April 25, (THEWILL) – Formula One will introduce a new “Sprint Shootout” qualifying session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as part of a revised sprint race weekend format.
The sprint races will take place on Saturday afternoons and will cover one-third of the distance of a normal grand prix. The new qualifying session will replace Free Practice 2 (FP2), which was redundant and useless for teams as it took place after qualifying.
Teams unanimously approved the new format in an F1 Commission meeting in Geneva. The sprint race will now be a standalone event and will have no bearing on the grid for the grand prix. The starting order for the sprint race will be set by the “Sprint Shootout” qualifying session, which will take place on Saturday, when final practice would normally happen.
The hope is that the new format will increase the action in F1 sprint races, as the old format meant drivers were hesitant about taking risks and losing positions for the main race. The new format allows drivers to give their all in the sprint race without worrying about the consequences for Sunday’s grand prix.
F1 will hold six sprints in total this year, with the remaining races running on a traditional weekend format.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
