The intention is that not three, but six sprint races will be on the program next Formula 1 season. All ten teams agreed to this during a meeting in London on Tuesday. Sports sources report that the FIA motorsport federation has come up with an additional demand through the new president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. He would like to see money from Formula 1 to be able to organize the six sprint races.
That comes up against the Formula 1 top and many people involved in teams. In the premier league, the teams are paid by the sport’s management. By parties that pay the promoters of races, 72 percent goes to the teams and 28 percent to the Formula 1 leadership. The question is how the matter will now be resolved, because the Formula 1 leadership finds Ben Sulayem’s demand unreasonable to say the least.
The leadership of the premier class of motorsport was already aiming for six sprint weekends for this season, but the teams could not agree on the financial terms and with the arrival of the brand new cars, they agreed to another three weekends according to that format.
As far as the teams and the F1 top are concerned, there is now agreement for six sprint races in 2023, in which qualifying will be held on Friday and the sprint race on Saturday determines the starting grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday.
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Just like last season, there will be three sprint weekends in 2022. The first was completed in Imola last week. Max Verstappen was the fastest on Saturday, earning eight extra World Cup points, after which he also won the race on Sunday.
In a statement, the FIA also confirmed that the teams would like to expand to six sprint races, but that the FIA is “evaluating the impact of the proposal, looking at trackside operations and personnel.” The motorsport federation says it will soon provide feedback and seems to imply that an expansion of the number of sprint races would demand more from its own staff.
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