Hold on to your seats racing fans, because Formula 1 is shaking things up with a brand new format for Sprint weekends in 2023. Starting with this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the new format promises to add even more excitement and thrills to an already electrifying event.
The main goal of the new format is to ramp up the entertainment factor, and one way they're doing that is by separating the Sprint from the main Grand Prix. Unlike previous years, the Sprint result will no longer determine Sunday's starting order. Instead, Friday's qualifying session will take on that responsibility.
But don't worry, there's still plenty of drama to be had during the 100km Sprint on Saturday morning. A new, shorter qualifying session - the Sprint Shootout - will be added, using the same knockout format as the usual qualifying sessions. However, to prevent teams from overtaxing their engines and tires, each segment has been shortened, and mandatory tire changes have been implemented. The first two segments will use medium compounds, with a switch to softs for the final one.
All this means that drivers will need to be even more aggressive and take more risks to come out on top. And with teams having less time to understand tire behaviour and set up, the stakes are higher than ever.
As for points, they remain unchanged from 2022, with the top eight finishers in the Sprint collecting a total of 36 points. The winner will earn eight points, with each subsequent position receiving one less point until eighth place, which receives one point. But with six Sprint weekends scheduled for 2023 - double the number from previous years - those points could have an even bigger impact on the championship standings.
Following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, we'll be treated to more Sprint weekends at the Austrian GP, the Belgian GP, the Qatar GP, the US GP, and the Sao Paulo GP. And for those die-hard fans who can't get enough, the Sprint format will return for a second year at the Red Bull Ring and the Belgian GP.
However, it isn’t without potential downsides and concerns, as we’ll explain now.
Many feel that these added sessions will provide less incentive for the lower placed and limited budget teams to participate as the chaotic nature of the format increases risk of crashes and parts replacement.
It remains to be seen whether this is a welcome change, but hopefully it will prove fruitful.
The schedule is as follows (IST):
Friday:
Practice: 2:55 PM - 4:00 PM
Qualifying: 6:25 PM - 7:30 PM
Saturday:
Sprint Shootout: 1:55 PM - 2:45 PM
Sprint Race: 6:55 PM - 7:45 PM
Sunday:
Race: 4:25 PM onwards
