Esteban Ocon proposes interesting ‘superpole’ idea instead of increasing F1 sprint races even further

Esteban Ocon has proposed a way to make Formula 1 race weekends more interesting, particularly for younger viewers. The French driver has suggested the sport revert to an idea which was once in practice.

The Haas F1 team driver believes that the sport should consider the idea of what he calls the Super Pole. The 28-year-old feels that it could prove to be of more appeal than the suggestions making the rounds with regard to changes to the sport.

Speaking in an interview via Automoto Italia, Ocon stated:

“It could spice up the weekend, but it would depend a lot on who has a good simulator and has done their homework.”

“Every now and then, it would be interesting, like a super pole, like in the past when we only had one chance, but with previous tests. It would put a bit of pressure on the teams, and that would be positive.”

The words of Esteban Ocon come amid growing talks by Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s recent suggestion of making changes to the sport, including having shorter races to keep the growing audience base it currently boasts.

The idea of the Super Pole suggested by Ocon is similar to the one-lap qualifying, which was in place in sport between 2003 and parts of 2005. During that period, drivers were required to complete just a single lap of qualifying on race fuel to determine the starting grid for Sunday. The idea would subsequently be replaced during the course of the 2005 campaign.

Esteban Ocon warns against more Sprint races

Esteban Ocon also weighed in on the growing talks of adding more Sprint races to the F1 calendar. The former Alpine driver stressed it would be extreme for the series organizers to adopt such an approach.

Ocon stressed how Formula 1, mirroring the approach currently in place in Moto GP, may not necessarily translate to the desired result. The 28-year-old also highlighted how he is a fan of the current system and race schedule in place.

“Switching to a MotoGP-style would be a bit extreme. Having a Sprint at every race, I don’t think, would necessarily improve the spectacle. As a fan, what you want is to see more racing,” Esteban Ocon said during the same interview.

“We live in a consumer world where we seek out content more often, like when we watch a series on Netflix and don’t want to wait too long between seasons. But at the same time, sometimes it’s nice to wait patiently and enjoy the Grand Prix. That’s an important thing, and I’m more of a supporter of that philosophy. I like to wait a bit to get excited again when the race arrives.”

So far, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has continued to hint at the possibility of having more short-format races on the F1 calendar. These talks have subtly stirred rumours that the 2027 F1 calendar could feature more Sprints than the six, which fans have now become accustomed to.