F1 Sprint races have been adopted for a few seasons now, with 2024 adding more to the calendar despite some pushback. Here, we explain how F1 sprint races work and where we will see them in the new season.

Ever since Bernie Ecclestone passed on ownership of Formula 1, the new bosses have looked at ways to bring more exciting racing to the sport.

One of the efforts implemented by Liberty Media, the current owners, is implementing sprint race weekends into a number of races - something that has divided fans for multiple reasons.

With that being said, we’re here to bring you all the details of what a sprint race in F1 is, how they work, and which race weekends in 2024 will use the different format.

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What is a sprint race in F1?

The sprint race format was adopted in the 2021 season and sees the traditional format shifted to one that promotes more entertainment throughout the whole weekend.

The sprint race is a shorter version of the full race on Sunday. It is a flat-out dash from lights out to the chequered flag with no mandatory pit stops.

Points are also awarded for the sprint race, with the top eight finishers scoring what could be some very valuable points. Here is how the points are broken down:

  • 1st Place - 8 points
  • 2nd Place - 7 points
  • 3rd Place - 6 points
  • 4th Place - 5 points
  • 5th Place - 4 points
  • 6th Place - 3 points
  • 7th Place - 2 points
  • 8th Place - 1 point

How do F1 Sprint races work?

A normal race weekend is structured as such:

  • Friday - Two 60-minute practice sessions
  • Saturday - One 60-minute practice session in the morning, qualifying in the afternoon
  • Sunday - Race day

The Friday sessions of the classic weekend setup may not have as high viewership or carry significant stakes compared to other sessions. As mentioned earlier, the point of a sprint race weekend is to change that.

It doesn’t completely eliminate the classic qualifying session, though, as on the Friday, instead of two practice sessions there is just one in the morning. Then F1 qualifying which will determine the driver's starting position for the Grand Prix on Sunday.

A sprint race weekend is then structured as such:

  • Friday - One 60-minute practice session in the morning, qualifying for the sprint race in the afternoon
  • Saturday - One 60-minute practice session in the morning, sprint race in the afternoon
  • Sunday - Race day

How long is an F1 sprint race?

An F1 sprint race is a 100km dash, which is roughly 33% of the race distance on Sunday and lasts around 25-30 minutes.

There are no mandatory pit stops to change tires for drivers. Essentially, the only reason why any driver would need to pit is due to damage if they were involved in a collision with another driver but were able to continue racing.

All drivers will be fitted with the soft tires - the softest compound tire available, which provides the most speed while being the least durable, which isn’t as much of an issue in the sprint race and means every driver can push as hard as they possibly can.

Which F1 races have sprint qualifying?

For 2024, the F1 bosses decided to increase the number of sprint race weekends in the season from three to six. The six race weekends in the 2024 F1 season will be:

The first trial of sprint races in the 2021 season saw the British Grand Prix and the Monza Grand Prix hosted alongside Interlagos. In 2022, the Italian Grand Prix at Imola joined Austria and Brazil in hosting sprint race weekends.

What is the format of the Sprint Race F1 Shootout?

The Sprint Race F1 Shootout is a condensed version of the usual qualifying format. In SQ1, all drivers are given 12 minutes to set their fastest lap times, and the bottom 5 drivers are eliminated and do not progress to SQ2.

In SQ2, the remaining 15 drivers have 10 minutes to improve their lap times, with another 5 drivers dropping out. Finally, in SQ3, the top 10 drivers compete for their starting positions in the sprint race.

When is the next F1 sprint race?

Images: Bird's eye view of different parts of the Baku City Circuit

The Miami Grand Prix is set to host a thrilling sprint race weekend in the 2024 F1 calendar.

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