F1 announces 6 sprint Grand Prix in 2023

There will indeed be 6 Grand Prix in sprint format next season, in 2023. The Grand Prix in question are:

• Azerbaijan, from April 28 to 30, 2023
• Austria, from June 30 to July 2, 2023
• Belgium, from July 28 to 30, 2023
• Qatar, from October 6 to 8, 2023
• United States (Austin), from October 20 to 22, 2023
• Brazil, from November 3 to 5, 2023

The year 2022 already had 2 of the planned sprint-format appointments: Austria and Brazil. The third sprint appointment of 2022 was Imola, for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Formula 1, after conducting a debrief, noticed that narrow tracks like Imola were not suitable and that the sprint format did not promote overtaking there. Therefore, wide tracks are mostly chosen here, offering well-known overtaking zones.

The sprint format has the advantage of giving the promoter more audience and spectators on site since the qualifications and the two races are spread over the three days of the Grand Prix.

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, explained that he has seen a positive impact from the sprint races since their introduction in the past two years. He is also eager to see how it will unfold in Austin, USA. The sprint format adds excitement throughout the three days of the F1 weekends and creates more entertainment for the fans of the sport.

The sprint format, you say?

The sprint format is a schedule for Formula 1 Grand Prix that is different from the traditional weekend. Usually, Friday is the day for practice sessions, Saturday consists of a third practice session in the morning and qualifying in the afternoon, and then the race takes place on Sunday.

With this sprint format, a new short race is added on Saturday afternoon as a replacement for a free practice session.

So, we find free practice sessions on Friday morning, followed directly by the qualifications on Friday afternoon, which determine the starting positions for the fast race on Saturday. On Saturday morning, there is a second free practice session and the sprint race, which takes place on Saturday afternoon with a standing start. The finishing positions in the sprint race determine the starting grid for the long race on Sunday, as usual.

This format allows for the stakes of the qualifications on Friday, the fast standing start of the race on Saturday, and the long standing start of the race on Sunday, providing more excitement and stakes spread over the three days.