Formula 1 maintained a standard format for ages now. However, for the last couple of years, they have changed the format for a few weekends. In 2021, Formula 1 introduced the Sprint Weekend format.
Since 2021, the sprint weekend has been a part of Formula 1. The format was first witnessed in 2021 in 3 different circuits. In 2023, the number of sprint weekends increased to a total of 6 races.
When the Sprint format was first introduced, it consisted of a total of 2 Practice sessions. One on Friday and the other on Saturday. The Qualifying for the Sprint Race would take place on Friday’s PM session and the Sprint Race would take place on Saturday’s PM session. The grid for the Sunday race would be determined by the finishing order of the Sprint race. However, in 2023, the format changed.
What is the new Sprint format Formula 1 introduced in 2023?
After the start of the 2023 season, F1 CEO decided to make some changes to the Sprint format. Before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix which was the first destination for the Sprint race for the season, F1 announced a new Sprint format.
According to the new Sprint format, there would be only 1 Free Practice session that would take place during Friday’s AM session. The PM session on Friday will hold the qualifying for Sunday’s race. Saturday would completely be devoted to the Sprint event. On Saturday’s AM session, there would be Sprint Shootout, which is nothing but a shortened format of the original qualifying, and the Sprint race during Saturday’s PM session
Introducing… Sprint Saturday ✨
🗓️ All-new weekend format
👀 Saturday’s Sprint sessions do not affect the Grand Prix
⏱️ Friday’s qualifying sets Sunday’s grid
🆕 New Sprint Shootout qualifying sessionThe first Sprint Saturday is only four days away! 📅#F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/vPq9kYuyH4
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 25, 2023
On Sunday, the classic Grand Prix will take place. The grid for the Grand Prix would have been decided by the qualifying that had taken place on Friday. Therefore the Sprint race will have no impact on Sunday’s race.
Are there any points for the Sprint Race?
There are points awarded for the Sprint race. With the introduction of the Sprint race, the first question that was asked by the fans was about the points system. What type of advantage would the sprint race give to the drivers?
In 2021, only the top 3 finishers would be awarded points for the Sprint Race. The driver finishing in 1st place would get 3 points, 2nd place would get 2 points and 3rd place would get 1 point. In 2022 this format changed.
In 2022, all drivers finishing in the top 8 would get points. The points would range from 8 points for the 1st position to 1 point for the 8th position.
What qualifies a track to be a part of the Sprint Weekend?
The Sprint race will not be suitable for all races. The main purpose of the Sprint race is entertainment. For this, they would add circuits with more overtaking opportunities.
In 2021, they held the sprint races in Silverstone, which is the home of Formula 1, Monza, the temple of speed, and Brazil. All of these circuits provide great opportunities for overtaking. So it is unlikely that we will see tracks like Monaco and Hungary in the Sprint weekend as they are slower tracks that don’t provide too many opportunities for overtakes.
For the 2023 season, Formula 1 included 6 Sprint races. These were in Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, the United States, and Brazil. So far, Formula 1 has consistently held a sprint race in only 1 circuit, which is Sao Paolo in Brazil.
Why was the Sprint weekend introduced?
Ever since the Netflix documentary, Drive To Survive aired, the value of the sport has gone up like crazy. The documentary invited a lot of new fans to join the Formula 1 community. In 2017, Liberty Media bought Formula 1’s commercial rights for approximately $4 billion. Today it is worth over $20 billion.
Viewership for the qualifying and Sunday race was very high in 2019 and 2020. However, the viewership for the free practice sessions was very low. Therefore, in an attempt to change this, Formula 1 introduced the Sprint format.
The idea was to increase the viewership ratings throughout the weekend. F1 CEO has openly said that he is “a supporter of the cancellation of free practice sessions”. While some drivers said they understood this, others like Max Verstappen were against it. When Formula 1 proposed the new Sprint format for 2023, Max Verstappen threatened to quit the sport if these changes were made. However, Stefano Domenicali made the changes anyway.
Most drivers now say that the Sprint weekend should not be introduced in all races. If the Sprint race is introduced on all weekends, the uniqueness of the Sunday race would go down. The Sunday race is after all the main race. Let us see if Formula 1 makes any more changes to the Sprint weekend format.