F1 teams agree two GP qualifying sessions with sprint race

This means that in a weekend with a sprint race, drivers only have one practice session to find the right set-up for their cars.

According to Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur, all ten racing teams in Formula 1 are behind the change. International motorsport federation FIA has yet to confirm the adjustment. This season there will also be a 100 kilometer sprint race at six GPs. The first is scheduled for the end of this month in Azerbaijan. The others are in Austria, Belgium, Qatar, the United States (Austin) and Brazil.

Launch the command

In recent years, the result of the sprint race determined the starting order of the Sunday race. Now teams want two separate qualifiers; the Friday before the race on Sunday and the Saturday before the sprint race on the same day. In this short race, the top eight drivers receive points for the World Championship standings.

“I think all the teams are on the same page for once, it’s quite special,” Vasseur said in a Zoom chat with international media. “I think it’s a good format. I’m not a big fan of the second free training. It’s a bit boring sometimes. It’s a good decision to make the weekend a bit more dynamic. In the football, you don’t go a day before the training match in the stadium on TV. We’re probably the only sport in the world that shows a training session on TV.”