A Sprint weekend in F1 is a new format introduced in 2021 to add more excitement and competitiveness to the race weekend schedule. The format has undergone some changes since its introduction, and in 2023, it will consist of the following:
- Friday morning: 60-minute Free Practice 1.
- Friday afternoon: Regular hour-long qualifying session in the normal Q1-Q2-Q3 format. This sets the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix and has no bearing on Saturday’s sprint qualifying or sprint race.
- Saturday morning: Sprint Qualifying session, essentially a shorter version of regular qualifying, with Q1 12 minutes, Q2 10 minutes, and Q3 eight minutes. This sets the grid for the Sprint Race in the afternoon.
- Saturday afternoon: Sprint Race, which is the same length and format as 2022, equivalent to a 100km race, with points on offer for the top eight finishers. The winner picks up eight points, second place scores seven points, and it continues descending down to eighth place with one point.
- Sunday: Grand Prix takes place as normal, with the grid determined by Fridays qualifying session.
The Sprint Race is a much shortened version of the Grand Prix, with 100km of the circuit hosting the event. The race is run over just 100 kilometers, and there are no pit stops unless a team has to make some repairs. The Sprint Race is designed to provide a short and fast-paced racing spectacle, similar to a Twenty20 cricket match, with drivers racing flat-out from start to finish without the need to pit. The Sprint Race is a standalone event and has no bearing on the Grand Prix on Sunday.
