The FIA World Motor Sport Council has voted through an increase to the number of Sprint format weekends for Formula 1 next season.
A quarter of the 2023 Formula 1 season’s 24 races will feature Sprint format Qualifying, up from three this year and last.
“I am pleased that we can confirm six Sprints will be part of the Championship from 2023 onwards, building on the success of the new format introduced for the first time in 2021,” said Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
“The Sprint provides action across three days with the drivers all fighting for something right from the start on Friday through to the main event on Sunday, adding more drama and excitement to the weekend.
“The feedback from the fans, teams, promoters, and partners has been very positive and the format is adding a new dimension to Formula 1, and we all want to ensure its success in the future.”
Sprint Qualifying was introduced during the 2021 Formula 1 season; the British Grand Prix the first to host the new initiative.
The format change brings with it a revised schedule for the weekend with just an hour of practice prior to a typical shootout-style Qualifying session on Friday afternoon.
With cars then in parc ferme, a second hour of practice follows on Saturday morning prior to the 100km Sprint encounter.
The starting order for the Sprint is determined by Friday’s Qualifying session, while the grid for the grand prix proper is set by the outcome of the Sprint.
“The confirmation that six race weekends featuring Sprint will take place from the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship season onwards is another example of the continued growth and prosperity at the highest level of motorsport,” added FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“Thanks to close collaboration with Stefano Domenicali and our colleagues at FOM, we concluded a thorough analysis on the impact of additional Sprint sessions and have adjusted relevant parameters of our work to ensure that they continue to be regulated at the very highest level.
“Sprint sessions provide an exciting dynamic to the race weekend format and have proven to be popular over the past two seasons – I am sure that this positive trend will continue and am pleased that the World Motor Sport Council has today given its approval for them to go ahead.”
Two Sprint format events have been held in 2022 already, at the Emilia Romagna and Austrian Grands Prix, with another to follow when the circus reaches Interlagos for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in November.
Discussion about this post