what is sprint race qualifying

Sprint race qualifying is a new format introduced in Formula 1 in 2021 to add more excitement to the race weekend. It is essentially a shortened version of a normal race, taking place over a shorter distance of approximately 100km or 62 miles. The sprint race takes place on Saturday of a grand prix weekend, with a "sprint shootout" qualifying session in the morning, followed by the sprint race itself in the afternoon. The sprint shootout is a short-form qualifying session that sets the grid for the sprint race. The sprint shootout is divided into three parts: sprint qualifying 1 (SQ1), sprint qualifying 2 (SQ2), and sprint qualifying 3 (SQ3). All 20 drivers have 12 minutes to set a time in SQ1, and the five slowest drivers drop out before the 10-minute SQ2. Only the fastest ten drivers go through to the 8-minute SQ3. The sprint race 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. The sprint race does not have a role in setting the grid for the grand prix, unlike in previous seasons.