Formula 1 has confirmed adjustments to the F1 Sprint format for the six events that will be staged across the 2023 season, beginning with this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
F1 Sprint first made its debut back in 2021, with the original format seeing qualifying shifted to Friday and setting the grid for a new 100- kilometre dash on Saturday, which in turn determined the starting order for the main event on Sunday.
However, the changes this year means that F1 Sprint will effectively become a standalone feature of race weekends when the format is used – with the outcome bearing no impact on the grid for the Grand Prix itself.
Fridays will now include an FP1 session and standard qualifying session to set the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix, while Saturdays will include the continuing 100km race with an additional preceding qualifying session called the ‘Sprint Shootout’.
The shootout will be a shorter session than the tradition qualifying with SQ1 set to run for 12 minutes, SQ2 for 10 minutes and SQ3 for eight minutes, and replaces the previous FP2 seen on the Saturday morning of Sprint weekends. New tyres are also mandatory for each phase, with Mediums for SQ1 and SQ2, and Softs for SQ3.
Given that the F1 Sprint is now contained within the race weekend, and any incidents will not compromise starting positions for the Grand Prix, drivers should now have more incentive to push across the 100km race.
To remind you of the six venues of Sprint this season are, Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, the United States and Sao Paulo.
Penalties-
The process for applying penalties at F1 Sprint events has been set out as follows:
Any grid penalties incurred in first practice or qualifying will apply to the race; any grid penalties incurred in the Sprint Shootout will apply to the Sprint ; and whilst any grid penalties incurred in the Sprint will apply to the race.
In addition, a breach of parc ferme will result in a pit lane start for the Sprint and race, whilst power-unit related penalties will only apply to the race, unless they are also a parc ferme breach.
Not only has the Sprint format changed but also the power unit usage, with approval given to increase the number of internal combustion engine (ICE), turbocharger, MGU-H and MGU-K elements for 2023 only from three to four.
Elsewhere, they updated definitions of ‘working on a car’ while serving a pit stop penalty, which was recently issued in a Sporting Directive, will now be included within the Sporting Regulations.
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