F1 sprint races are into their third year, with the latest changes aimed at improving the spectacle. After the latest changes debuted at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the F1 sprint race is back for the Austrian GP.
Here’s what you need to know about the F1 sprint race.
In 2021, sprint races were introduced into F1 as a way to spice up the action and provide a new format to contrast the traditional grand prix weekend schedule. They were also created to ensure a competitive session took place on each day of the race weekend: Qualifying on Friday, Sprint on Saturday and Grand Prix on Sunday.
A sprint race is essentially a shortened version of a normal race, taking place over a shorter distance of 100km. They’re used in many other series, though perhaps most notably for Formula 1 is their inclusion in the Formula 2 race weekend.
Here’s our guide on F1 sprints when they were first introduced in 2021.
This season has marked the latest changes to the F1 sprint race format. Friday’s qualifying now only applies to Sunday’s grand prix, making Saturday’s action entirely standalone from the rest of the weekend.
On Friday the first, and only, practice session is be held in its usual slot before a regular hour-long qualifying session in the normal Q1-Q2-Q3 format. This sets the grid for Sunday’s grand prix and has no bearing on Saturday’s sprint qualifying or sprint race.
F1 has dropped its Saturday practice session for a new sprint qualifying session, essentially a shorter version of regular qualifying – with Q1 12 minutes, Q2 10 minutes and Q3 eight minutes – held in the morning before the sprint race in the afternoon.
Source: Autosport