What is the Formula 1 sprint format for 2024?
Max Verstappen (centre) has won four out of the five sprint races held so far in 2024
- Published
Formula 1 has tweaked the format to the six sprint events for the 2024 season.
Qualifying for the shorter sprint race is now held on Friday instead of Saturday, following the only practice session of the weekend.
The 100km sprint will then take place as the first track action on Saturday, before main qualifying for the grand prix in its regular slot later in the day.
Sunday's race remains unchanged.
Max Verstappen won the first three sprint races that have been held so far this year, collecting eight points in China, Miami and at the Red Bull Ring in Austria in June.
The final sprint event takes place at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Why has the sprint format changed again?
The schedule for sprint weekends for this season has been refreshed again in an attempt to create a better spectacle.
In February, teams voted to keep the same sessions, but the order in which they take place has been rejigged.
Last year, Saturday became a standalone sprint day, independent of the main grand prix, with a 'sprint shootout' added to determine who started on pole for the 100km race later that day. Qualifying for Sunday's race was held on Friday, after one hour of practice.
The previous format for sprint weekends, which were introduced in 2021, had the Friday qualifying session setting the grid for the sprint and the result of the sprint establishing the grid for the main grand prix.
That meant drivers were reluctant to take chances in the sprint because any errors or accidents would disproportionately harm their chances in the grand prix.
How does the F1 sprint race work?
The sprint shootout has three sessions - like normal qualifying - with the slowest five cars eliminated at the end of the first two. These sessions last just 12, 10 and eight minutes, respectively. The three sessions in a standard qualifying run for 18, 15 and 12 minutes.
In the sprint race, the top eight finishers score points, from eight for first place down to one for eighth.