Sprint races will make their appearance in Formula 1
The 10 F1 teams on the grid responded positively in unison to the introduction of sprint races during 3 race weekends in 2021.
The F1 commission which was held this Monday will undoubtedly remain in history. Indeed, if the format of a race weekend in F1 has been the same since 1950, a new formula will make its appearance this season with the integration of a Sprint Qualifying on 3 races of the calendar, as expected for several weeks.
Friday
- Free Practice 1 of 60 minutes in the morning with two sets of tires per driver.
- Usual qualifications in the afternoon with only 5 sets of soft tires available per driver.
Saturday
- Free Practice 2 of 60 minutes in the morning with only one set of tires per driver.
- Sprint Qualifying of 100 Km in the afternoon with two sets of tires per drivers.
Sunday
- 305 Km race with the remaining sets of tires
It goes without saying that the current health situation is favoring the arrival of new circuits (Portimao), the return of old tracks (Imola), and the real-world testing of an innovative format close to the one adopted in Formula 2 in previous seasons. This new race weekend organization still needs to be approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, which will be a formality.
So in addition to adding an extra race during a weekend, this race or sprint qualifying will force teams to pay close attention to the tire sets available over the weekend for each driver. In addition to seeking additional excitement, this sprint qualifying will also have an impact on the championship as it will reward 3, 2, and 1 point to the top three drivers to cross the finish line on Saturday afternoon.
Now, all eyes are obviously turning to the 2021 calendar and its layouts, if nothing has been officialised yet Monza and Silverstone would likely be interested in this new format, Interlagos could then come to complete this triptych.
Obviously, new formula means new rules, which are thus specified in the press release:
In case of rainy conditions:
- Three sets of wet tires and four sets of intermediate tires at the beginning of the weekend.
- If it rains in FP1 or in qualifying, teams will receive an additional set of intermediates but must return a set of used intermediates before the Sprint Qualifying.
- If it rains for the Sprint Qualifying, teams will then be able to return a set of used intermediate or wet tires, which will be replaced by a new set of intermediates. Maximum of nine sets of wet and intermediate tires in total.
Conditions of Closed Park:
The Parc Fermé conditions will apply from the start of qualifying on Friday, prohibiting the change of major parts with three objectives:
- Prevent the construction of special cars for qualifying sessions.
- Limit the number of hours required for car preparation for the following day.
- Allow cars to be sufficiently reconfigured to make the Saturday morning free practice session useful.
After the start of the Sprint Qualifying, cars will be under the complete Parc Fermé regulations. A limited number of parts may be changed after qualifying:
- The weight distribution can be modified.
- The cooling of the power unit and gearbox can be adjusted by modifying the air intakes and vents on the engine cover, provided that the ambient temperature officially recorded by the weather service designated by the FIA varies by at least 10°C one hour before the start of qualifying and one hour before the start of the Sprint Qualifying.
