F1 reveal Sprint Shootout ahead of Azerbaijan race weekend
25th April 2023Formula 1 revealed the weekend format ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, this week, which includes a new sprint shootout qualifying session.
Ahead of F1’s long-awaited return, after a lengthy four-week break since the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, the sport will return with a newly revised format for the sprint race weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The sports appearance in Baku will include an action-packed second day of running which has been dubbed ‘Sprint Saturday’ by F1. Sprint Saturday will include a brand new qualifying session which will determine the grid ahead of the first sprint race of the year, called the Sprint Shootout.
Friday will remain fairly unchanged to a sprint weekend with Free Practice setting off the weekend ahead of qualifying which will now set the grid for the Grand Prix. Saturday has now seen a new change with the introduction to the Sprint Shootout, which will set the grid for the sprint later on in the day.
The shootout session will also be slightly different to the standard qualifying session that fans are used to. Q1 is set to run for 12 minutes, Q2 will run for 10 minutes and the final qualifying third will run for eight minutes.
The yellow-ringed medium compound tyres will be mandatory for the opening two qualifying thirds while the drivers will be allocated the soft tyres for Q3.
Sunday also remains unchanged with the main race being the sole session of any on-track action.
The new changes essentially make the Sprint its own entity contained within the weekend, and will now not have any effect on the main event. In turn, it may allow the drivers to push more for track position rather than playing it safe across the 100km sprint.
The points score remains the same for the sprint race, eight points go to the race winner and the remaining drivers within the top eight get one less point, seven points for second, six for third etc, with the eighth-placed finisher getting one point.
That’s all for the article; F1 reveal Sprint Shootout ahead of Azerbaijan race weekend!
What did you think of the new format? Let us know in the comments!
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
