Formula 1 has announced six races that will feature sprints next season, but the format of these weekends with reverse grids is still being discussed.
China, Miami, Austria, Circuit of the Americas, Brazil and Qatar are the six races that will host sprint weekends in 2024.
China and Miami make their debut in this year’s sprint standings, replacing Azerbaijan and Spa.
The only thing to decide now is the format. It is understood that sprint qualifying is almost certain to return to Friday, followed by the sprint race and the main qualifying session for the Grand Prix on Saturday.
But everything else, including the possibility of an inverted grid, is still uncertain.
Sprint races, shorter events that take place over a race weekend and offer a handful of championship points, were first introduced in 2021 to spice up weekends, effectively offering venues the chance for three days of competitive running.
Formula 1 claims they have been successful, with viewing figures particularly increasing on Fridays compared to normal free practice sessions. However, it remains controversial among fans and some drivers.
Triple world champion Max Verstappen is an outspoken critic; He even goes so far as to say that he will quit the sport if it strays too far from Formula 1’s “DNA”.
There have been a few changes to the format this season; Friday’s qualifying session determined the order for Sunday’s main race instead of Saturday’s sprint as before. Then there was an independent ‘sprint day’ on Saturday; There was a shortened ‘shootout’ on the Saturday morning followed by a sprint race in the afternoon.
However, following a meeting of the F1 Commission at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi last month, it was decided that the format needed further revamping as it was not providing as much entertainment as hoped.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said in a statement that the new sprint to host China and Miami “will be great additions and will provide great racing for all our fans at the race and watching at home.”
He added: “Since its inception in 2021 the sprint has been consistent in delivering greater audiences on TV, more on-track entertainment for fans at events and greater fan engagement across social and digital platforms and we look forward to the exciting excitement.” “We look forward to next year’s events.”
Meanwhile, it looks like Madrid will be awarded the Spanish Grand Prix at the expense of Barcelona, according to reports that a 10-year deal has been agreed from 2026. Negotiations have been ongoing for more than a year. Madrid last hosted a Formula 1 race in Jarama in 1981. The proposed race would take place on a semi-permanent track near Barajas Airport in the northeast of the city.
Sprints are here to stay – but reverse grid could spark anger
Although they remain controversial, it seems unlikely that Formula 1 will raise the issue of sprinting. Even Max Verstappen’s warning a few weeks ago via Telegraph Sport that Formula 1 was at a “turning point” in putting entertainment ahead of sport cannot deter its stakeholders that this is a bad idea. F1 owners point out that television viewing figures have increased and that organizers have seen an increase in sales, especially on Fridays.
The only question is about the format, with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner stating at the last Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that there are currently no pit stops, a tendency to stay in grid formation and in some ways it feels like they are getting a medal. in the long run…”
It is understood that discussions are still ongoing regarding the final proposal to be presented to the F1 Commission in January. But it is already largely agreed that the sport will return to sprint qualifying on Friday, followed by sprint racing and the main qualifying session on Saturday.
The rest of the weekend could largely stay that way, barring changes to parking rules. Currently, cars will be subject to closed parking rules after the single free practice session on Friday morning, meaning teams will be locked into their own car setup and subject to strict limits on what items they can change for the remainder of the weekend.
A more radical move would be to reverse part of the grid for the sprint, but that would likely trigger anger among a certain fanbase.
Horner added in Abu Dhabi: “You need to do the research here.” “I think the fans’ feedback will play a very important role. What do they want? Are they happy with the sprint format or do they want to see some more racing? If we are going to do this, how will we award points? How will we encourage the drivers and teams?”
Whatever the decision, there is a recognition that the sport needs to stop making endless tweaks to ensure accurate data, at least on an annual basis. This also applies to the number of sprint races; In the short term, the maximum number remained at six.