This weekend sees groups and drivers head to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix. Round 9 of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship won’t solely kick off the final leg of races forward of the summer time break, however can even embrace the revised sprint format. F1Technical’s Balázs Szabó picks out the most important info relating to the sprint weekend schedule.
The sprint race was launched in 2021 with the particular format first making look at three venues. 2022 noticed three venues host the 100-km sprint occasion on Saturday with the 2023 season set to stage six sprint weekends.
Baku was the first venue to function the sprint format with Austria (Red Bull Ring), Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps), Qatar (Lusail Circuit), the United States (Circuit of The Americas) and Sao Paulo (Interlagos) the different F1 Sprint venues for 2023.
However, the sprint race format has been closely up to date for this yr so as to optimize the weekend schedule.
The predominant cause for the change was that the Saturday apply session had been topic to harsh criticism as drivers and workforce had not been allowed to make any tweaks to their automobiles following the Friday qualifying session. Another crucial level was the incontrovertible fact that he schedule had compelled drivers to race fastidiously in the sprint race as a dismal outcome would have negatively affected their beginning place for the grand prix.
As a results of it, the sport launched tweaks to the sprint weekend with the end result of the sprint not have any bearing on the grid for Sunday’s grand prix.
BREAKING: F1 Sprint venues confirmed for 2023!
Sprint is heading to Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Qatar, Austin and Brazil#F1Sprint pic.twitter.com/TKzKnnjNhf
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 7, 2022
The Sprint has grow to be a standalone ingredient, with the Saturday apply having been renamed Sprint Shootout. The new session determines the grid for the Sprint. The end result of the Sprint not determines the grid for the Grand Prix, with Qualifying for the Grand Prix going down on Friday.
Fridays now consists of an FP1 session and customary qualifying session to set the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix, whereas Saturdays consists of the 100km race with an extra, previous qualifying session referred to as the ‘Sprint Shootout’.
The shootout is a shorter session than conventional qualifying, with SQ1 working for 12 minutes, SQ2 for 10 minutes and SQ3 for eight minutes. New tyres are necessary for every part, with mediums for SQ1 and SQ2, and softs for SQ3.
The revised sprint format sports activities the similar factors system as final season with eight handed out to the winner, seven to second place, six to third and so forth down to one in eighth – each drivers and groups will log factors of their respective championships.
The method penalties are handed out have additionally been revised. A grid penalty incurred in P1 or Qualifying applies to the Race whereas a grid penalty incurred in the Shootout utilized to the Sprint. However, a grid penalty incurred in the Sprint has to be served in the race.
A breach of parc fermé leads to a pitlane begin for the Sprint and Race. Any penalties relating to the energy unit solely apply to the Race (until they’re additionally a parc fermé breach).
