overall standings in 2023, as he chases a third straight drivers' title. The Dutchman has won 10 of this season's 12 races, finishing second behind his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez on the other two occasions. The Sprint format was introduced in 2021, and takes place at only a handful of stops. Verstappen has dominated there as well, winning five out of the nine Sprints so far, but has hit out at the repeated changes to the calendar. Verstappen has even suggested he could be encouraged to quit Formula 1 if more and more tweaks are made. However, Croft, who covered Formula 1 for the BBC before moving over to Sky, has proposed a solution. "I think the Sprint concept is good, I like it, but I don't like it being part of the world championship," Croft told the Sky Sports F1 podcast. "I'd like two separate world championships, like cricket has T20, ODIs and Test match, and we'll keep them separate. "Have your Sprint day on a Friday maybe, rather than the Saturday. You could go into Sprint qualifying and then the Sprint, with maybe a 20-minute warm up in the morning - that's your Friday. "And then the cars are not in parc ferme for the rest of the weekend, because you then have your practice session on the Saturday morning, Saturday qualifying and then the race on Sunday. So you're keeping the two very separate for different world championships." Do you support Croft's idea? Have your say in the comments section Speaking after the most recent Sprint session in Belgium in July, Verstappen said: "I think luckily it wasn't too bad, but honestly with these kind of Spr){kind=link}
Max Verstappen holds a healthy lead in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship, and desperate measures are being put forward with his title defence looking like a formality
Sky Sports pundit David Croft has called for Formula 1 to introduce a Sprint world championship alongside the main competition, despite reigning champ Max Verstappen having spoken out against the format.
Verstappen holds a 125-point lead in the overall standings in 2023, as he chases a third straight drivers’ title. The Dutchman has won 10 of this season’s 12 races, finishing second behind his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez on the other two occasions.
The Sprint format was introduced in 2021, and takes place at only a handful of stops. Verstappen has dominated there as well, winning five out of the nine Sprints so far, but has hit out at the repeated changes to the calendar.
Verstappen has even suggested he could be encouraged to quit Formula 1 if more and more tweaks are made. However, Croft, who covered Formula 1 for the BBC before moving over to Sky, has proposed a solution.