Kurt Verlin
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New F1 Sprint Race Format is a Terrible Idea

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New F1 sprint race format: Charles Leclerc in 2022 Ferrari F1 car
Photo: Anyul Rivas via CC

For the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix taking place this weekend, Formula 1 is introducing an awful new sprint race format that nobody asked for and is likely to stick around about as long as the last time they tried to change something for no good reason.


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One of the more controversial aspects of the sport since Liberty Media’s takeover has been the introduction of sprint races, which drivers and teams have criticized for various reasons. The main concern is that sprint races introduce more chances for drivers to crash, potentially making the weekend a lot more expensive for the teams without actually providing commensurate rewards for those who do take risks.

The new format doesn’t address these issues. In fact, it exacerbates them.

How F1 weekends work

For those who need a refresher, here’s how a regular F1 weekend goes.

Regular F1 weekend

  • Friday: Practice 1 and Practice 2
  • Saturday: Practice 3, then Qualifying to determine Main Race starting order
  • Sunday: Main Race

Old F1 sprint race format

Some weekends have a sprint race. This used to change the schedule to the following:

  • Friday: Practice 1, then Qualifying to determine Sprint Race starting order
  • Saturday: Practice 2, then Sprint Race to determine Main Race starting order
  • Sunday: Main Race

New F1 sprint race format

Now, sprint race weekends follow this new format:

  • Friday: Practice 1, then Qualifying to determine Main Race starting order
  • Saturday: Short qualifying to determine Sprint Race starting order, then Sprint Race
  • Sunday: Main Race

In effect, the sprint race has been completely insulated from the main event. It has its own separate qualifying and no longer determines the starting order for the Sunday Grand Prix, meaning it has absolutely no bearing on the rest of the weekend. The only thing to get out of it is a few extra points.

Why the teams don’t like it

The major downside of the new sprint race format that it reduces the number of practice sessions from three (on a regular weekend) or two (with the old sprint race format) to just one. This is extremely consequential because F1 is one of the few sports where competitors can’t just practice all year round. Most of their data is gathered in the wind tunnel and the simulator. Virtually all of the real-world data and real time behind the wheel they get is during race weekends.

The teams rely on that time to identify if their designs are working, how to set up the car for qualifying and the race, how to get the tires in the right operating window, and so on. With just a single one-hour practice session, it doesn’t give the teams or the drivers a lot of time to understand their car before they’re thrown into the gauntlet.

Risk vs reward

In theory, less practice could lead to more exciting racing. F1’s hope is that it will force the teams to operate less optimally and the drivers to drive more like humans rather than like the perfect driving robots they are.

This might be achieved if the sprint race offered strong perks for good results, but rewards are notably lackluster—in part because they must be, to not take away from the importance of the Sunday Grand Prix. Only the top 8 finishing drivers get points, and the winning driver gets only 8 points (compared to 10 drivers earning points in the main race, with the winner getting 25).

Teams that cannot reasonably expect to finish in the top 8 of the sprint race thus have every incentive not to take risks. At street circuits like Baku, where the new F1 sprint race format is being premiered, the smallest mistake can lead to crashing into a wall — and the cost of repairing a car isn’t exempt from the increasingly restrictive budget cap.

Drivers starting in the bottom third are unlikely to get any points even by taking risks, and since the results do not affect the qualifying order for the main Sunday race, there’s quite literally no reason to do anything other than get the car to the checked flag safely. There is no benefit to it, and a lot to lose. So if you watch the sprint race tomorrow, don’t be surprised if it’s a snooze.