Three days before the first Sprint of the weekend, the sport has finally agreed on the exact format.

Following discussion at the F1 Commission meeting in February, clear objectives were set by the FIA, Formula 1 and all teams to investigate how the Sprint format could be improved to increase the level of intensity on-track across the weekend, making as many sessions as possible result in a competitive sporting outcome.

Following this mandate, the sport's Advisory Committees and key Formula 1 stakeholders returned a series of recommendations targeting a Sprint format that exists separately within a Grand Prix weekend and does not result in the Sprint setting the grid for Sunday's main event, delivering more 'jeopardy' through a reduction in practice time and providing a greater incentive to drivers to race hard on Saturday.

The Sprint will therefore become a stand-alone element, with a qualifying session - to be called Sprint Shootout - to determine the grid for the Sprint, which will carry the same points system as last season. The outcome of the Sprint will therefore no longer determine the grid for the Grand Prix, with Qualifying for the Grand Prix taking place on Friday.

The proposals that have been agreed by all stakeholders result in the following format changes:

Friday - A single Free Practice session followed by Qualifying for the Grand Prix (standard Qualifying format).

Saturday - Qualifying for the Sprint (Sprint Shootout) followed by the Sprint.

Sunday - Grand Prix.

The Sprint Shootout will be a shortened version of traditional Qualifying:

SQ1 for all 20 drivers will be 12 minutes.

SQ2 for the remaining 15 drivers will be 10 minutes.

SQ3 for the remaining top ten drivers will be 8 minutes.

Tyres:

For the Sprint weekend in Baku the dry allocation will be 2x Hard, 4x Medium, 6x Soft.

Tyre returns will be limited to only after P1 and the Sprint.

There will be a limit of 1 set of mandatory specification unused dry tyres for each Sprint Shootout period. Hence: SQ1: 1x Medium, SQ2: 1x Medium, SQ3: 1x Soft.

Penalties will be applied as follows:

A grid penalty incurred in P1 or Qualifying will apply to the Race.

A grid penalty incurred in the Shootout will apply to the Sprint.

A grid penalty incurred in the Sprint will apply to the Race.

A breach of parc fermé will result in a pitlane start for the Sprint and Race.

PU penalties will only apply to the Race (unless they are also a parc ferme breach).

Following this successful vote and subsequent approval by the World Motor Sport Council by e-vote, all stakeholders believe that this will boost the spectacle of Sprint weekends and enhance track action for fans around the world. Thanks to the close working relationship between the FIA, FOM as well as the sport's ten Formula 1 teams, moving the changes from concept to regulation has been accomplished swiftly and positively.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by ARL, 27/04/2023 20:21

"Don't worry TokyoAussie, they'll change the rules again and hope we haven't noticed.

The disparity in points between Saturday and Sunday will still have drivers and teams playing safe in the sprint race both in tactics and car wear. As said below, the Sunday problems remain unaddressed."

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2. Posted by trackrecords, 27/04/2023 16:35

"Without reading it again, how many can remember what they've just read? We need a 'Jumanji-style' pop-up glossary of the pertinent rules to the track action we're watching at any particular time. It almost makes me want to enter a Tyrell 6-Wheeler and ask "what's the tyre allocation for this?""

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3. Posted by Pavlo, 26/04/2023 18:36

"@habensten - good point. With less points available and less laps, top driver qualifying last may well decide to skip the sprint."

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4. Posted by The Canadian, 26/04/2023 18:32

"Ok, so I get it, I think..Let's take a good idea, squeeze every last bit of testosterone out of it- and try to sell it to the fans..."

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5. Posted by habentsen, 26/04/2023 18:27

"Are the drivers obliged to participate in the sprint?
Could one do a Indianapolis and do the formation lap, park up and save the car for sunday?"

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6. Posted by Chester, 26/04/2023 10:52

"They appear to hope that less practice time results in different teams doing well each race. This will hurt new drivers and drivers who rely on their team mates setup.

I don't mind it, yet. I do believe that drivers who can drive any style car will benefit, while those that prefer "stable" cars will be hurt. Time will tell."

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7. Posted by Max Noble, 26/04/2023 10:38

"Fantastic. Next race points for;
Best barista coffee
Loudest surround sound system
Most unusual finger food involving a raw fish we have never heard of
Largest set of platform sneakers
Best Mika Hakkinen impression
Best reason why Gene Haas has not smiled since 2002
Most unusual pet which is not an axolotl.

In other news, FIA considering move into motor racing… "

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8. Posted by TokyoAussie, 26/04/2023 9:55

"Will all these rules be posted for our benefit every weekend, because nobody who follows the sport is going to remember all that, let alone anybody who tunes in occasionally.

Fixing problems that don't exist so we can all continue to ignore the problems that do exist (for a bit longer)."

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9. Posted by Pavlo, 26/04/2023 6:38

"This makes 2 events in one weekend, but mixed. Looks weird to follow and for statistics.
Honestly, I don’t want „more action“ on Saturday especially if it’s not related to Sunday. My other problem is that I have other things to do, so I would often watch Saturday later and dedicate time for live race as a culmination of the weekend. Now this attitude is lost."

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10. Posted by Endre, 25/04/2023 22:21

"So does this mean that they are under parc fermé from the end of P1 to the end of the weekend? If this is the case, this is the dumbest plan in history."

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F1 finally confirms the Sprint weekend format

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