AvaTrade explains the F1 rulebook: Sprint races
Together with our Official Trading Partner AvaTrade we guide you through the intricacies of Formula One and help you make sense of the rules and regulations you need to know. Here's how the F1 Sprint format works.
In the next instalment of our living, breathing guide, we break down the intricacies of F1 Sprint.
F1 Sprint was introduced in 2021 as a way to inject extra variety and risk into the race weekend. The rationale was that, with Saturday's Sprint result generating the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix, there was added scope for unpredictability.
The results were a mixed bag: the shorter format of the Sprint (100km – basically one-third Grand Prix distance) meant there was less scope for variety; the low points allocation (three points for a win in 2021; for '22 it was upgraded to eight points for victory down to one point for eighth) gave drivers fewer incentives to take risks, and the somewhat confusing qualifying format (quali on Friday saw the pole winner start first in the Sprint, with Saturday’s winner on ‘pole’ for Sunday) was unpopular with fans.
The Sprint was rolled out at three races in 2021 (Silverstone, Monza and Interlagos) and ’22 (Imola, Austria and Interlagos). This year, there are six Sprints – at Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, USA and Brazil – and a revised format.
Now, a sole practice session will precede Friday's qualifying session, which will set the grid for Sunday's Grand Prix. A separate quali session on Saturday morning will establish the starting order for the Sprint, effectively making Saturday an independent event.
Otherwise, the format stays the same: eight points down to one for the top eight finishers, no pit-stops and 100km maximum distance.
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AvaTrade explains the F1 rulebook
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