So, with F1 having approved plans on Tuesday for an overhaul of its sprint race weekend format, teams will be studying the revised regulations to ensure that they are on the front foot and ready to go into battle in Baku this weekend.
While the FIA has announced outlines for the revised sprint weekend format – which includes the new Sprint Shootout qualifying session – it is the formal publication of updated sporting regulations that has offered a proper idea of the complications and quirks to expect.
Here is a run-down of the most important aspects before the first experience of the new format.
Sprint Shootout is effectively one shot qualifying
The switch to make the Saturdays of sprint weekends totally standalone has been triggered by the desire to make that morning’s action a qualifying session rather than practice.
F1 had been juggling how best to work a qualifying session though, because of issues over the number of tyre sets available and worries about extended engine mileage if power units had to be pushed harder for longer.
The favoured solution has been a compressed Q1/Q2/Q3 qualifying format, with the three sessions running for 12 minutes, 10 minutes and eight minutes (compared to 18/15/12 normally).
While at first glance the new format seems to be just a more intense version of what we have right now, it is the tyre rules surrounding it that will make it a different beast.
Source: Autosport