China and Miami to stage the Sprint format for the first time next year; Talks understood to be continuing over potential format changes for 2024, including likely change in the schedule of the sessions, plus more radical elements like reverse grids
Last Updated: 05/12/23 12:00pm
Formula 1 has named the six venues that will stage Sprint weekends in the 2024 season.
China, Miami, Austria, United States, Brazil and Qatar have been selected as the locations that will stage the short-form Saturday race next year.
Discussions among F1 teams and stakeholders about potential changes to the schedule and format of Sprint weekends are understood to remain under discussion, with a final proposal set to be submitted to the next F1 Commission meeting in mid-late January.
One change that appears likely is the schedule on such weekends will change so that the Sprint Shootout – the qualifying session that sets the grid for the Sprint – moves to Friday with the 100km Sprint itself and then Qualifying for the Sunday Grand Prix to follow on Saturday.
Any additional changes are believed to centre on changing the parc-ferme regulations on such weekends, which currently prohibit teams from making significant changes to their car after the single Friday practice session, and discussions around more radical elements such as a reverse grid for the Sprint.
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China, which is returning to the calendar for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, will stage the year’s first Sprint at the season’s fifth race weekend on April 19-21.
The next Sprint will be a first for the Miami GP, on May 3-5, before Austria on June 28-30 will stage a Sprint for the third year running.
The three Sprints in the second half of this season will be the same as 2023 – the United States GP in Austin (October 18-20), the Sao Paulo GP (November 1-3) and Qatar GP (November 29-December 1).
More to follow…
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