How F1 Drivers Are Approaching New Saturday Sprint Format

• In 2021 and 2022 qualifying set the grid for Sprint, and the outcome of that mini-race set the grid for Sunday’s main race.

• Now, Friday qualifying will determine the grid for Sunday’s race.

• Meanwhile, Sprint Shootout—a condensed version of qualifying that replaces the valueless second practice session—will set the lineup for Saturday’s Sprint.
  

It has been an unusually disjointed start to the 2023 Formula 1 season, with the opening trio of events spaced two weeks apart, followed by a four-week pause, which was caused by the cancellation and non-replacement of the Chinese Grand Prix.

That is all about to change as this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix marks the start of 10 Grands Prix in the space of just 14 weekends, five of them across the next six weeks.

Azerbaijan’s wall-lined Baku City Circuit will also host the first of this year’s six Sprint events—expanded from three from 2022—as well as the inaugural version of the updated format.

In 2021 and 2022 qualifying set the grid for Sprint, and the outcome of that mini-race set the grid for Sunday’s main race.

Now, Friday qualifying will determine the grid for Sunday’s race, while Sprint Shootout—a condensed version of qualifying that replaces the valueless second practice session—will set the lineup for Saturday’s Sprint.

It will enhance the importance of each minute of track activity, with there now being only one practice session all weekend.

“There are a few more question marks, and only one free practice, so if you don’t get it right there you might struggle a bit in qualifying and then are on the back foot for the race,” said World Champion Max Verstappen, who leads Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez by 15 points.

“I prefer (the Sprint format),” said Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. “I don’t want it to become the main format in the future, but a few weekends like this per year is good. Also knowing that the last time we were in the car was three weeks ago, it feels like a bit of a summer break, you come back from a break, you do only an hour of practice and then straight to quali, it is gonna be quite a challenge, especially on the street track like Baku, so this weekend is going to be very, very difficult.”

“Baku’s not the easiest track in normal circumstances, so 60 minutes isn’t enough to get [the car] into the sweet spot, but that’s the same for everyone,” said Mercedes’ George Russell. “Hopefully we’re happy from the first lap of practice as that’ll make life easier.”

The creation of Sprint Shootout means drivers will head straight into a qualifying session from the outset of Saturday’s track activity.

“It will be difficult, waking up and then going straight into Q1—I’ll make sure I’m really woken up to be pushing flat out in these cars first thing,” said Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

“I think as a driver it’s great that you go straight into that Sprint Shootout without practice (in the morning) as it could bring uncertainty, some drivers that might make mistakes,” said Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.

There is also something of a potential double-edged sword to the alteration.

Saturday’s Sprint race—just like it did in 2022—will still reward points for the top eight finishers (8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1), compared to points for the top 10 of Sunday’s race (25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1, plus 1 point for fastest lap so long as that fast lap comes from one of the top-10 finishers). Sprint’s results no longer set the grid for Sunday, which could mean drivers are more willing to go for it—though conversely those lower down the order may have less incentive.

On Thursday in Baku, drivers downplayed the wholesale changes of approach.

“It’s a balance—none of us want to damage our cars because it can be penalizing on future upgrades and can have an impact on future races, so it’s not like everyone is going to take silly risks, it’s important to bring the car home and have a good Sunday,” said Red Bull’s Perez. “I don’t think it’ll change that much.

“I think if you’re P9 towards the end of the [Sprint] race and there’s a chance to attack, but might be slightly risky, you might be more likely to go for it with how it is now—it’s an improvement, but it’s not going to change the world,” said Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.

Sainz added that “I don’t think an F1 driver will change an approach for a (race) start, to fighting, we will approach it normally” while Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas added that “if you’re 15th or something you still go for it—it’s our nature, not giving up, and you never know what might happen, so you go until the end.”

For four of the 20 drivers they have no Sprint experience to lean on. Logan Sargeant, Oscar Piastri and Nyck de Vries are rookies, while veteran Nico Hulkenberg has not been on the grid full-time since Sprint’s debut in 2021.

However, for the three rookies—and even Hulkenberg—a short practice session before the important action is what they’re used to from junior championships.

“In some ways it’ll be more like I’m used to—just having one practice, we had it in F2 and F3,” said McLaren’s Piastri. “It gives you a chance to really focus, you don’t have the luxury of three sessions, you have to start on the right foot.”

Williams’ Sargeant added that “to have two opportunities for qualifying, and two races, is huge to keep learning and building on that foundation.”

De Vries believes it will be “exciting for everyone—qualifying on Saturday is quite short and punchy, and we’ll have two races; I’ve been at Baku before in Formula 2, so it’s not a new track like Melbourne or Jeddah, but it means less time to get up to speed.”

“It’s much less practice, and then it’s straight into a meaningful session, it reminds me of my junior days and I used to like that,” said Hulkenberg. “I go into it with an open mind just accepting the challenge.”