Nico Hülkenberg has expressed his concerns about the increasingly limited time that Formula 1 drivers get to run test laps. According to the German, the current rules and the many sprint weekends make it increasingly difficult for drivers to prepare well for a race weekend. Hülkenberg recalls the Formula 1 of the past and the room the teams were given to optimize.
Formula 1 nowadays hardly has any testing opportunities. Testing during the season has been banned for years. The only official test moments are the pre-season tests before the Formula 1 year and the post-season sessions after the last Grand Prix. Moreover, sprint weekends are being organized more and more often, where drivers only get one free practice, limiting their preparation for a specific circuit. In addition, there is also the rule that all teams must give a free practice to a rookie four times a year.
‘Balance between entertainment and top sport’
“In principle, I am a fan of sprint races,” Hülkenberg emphasized in an interview with RN365. “I like the variety, I don’t mind. Some circuits are naturally better suited for the sprint format than others.” The sprint calendar for 2026 was recently announced. The fact that next year there will also be racing on Saturday in Zandvoort and in Singapore caused some criticism. “It is clearly a topic for Formula 1 and not an easy challenge to find the right balance between entertainment and top sport,” Hülkenberg explained.
The 38-year-old Sauber driver warns that the sport must be careful not to let a lack of driving time affect performance. “While I’m always open to changes and new things, we still need sufficient practice time,” he continued. “If you look at where the sport comes from, how much testing was done in the past – now the opportunities are limited.”
Hülkenberg admitted that the sprint weekends take away from necessary preparation. “During sprint weekends, you simply have less practice,” he concluded. “I think we need to look at whether we can improve that balance. Perhaps we can gain some more circuit time elsewhere.”
