F1 confirm new look weekend sprint race format – and it starts this weekend

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Formula One chiefs have confirmed their new-look sprint race will start this weekend – and they hope it will encourage more racing.

The F1 circus returns to Azerbaijan this weekend for the Baku GP, and it will be the first of the new-look sprints. The changes have been created so the sprint can be a standalone event on the Saturday, and it won't impact the Grand Prix on the Sunday.

Friday's first practice will then be followed by traditional qualifying for the Grand Prix – removing Saturday's largely redundant second practice session – leaving the following day dedicated to the sprint race.

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Saturday morning will now be used for the 'sprint shootout' a three-part qualifying session with reduced sessions: 12 minutes for what will be known as SQ1, 10 minutes for SQ2, and eight minutes for SQ3.

The sprint race will then take place in the afternoon, with the points allocation remaining unchanged for the 100km race as well as the no mandatory pit stops ruling. However, the result won't bear any influence on Sunday's race.

A joint FIA and F1 statement said: "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.

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"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."

Baku will be the first of the six sprint weekends on the 2023 schedule, with the Austrian, Belgian, Qatar, USA and Sao Paulo events also set to have sprint events.

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