In 2021, the sprint race was first introduced in Formula 1 during the Grand Prix weekend in Great Britain. We can proudly say that Max Verstappen also won this sprint race.
The concept of sprint racing is not new. Formula 2 has been using it for a while now. Formula 1 sprint races are designed to bring more excitement and thrills to a regular F1 weekend. But what does a sprint race weekend look like and how does it work exactly?
What is an F1 sprint race?
A sprint race is basically the same as a regular F1 race, but shorter. A ‘normal’ Grand Prix has a minimum distance of 305 kilometers and takes an average of one and a half hours (provided there are no accidents). While a sprint race has a distance of 100 kilometers. These sprint races last on average between 25 and 30 minutes. As mentioned before, Formula 2 has been using the sprint race weekends for some time, but these look a bit different from a sprint race weekend in Formula 1. In Formula 2, a sprint race is 120 kilometers long, while the ‘feature race’ is only 170 kilometers. Because you have an extra race, such a weekend often creates extra tension.
Formula 1 wants to use sprint races to generate more tension in a race weekend. With this new format, the fans get more thrills every day than you would get during a regular race weekend, namely: qualifying is on Friday, the sprint race is on Saturday and the Grand Prix is on Sunday. This method should also ensure that the spectators get more for their money. Indirectly, this is also beneficial for ticket sales as there is more action on several days, a win-win situation.
How does a sprint race in Formula 1 work?
The sprint race is a race over about 100 kilometers and takes about 25 to 30 minutes. The starting order for the sprint race will be determined on Friday during qualifying, which will be held in the traditional format. The results of the sprint race will be used as the starting grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday. In 2021 the pole position was awarded to the winner of the sprint race, in 2022 the fastest man in qualifying will receive this honor.
What does a sprint race weekend look like?
As may be clear by now, a sprint race weekend looks slightly different from a traditional Grand Prix weekend. Below are two tables in which the differences are clearly stated.
Format of a sprint race weekend
| Day + time | Session |
| Friday – early afternoon | Free Practice 1 (60 minutes) |
| Friday – late afternoon | Qualification for the sprint race |
| Saturday – early afternoon | Free practice 2 (60 minutes) |
| Saturday – late afternoon | Sprint race 100km |
| Sunday | Grand Prix |
Format of a classic Formula 1 weekend
| Day + time | Session |
| Friday – early afternoon | Free Practice 1 (60 minutes) |
| Friday – late afternoon | Free practice 2 (60 minutes) |
| Saturday – early afternoon | Free practice 3 (60 minutes) |
| Saturday – late afternoon | Qualification |
| Sunday | Grand Prix |
How many sprint races are held?
A total of three sprint races will be held in the 2022 Formula 1 season. The FIA (F1 organisation) hoped before the season started to hold as many as 6 sprint races in one season. This was not successful because a number of teams have resisted this, mainly for money reasons. In the 2022 season, a sprint race will be held in the following three places:
- Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix: April 22-24 (Italy)
- Austrian Grand Prix: July 8-10
- Brazilian Grand Prix: November 11-13
Nevertheless, the F1 organization has succeeded, in the Formula 1 season of 2023 there will be six sprint races. The FIA has not yet given any information about which Grand Prix it concerns. It could well be that two races will be held in Zandvoort next year.
Points in Formula 1
Since a sprint race is 3x shorter than a regular race, it is only logical that there is also a different scoring. Not only does the sprint race hand out fewer points, they hand out points to fewer drivers than in a classic race. Below are two tables, one table shows the points of a sprint race and the other table shows the points of a classic race.
Points scoring Formula 1 sprint race
| Position | Points |
| 1st place | 8 |
| 2nd place | 7 |
| 3rd place | 6 |
| 4th place | 5 |
| 5th place | 4 |
| 6th place | 3 |
| 7th place | 2 |
| 8th place | 1 |
| Fastest lap time | 0 |
Points scoring classic Formula 1 race
| Position | Points |
| 1st place | 25 |
| 2nd place | 18 |
| 3rd place | 15 |
| 4th place | 12 |
| 5th place | 10 |
| 6th place | 8 |
| 7th place | 6 |
| 8th place | 4 |
| 9th place | 2 |
| 10th place | 1 |
| Fastest time (if finished in the top 10) | 1 |
What happens if a driver does not finish during the sprint race?
As mentioned before, the result of the sprint race determines the starting order of the Grand Prix on Sunday. Whoever finishes first in the sprint race can start on pole position on Sunday. If a driver drops out during the sprint race, that driver must therefore close at the back of the field and start from last place.
What happens if a car gets damaged during a sprint race?
Since there are three additional races, each team will incur additional costs. The FIA has therefore decided to provide each team with a financial package of around $500,000. In addition to the new financial package, a compensation scheme has also been established. This compensation scheme was created for teams that suffer damage during a sprint race. This schedule should ensure that if a driver suffers damage on Saturday during the sprint race, he always has the opportunity to start the Grand Prix on Sunday.
The teams will not only receive extra money for the sprint races, they will also have the opportunity to replace damaged parts for Sunday’s Grand Prix. However, these parts must be exactly the same. This is because the cars are subject to the parc fermé rules after the sprint race. Once the parc fermé rules come into effect, no further adjustments may be made to the race car.
Are you also looking for more information about tire changes in Formula 1? Then read that here.