For the time being, three races are planned. The top 3 in the 100 km sprint receive 3-2-1 points.
In the middle of the Formula 1 season there is an innovation in the regulations at Silverstone at the weekend: in a total of three sprint qualifications there are additional points for the top 3, the premiere is on Saturday (5.30 p.m.). The conventional qualification will be held on Friday. In addition to Silverstone, Monza and either Brazil or the USA are being discussed for the further races in 2021. Whether the new format will prevail also depends on the feedback from the drivers.
The innovation, which was unanimously decided by the FIA, Formula 1 and all ten teams on April 26th, is supposed to bring additional excitement to the “premier class”, but is nothing new in motorsport. Sprint races have been around for a long time in Formula 2. It is now being tested in Formula 1.
Specifically, a Formula 1 sprint race will look like this:
– The race distance is 100 km, at Silverstone that's 17 laps, the race time should be around 25 to 30 minutes.
– There is no mandatory tire change and free choice of tires, the line-up for the sprint qualifying on Saturday (5.30 p.m.) will be decided by the “normal” qualification on Friday.
– Points are only awarded to the top 3: Winner 3, Second 2, Third 1. These count towards the driver and constructor standings. No award ceremony. The result also brings the starting grid for the race on Sunday.
– Course of a sprint weekend: Friday: 1st free practice (60 minutes), then qualification (as always Q1, Q2, Q3) – determined line-up for sprint races; Saturday: 2nd free practice (60 min.), Followed by a sprint race – determines the starting grid; Sunday: Grand Prix
– Longevity: It is a test phase with three planned sprint qualifying sessions. If the format prevails, it should be used over the long term, but certainly not every weekend.
Big change for the teams:
There is less training time to set the car on the course. In addition, the cars will come to the Parce Ferme after the first training session on Friday, after which hardly any changes are possible. That's why there is already a lot of pressure in the first practice session, according to a message from Mercedes. “There is a lot of pressure to find the setup for both low and high gasoline. At the same time, the cooling for the power unit and the brakes must also be taken into account. If you choose these parameters incorrectly, you could have a painful weekend from this point on stand because the vehicle specification is set for normal qualifying and thereafter, “it said.
Valtteri Bottas is looking forward to the sprint race experiment. “It will be nice to try something different and see if it brings new momentum to the weekend,” said the 31-year-old Finn. “There is more to see for the fans and we can do more races,” added Bottas. “As soon as we have tried it at Silverstone and hopefully at two other Grands Prix, we can certainly draw a good conclusion as to whether this is a good way to go in some races in the future or not.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff sees a challenge for all teams: “Whoever gets going the fastest has an advantage for the entire weekend,” said the Viennese. “We will adjust our approach and schedules to ensure that we are best prepared for every aspect of the new challenge.”
