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Formula 1 teams are unanimous in favor of a different grand prix format which also includes a sprint race.
It is expected that separate qualification will take place for the sprint race and the distance 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.
Six sprint races
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.
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.
“All teams on the same line”
“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 second free practice. Sometimes it’s a bit boring. It’s a good decision to make the weekend a bit more dynamic. In football, you don’t watch training at the stadium on television the day before the match. We’re probably the only sport in the world to broadcast a workout on TV.
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