Formula 1 is always full of surprises, and the F1 Sprint is the game-changer. It has made race weekends even more exciting. But what exactly is an F1 Sprint? Let’s find out.
What Is F1 Sprint?
The F1 Sprint is a short race that’s roughly one-third the length of a full Grand Prix. It covers about 100 kilometers and lasts around 30 minutes. Unlike a regular race, there are no mandatory pit stops in a Sprint. The basic idea is to keep the racing fast, aggressive, and action-packed, with drivers pushing all out from start to finish. So, in simple terms, an F1 Sprint is just pure racing.
F1 Sprint Weekend: Simplified
An F1 Sprint weekend still follows the usual three-day F1 schedule, but there are some key changes:
- On Friday, instead of two free practice sessions, there’s a special Sprint Qualifying session that sets the grid for the Sprint race.
- On Saturday, the Sprint race replaces the usual final practice session. Then, later that day, the classic Grand Prix qualifying takes place to decide Sunday’s race grid.
This format puts a lot of pressure on teams and drivers because they only get one free practice session before the Sprint Qualifying. They need to get the setup right quickly and be ready to race hard all weekend.
F1 Sprint Qualifying itself is split into three parts: SQ1 (12 minutes), SQ2 (10 minutes), and SQ3 (8 minutes), similar to traditional qualifying but shorter. Drivers are limited in how many laps they can do, and they have to use specific tyres in each session: medium tyres in SQ1 and SQ2, and soft tyres in SQ3. This means no endless practice runs; every lap counts.
Other Exciting Perks
What’s truly exciting about an F1 Sprint is the extra points that are up for grabs for the top eight finishers. The winner earns 8 points, second place gets 7, third gets 6, and so on, down to 1 point for eighth place. These points count both in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships and can make a huge difference in the title race. For example, Max Verstappen once clinched the 2023 world title by winning a Sprint race on Saturday.
One more thing, the finishing order of the F1 Sprint also determines the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The winner of the Sprint starts first in the main race, adding even more importance to this short sprint event.
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