A processional sprint qಌualifying race at the Italian Grand Prix drew criticism from drivers and fans alike as F1 carried out the second of three trial runs of its experimental new weekend format on Saturday afternoon at Monza.

F1 is considering potential changes for next season, including the prospect of making the sprint a completely standalone - and possibly reverse-grid - event that has no ♕bearing on the starting order for the grand prix.

But the suggestions h༺ave not been well-received by some teams or drivers.

“I will s✤✤upport what the fans deem to be entertaining,” said Szafnauer.

“However, I think a r๊everse grid in Formula 1 is a big, big departure from what the sport was alꩲways about.

“I personally wouldn’t want us to have this sprint꧂ race on Saturday turn into a slippery slope to becoming Formula 2.

“If that’s what the fans want then I’m wrong and let’s do wha🥃t the fans want.

“But I don’t think Formula 1, the pin🐻nacle of motorsport, should start entertaining weight penalties, reverse grids, all that sort of stuff.”

Toto Wolff remains completely opposed to the idea of reverse-grid races after Mercedes blocked last year’s original propo𝓀sal for the format to be introduced.

“I remaiꦬn in the same position, it’s d🅰iluting the DNA of the sport, of a meritocracy,” said Wolff.

“I think the sprint races are worth a try. I’m not sure we will keep them. But reverse ღgrids can be done in junior f💧ormulas where you want to see the overtaking abilities of drivers.

“It’s not something we sꦬhould even come close to in Formula 1.”

Wolff urged F1 to go over potential s♐olutions with a “fine toothcomb” bef✅ore implementing any regulatory changes, rather than just “free-styling” with “confused” formats.

“I don’t think these regulations we should [push𝕴 through] with a baseball bat, we have too much responsib🉐ility for our sport to just freestyle with regulatory changes,” he added.

“If Brazil proves to be an exciting race, probably there will be ꧃appetite or maybe there will be appetite to continue.

“But the rest, some of the suggﷺestions that have come up are just confused.”

And Wolff believes the biggest fundamental flaw of ♛the current sprint format is that “everybody is confused”.

"ꦆI don't know how it is with you but I don't know what session is when,” he♊ explained.

"I beli🉐eve the sprint race format, as it stands at the moment, doesn't give a lot ofౠ benefit because nobody will take a serious risk.

"There are too few points at stake and the risk of compromising the Sunday grand prix with points all the way to 10th position is just not worth tꦺhe risk.

"What we have seen are general difficulties in overtaking because the stra🦋ight-line speeds are very simi🦄lar but also because even turn one and two, nobody takes the risk.

"Let's give it another try in Brazil, let's see if there is anything that changes. That was a worthwhile experiment and for me, this is just a personal opinion, it is not𒐪 fish, not meat."

However, Ferrari team princ𓆏ipal Mattia Binotto is eager for F1 to consider using reserve grid races next year.

“I like it,” Binotto said on Friday. “I like it🧜 because I think that for the show and ▨the spectacle it can be of interest.

“At the very start of the discussion of the mini-race format as Ferrari we were the one proposing it because I think whatever is your position on the classi෴fication, somehow that’s bringing some extra spectacle and that’s important for our fans. It’s important for the entertainment that F1 may offer.”